[vserver] Reducing a Debian guests package foot print

I love how I seem to always post on Fridays. Probably because I have
spent the previous week or more researching and testing with less than
optimal results.

So on to my questions.

I have a Linux-Vserver Debian Wheezy host up -- thank you Ben Green for
the instructions and the kernel & utilities packages.

I have created two guests so far. One to experiment with and the other
is to be used for real.

    I noticed while doing the debootstrap build there seemed to be a lot
of packages that have no reason to be in a guest. Maybe it is just my
inexperience with the method but I don't remember seeing so many
packages when I built CentOS guests.

    So I am wondering if anyone has come up with a process to remove
unnecessary packages. I remember there was a thread or two about
something similar so if anyone remembers about when they were I will
search the archives.

Also are thee any other ways of building Debian guests on a Debian host?
  I just read about using a tarball or tarballs. Is there a selection
that others have built?

TIA,
Rod

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