I am writing a bash script to help new Linux users install Debian desktop environments easily but most of some packages rely on xorg. I think it might not work properly if no xorg is found on the target user machine. I really need to know if there is a Debian Linux distro without xorg and if any, what do they use?
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2Do you really mean a distro that does not have xorg at all, or one that has it, but is not installed by default? – roaima May 11 '20 at 23:10
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1Any, check net-install ISO. It comes with minimal preinstalled software. Check NixOS or Guix for more flexible setup. – Hellseher May 11 '20 at 23:21
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1https://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/ – Hellseher May 11 '20 at 23:27
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@roaima I meant one without xorg at all. – David Kariuki May 12 '20 at 22:06
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Debian can be set up without X.org, but the tasks corresponding to all desktop environments which need X.org depend on it (through task-desktop). Thus installing the appropriate task-based meta-package, using tasksel, will pull in the X.org packages if necessary.
The default desktop environment, GNOME, uses Wayland by default in Debian 10, and it is possible to install that without xserver-xorg; this will use xwayland to run X applications. But the default setup, using GNOME, still installs X.org.
(If you want to run GNOME with no xserver-xorg packages, install the base system with no desktop environment, then run apt install --no-install-recommends gnome.)
Stephen Kitt
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I'm assuming installing X-related packages does not mean they have to be _used_. It should, for example, be possible to not start X? – Kusalananda May 12 '20 at 11:15
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2Yes, exactly. Most setups end up starting a display manager automatically, but they can be disabled, and text logins are still possible (as is starting X manually). – Stephen Kitt May 12 '20 at 11:24
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It is totally possible to use (and by extend have) a Distro (whether Debian or others) without xorg installed.
You can emulate this in a VM or even locally (if you're brave enough) to see what will happen, but really, all it will do is that every packages that have xorg as dependencies will either break, or refuse to launch.(and will also install xorg if you attempt to reinstall said packages)
Though, it is still an usable state, when you know what you want (though limited to tty only).
Nordine Lotfi
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It is theoretically possible for users on Debian to use Wayland instead of Xorg, although it's not a common configuration. It's also possible to install a base system without X11, for example, with the netinst CDs (as mentioned above). I personally always use this method because it's much faster to install a system and then install just the packages I need.
In general, I don't think it's worth worrying about Wayland at this point because most users won't be using it, especially users new to Linux. The easiest way to install a suitable desktop environment is to use the task-* packages, which will install an Xorg server as long as recommends are enabled, which is probably the best way forward for most users.
bk2204
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1Wayland is the default when using the default DE (GNOME) on Debian 10, the current release. – Stephen Kitt May 12 '20 at 06:26