remove some extra weight

nix/installer.nix

@@ -25,11 +25,52 @@ in
   documentation.enable = false;
   documentation.man.man-db.enable = false;
 
+  # reduce closure size through package set crafting
+  # where there's no otherwise globally effective
+  # config setting available
+  # TODO: some are candidates for a long-term upstream solution
+  nixpkgs.overlays = [
+    (final: prev: {
+      # save ~12MB by not bundling manpages
+      coreutils-full = prev.coreutils;
+      # save ~20MB by making them minimal
+      util-linux = prev.util-linux.override {
+        nlsSupport = false;
+        ncursesSupport = false;
+        systemdSupport = false;
+        translateManpages = false;
+      };
+      # save ~6MB by removing one bash 
+      bashInteractive = prev.bash;
+      # saves ~25MB
+      systemd = prev.systemd.override {
+        pname = "systemd-slim";
+        withDocumentation = false;
+        withCoredump = false;
+        withFido2 = false;
+        withRepart = false;
+        withMachined = false;
+        withRemote = false;
+        withTpm2Tss = false;
+        withLibBPF = false;
+        withAudit = false;
+        withCompression = false;
+        withImportd = false;
+        withPortabled = false;
+      };
+    })
+  ];
+  systemd.coredump.enable = false;
+
+
   environment.systemPackages = [
     # for zapping of disko
     pkgs.jq
     # for copying extra files of nixos-anywhere
     pkgs.rsync
+    # for installing nixos via nixos-anywhere
+    config.system.build.nixos-enter
+    config.system.build.nixos-install
   ];
 
   imports = [

nix/kexec-installer/module.nix

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ in
     ../networkd.nix
     ../serial.nix
     ../restore-remote-access.nix
+    ../no-grub.nix
   ];
   options = {
     system.kexec-installer.name = lib.mkOption {

nix/netboot-installer/module.nix

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     ../networkd.nix
     ../serial.nix
     ../restore-remote-access.nix
+    ../no-grub.nix
   ];
 
   # We are stateless, so just default to latest.

nix/no-grub.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{lib, ...}:{
+  # when grub ends up being bloat: kexec & netboot
+  nixpkgs.overlays = [
+    (final: prev: {
+      # we don't need grub: save ~ 60MB
+      grub2 = prev.coreutils;
+      grub2_efi = prev.coreutils;
+    })
+  ];
+}

nix/noninteractive.nix

@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
   # would pull in nano
   programs.nano.enable = false;
 
+  # also avoids placing man pages of systemPackages
+  documentation.man.man-db.enable = false;
+
   # prevents strace
   environment.defaultPackages = lib.mkForce [ pkgs.rsync pkgs.parted pkgs.gptfdisk ];