DietPi services/scripts only run once, when needed (eg: during boot, or when user runs a dietpi-* script). No background processing. Boot time may be slightly longer (due to RAMdisk creation, process tool apply, device identification, network wait to ensure service launch successfully, etc), but overall much lighter post init.
33.6 sec
Should be sub 25 seconds for Pi Zero, even with network. Which SD card? 17.5MB/s R/W is max regardless of card, however, If no network, and UHS-3 card, overclock SD bus RPi | Double SDcard IO (Read/Write speeds) This will vastly improve boot times 35MB/s~.
Although many of the DietPi features are great on my development platform, I really don’t want or need any DietPi scripts going when I deploy the device. Just a tightly-wound minimal OS.
As the services/scripts you want to exclude are critical to DietPi, I decline to offer assistance in their removal. You would be better of with Raspbian stock, then customize it to how you want it for your project.
Just a tightly-wound minimal OS.
DietPi is exactly this.