So, am I to understand that the --no-install-recommends flag means that all required dependencies will not necessarily be met when installing a package using it?

It means, that only the main dependencies (packages in the Depends field) are installed. Installing with --no-install-recommends  skips all recommended packages.

Note taken, thanks. =-)

So, am I to understand that the --no-install-recommends flag means that all required dependencies will not necessarily be met when installing a package using it?
I was under the impression that --no-install-recommends did not affect dependencies but only the addiitonal functionality by recommended packages.   

OK.
I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks for your input.

A.

rant

You should learn more about package management before complaining about features that you clearly do not understand.

Pro tip: if you want a minimal system then avoid metapackages.

Thanks for the heads up.
I'll give it a read (again) tonight.

Best,

A.

Eventually, after adding some xorg related packages, it started.
But with no keyboard or mouse.

So I gave up and installed Slim which was not the end of it as I also had to install packages that seemed to be missing.
I did that by comparing with the packages I have in my workstation which also runs ASCII.

So it seems, but not only xorg.
eg: --no-install-recommends in xfce4 will still force orage down your throat while at the same time other basic things do not work properly.

rant

When I uninstall a package (like I did with Slim to have everything go south on me), as a matter of procedure I always do apt-get update + apt-get check before doing apt-get purge + apt-get autoremove (if indicated) and then apt-get check again.

Taking these precautions are basic to me.

That said, I believe the system (apt) when apt-get check returns no errors.
The very same way I believe it when it says that the packages in the list that will be purged when I do apt-get autoremove are really no longer needed.

I also believe it will effectively install every needed dependency/package when I install any package with the --no-install-recommends flag and leave out the recommended and suggested packages I assume I can safely do without.

Why?
Because I expect that the $%&*@ meaning and difference between dependencies and recommends / suggested have been clearly defined wherever they have to be defined.

I expect that to be so because first, I trust the developers/packagers and second, I have no way to run some sort of sanity check to see if everything is OK.

I find it rather worrying that installing a package with the --no-install-recommends flag would end up being a problem.

/rant

The result of all this is that, despite my best efforts and the infinite patience of my fellow forum members (thanks to all), it has proven rather difficult to get a minimal ASCII installation into my 1000HE.

But I have it running quite well at the moment and thanks to installing Slim my boot time has been cut by at least 50%.

Though I really did expect it to be the other way around.  =-D!

Best,

A.

Go xserver-xorg-video-all just to be sure.

Been awhile since i did a minimal install but last time i did im sure i needed xinit and xterm installed for startx, whether they have been added to a metapackage im not sure atm.

Does this happen because there is no manager

The plain startx command should start an xterm if there is no window manager installed, do you have that on your system?

The entire content of ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log would be useful here, I think.

If you have xterm installed the try specifying the VT:

startx -- vt1 # if run from TTY1

Which version of Devuan is this?

I installed xorg (w/apt from the command line) but startx fails.

[   110.795] 
X.Org X Server 1.19.2
Release Date: 2017-03-02
[   110.795] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[   110.796] Build Operating System: Linux 4.9.0-8-amd64 i686 Debian
[   110.796] Current Operating System: Linux devuan 4.9.0-9-686-pae #1 SMP Debian 4.9.168-1+deb9u2 (2019-05-13) i686
[   110.796] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.9.0-9-686-pae root=UUID=d7ba4ecc-07b2-47a8-9f73-93cd00864862 ro ipv6.disable=1 enable_mtrr_cleanup nmi_watchdog=0
[   110.797] Build Date: 03 November 2018  03:08:43AM
[   110.797] xorg-server 2:1.19.2-1+deb9u5 (https://www.debian.org/support) 
[   110.797] Current version of pixman: 0.34.0
--- snip ---
[   110.949] (EE) systemd-logind: failed to get session: The name org.freedesktop.login1 was not provided by any .service files
--- snip ---
 Permission denied
[   111.953] (EE) 
Fatal server error:
[   111.953] (EE) AddScreen/ScreenInit failed for driver 0
[   111.953] (EE) 
[   111.953] (EE) 
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
	 at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 
[   111.953] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/home/groucho/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[   111.953] (EE) 
[   111.983] (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.

I have not installed anything else yet as I want to go step by step to check if anything fails.
Next would be xfce with --no-install-recommends to keep it lean.   

Does this happen because there is no manager or is something wrong?
Never done it like this before, shouldn't I get an x screen?

Thanks in advance.

A.