[coldtea]

>Install perl/python/ruby and nodejs -- requiring just the shell to be installed?

You can run several of those languages (python for sure, but also perl IIRC) as a shell.

[e12e]

As a system shell? In theory, perhaps. But migrating a typical Linux/bsd distribution away from having any dependency in the shell would be a major undertaking. While some distributions already ship with only shell/busybox.