Minimal Ubuntu/Debian installation

I have a spare 1GB USB stick around, and a bit of free time on my hands. What I essentially want to do is to create my own live build of (preferably) Ubuntu or Debian for two simple purposes: speedy bootup on a netbook, and web browsing.

I want to install a persistent USB build to my 1GB stick, and have it literally include only the following: XFCE, Firefox Aurora (the dev channel), Google Chrome (again, the dev channel), and a terminal client. The only reason I request persistence is for updates (as both programs update frequently). Any suggestions?

Don't want to sound particularly MacGyver-ish, but all I have on hand is my Windows 7 desktop, a single DVD+RW, an 8GB flash drive with valuable data on it, and said 1GB flash drive.

A: Not to snub you but you're probably better off asking about this on a dedicated Debian forum.

B: Back up that 8-gig flash drive. Based on personal and anecdotal experience, they tend to die out of spite whenever you really need to get at that data.

@Ravenlight said:

A: Not to snub you but you're probably better off asking about this on a dedicated Debian forum.

B: Back up that 8-gig flash drive. Based on personal and anecdotal experience, they tend to die out of spite whenever you really need to get at that data.

A: I was going to ask on Tested, but their forums are essentially broken. I'm also not a Linux power user, so I'll probably be written off as a failure right away.

B: I also have a 2TB external, which it is backed up to, but I'm currently using its mounting bracket to salvage data off of a dead drive for a friend.

I would keep things simple instead of trying to "build your own" if you are not a power user. Both Ubuntu and Fedora Core offer "live" versions which be booted off of USB, does not reformat the machine's hard drive, and will save settings and data. These are great ways to test out software without modifying the machine.

@Aus_azn said:

I have a spare 1GB USB stick around, and a bit of free time on my hands. What I essentially want to do is to create my own live build of (preferably) Ubuntu or Debian for two simple purposes: speedy bootup on a netbook, and web browsing.

I want to install a persistent USB build to my 1GB stick, and have it literally include only the following: XFCE, Firefox Aurora (the dev channel), Google Chrome (again, the dev channel), and a terminal client. The only reason I request persistence is for updates (as both programs update frequently). Any suggestions?

Don't want to sound particularly MacGyver-ish, but all I have on hand is my Windows 7 desktop, a single DVD+RW, an 8GB flash drive with valuable data on it, and said 1GB flash drive.

1GB isn't enough to have a proper Linux desktop with loopback support (the stuff which converts a Live installation to a proper desktop experience with saved settings after a reboot etc), You need at least 2GB. That's my experience with loopback support anyway.

Ubuntu recommends Pendrive USB installer for Windows. It looks like it has support for a large number of distributions. Xubuntu  is probably a pretty good place to start since it is configured to use XFCE by default. 

I do suspect you'll need a larger USB drive than 1 GB to fully take advantage of almost any install.

Use Damn Small Linux or Puppy Dog Linux.