Still this:
Discourse isn’t a desktop application, it is intended to be installed on a server and connected to by remote clients via a browser. You continue to elaborate on how you think discourse could be pared down, but haven’t given a use case as to why.
What’s the purpose of installing discourse on a desktop distro. Which scenario isn’t supported by the current installation?
Discourse can run on a $5/mo VPS or a $35 SBC over most domestic internet connections. How much smaller does it really need to be?