You can avoid installing non-required dependencies by adding the following (base...

You can avoid installing non-required dependencies by adding the following (based on your preferences and/or use case) to a file in the /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ directory:

  APT::Install-Recommends "false";
  APT::Install-Suggests "false";

Alternatively, you can do as pengaru suggested and the pass "--no-install-recommends" and/or "--no-install-suggests" parameters when installing packages, as described in the apt-get man page [0].

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[0]: https://manpages.debian.org/buster/apt/apt-get.8.en.html