How can I create a Linode without a distribution?

To bypass the distribution selection on the Create New Linode page, you can click the "x" next to the default Debian image. This will also eliminate the option to make a root password for your Linode. Continue to choose your region, plan, Linode label, and then select "Create".

After the Linode is provisioned, click the "Advanced" tab. From here, you can add your disks - including the swap disk size of your choice - as well as set up your configuration profiles. When adding your disks, you can choose to create an empty disk or create a disk from an Image you already have.

Of note: the Linode will remain Offline until you choose to power it on.

For steps on how to load up a custom distribution, you can follow the steps in this guide:

Install a Custom Distribution on a Linode