is it possible to install a minimal gnome or minimal kde in mandriva as am thinking of installing it

It is possible, it won't pull all packages, but it will install what is required to get Gnome/KDE installed and running.

Welcome on board!

Mandriva uses a tool called urpm for managing RPM files. This tool has:
- text-mode front-ends: urpmi (install), urpme (remove), urpmq (query)…
- a graphical front-end: rpmdrake, which is available standalone or inside the Mandriva Control Center.

Using urpm, you can search RPM packages the name of which begin with "task-…": those are meta-packages that will install all dependences for a general aim. Among those are:

task-gnome
task-gnome-minimal
task-kde
task-kde4
task-kde4-minimal

So I suppose the answer is YES Mandriva can. But then it depends on what you call minimal.

Yves.

Install using the mini dual iso: ftp://ftp.free.fr/mirrors/ftp.mandriva.co...ial/iso/2008.1/ and then install only task-kde or task-kde-minimal the same goes for gnome.

most minimal gnome possible is

urpmi gnome-panel



most minimal kde possible is 

urpmi kdebase

(not sure about kde though I useally install the full thing)

thread solved long time ago sorry forgot about it