Install a Minimal Ubuntu Desktop.

By Kevin Purdy, 5:30 AM on Wed May 13 2009, 9,596 views

If you like the looks and features of Ubuntu 9.04, but want a lighter, swifter version of it, try this minimalist installation that can knock memory usage down by up to 75 percent.

Ubuntu Forums user TheShiv likes to build his system from the ground up, and doesn’t like a lot of software and services he’ll never use. So he installs a core, bare-bones system from either the Ubuntu Server Edition CD or a Minimal CD, then, when he gets access to a command prompt and he’s wired to the internet (presumably through a LAN cable, though perhaps wireless works as well), he uses two or three commands to install enough features to get a working desktop, but very little that won’t be used day to day.

via Lifehacker – Install a Minimal Ubuntu Desktop – Ubuntu.