Building On Unix With Minimized Drivers

Here are the ./configure options disabling driver and features that can be safely disabled:

./configure \
    --prefix=${PREFIX} \
    --with-geos \
    --with-geotiff=internal \
    --with-hide-internal-symbols \
    --with-libtiff=internal \
    --with-libz=internal \
    --with-threads \
    --without-bsb \
    --without-cfitsio \
    --without-cryptopp \
    --without-curl \
    --without-dwgdirect \
    --without-ecw \
    --without-expat \
    --without-fme \
    --without-freexl \
    --without-gif \
    --without-gif \
    --without-gnm \
    --without-grass \
    --without-grib \
    --without-hdf4 \
    --without-hdf5 \
    --without-idb \
    --without-ingres \
    --without-jasper \
    --without-jp2mrsid \
    --without-jpeg \
    --without-kakadu \
    --without-libgrass \
    --without-libkml \
    --without-libtool \
    --without-mrf \
    --without-mrsid \
    --without-mysql \
    --without-netcdf \
    --without-odbc \
    --without-ogdi \
    --without-openjpeg \
    --without-pcidsk \
    --without-pcraster \
    --without-pcre \
    --without-perl \
    --without-pg \
    --without-php \
    --without-png \
    --without-python \
    --without-qhull \
    --without-sde \
    --without-sqlite3 \
    --without-webp \
    --without-xerces \
    --without-xml2

From r15347, you can also replace --with-libz=internal by --with-libz=no.

On my system, here are the dependencies of libgdal.so with such a build :

$ ldd libgdal.so
        linux-gate.so.1 =>  (0xffffe000)
        libgeos_c.so.1 => /usr/lib/libgeos_c.so.1 (0xb7dca000)
        libpthread.so.0 => /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libpthread.so.0 (0xb7db2000)
        librt.so.1 => /lib/tls/i686/cmov/librt.so.1 (0xb7da8000)
        libdl.so.2 => /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libdl.so.2 (0xb7da4000)
        libstdc++.so.6 => /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6 (0xb7cb9000)
        libm.so.6 => /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libm.so.6 (0xb7c94000)
        libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/libgcc_s.so.1 (0xb7c87000)
        libc.so.6 => /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6 (0xb7b3d000)
        libgeos.so.2 => /usr/lib/libgeos.so.2 (0xb7a3d000)
        /lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0x80000000)

Additionnaly, if you are willing to apply the below patch, you'll get a very minimal GDAL with only GeoTIFF, Imagine HFA (for overviews in HFA format), Raw (for some VRT operations), and VRT (for gdal_translate) support for the raster part, and Shapefile and REC (needed by OpenEV) for the vector part. The python bindings will also work with that minimized build.