global USE flag
minimal

Install a very minimal build (disables, for example, plugins, fonts, most drivers, non-critical features)

Packages describing “minimal” as local USE flag

Package “minimal” Flag Description
app-office/scribus Don't install headers (only required for e.g. plug-in developers)
net-analyzer/munin Only install munin-node and its plugins. This excludes the scripts to generate the web pages and the graphs.
games-simulation/simutrans Don't install any PakSets (scenario data)
dev-db/unixODBC Disable bundled drivers and extra libraries (most users don't need these)
dev-libs/libcdio Only build the libcdio library and little more, just to be used to link against from multimedia players. With this USE flag enabled, none of the command-line utilities are built, nor is the CDDA library.
sys-auth/pambase Disables the standard PAM modules that provide extra information to users on login; this includes pam_lastlog, pam_motd, pam_mail and other similar modules. This might not be a good idea on a multi-user system but could reduce slightly the overhead on single-user non-networked systems.
app-crypt/ekeyd Only install the ekey-egd-linux service rather than the full ekeyd package.
app-misc/unfoo Do not install all support archive binaries
dev-lang/lazarus Don't build extra packages from the bigide component
net-nds/openldap Build libraries & userspace tools only. Does not install any server code
net-print/hplip Only build internal hpijs/hpcups driver (not recommended at all, make sure you know what you are doing)
net-p2p/eiskaltdcpp Don't install headers
app-text/dictd Don't build server but dict client, dictzip and dictfmt only.
app-arch/tar just install `tar`
app-editors/nano Disable all fancy features, including ones that otherwise have a dedicated USE flag (such as spelling).
lxqt-base/lxqt-meta Do not install x11-wm/openboxwindow manager
net-analyzer/nsca Only build and install the send_nsca command and not the daemon. This allows a very minimal install with no overhead when setting up a node.
x11-themes/QGnomePlatform Skip kde-frameworks/qqc2-desktop-style dependency (Warning: some apps could be wrongly rendered)
sci-mathematics/eclib Build only the "mwrank" program.
sci-electronics/kicad-meta Do not install extra data like 3D packages and templates.
sys-boot/lilo Do not install the dolilo helper script
dev-util/dialog Disable library, install command-line program only
net-wireless/dump1090 Exclude all HTML/webserver extras for a tiny build, e.g. to export data only
dev-util/google-perftools Only build the tcmalloc_minimal library, ignoring the heap checker and the profilers.
net-misc/ytfzf Skip all optional dependencies (may no longer work out-of-the-box and require custom setting up)
sys-fs/zfs Don't install python scripts (arcstat, dbufstat etc) and avoid dependency on dev-lang/python
sys-libs/musl-nscd Only installs the header files
x11-misc/py3status Don't depend on x11-misc/i3status if you don't plan to use any of its built-in modules.
media-gfx/iscan-plugin-gt-f500 Install the firmware only, and not the plugin.
sys-apps/iproute2 only install ip and tc programs, without eBPF support
virtual/ssh Prefer net-misc/dropbear over net-misc/openssh

All packages providing a “minimal” USE flag (172)