Re: New installation program(s)?
On Wed, Jul 14, 1999 at 07:50:30PM +0100, Edward Betts wrote:
> On debian-boot, Lalo Martins <lalo@webcom.com> wrote:
> > N: Network (from a Debian Network Installation server that
> > stores config data; I'm going to call this DNI for the
> > purposes of this message)
>
> For the DNI have a look at RFC 2244:
>
> ACAP -- Application Configuration Access Protocol
Well, I'm not a network expert, so I'll leave that for later. If
Joey Hess is already on this, great.
> > NL if using DNI, "install mode" - see later for what's this -
> > is going to be "DNI", so we don't make any further
> > questions to the user (and don't even attempt graphic
> > mode).
>
> What would be wrong with a graphical progress bar?
The problem is when we attempt graphic mode and don't get it
(for example, the damn SiS cards). Also, it's a potential waste
of time, and if someone selected network installation it
probably means a desire to save time :-)
> > NU keyboard layout (is there some way to detect this?)
>
> Oddly enough no. Where a guess can be made from the language, the user will
> still have to confirm though, I know people who have French as their first
> language and would like the install in French, but use a machine with a QWERTY
> layout rather than AZERTY.
Canada, Brazil and a lot of other places have two or more
different "standard" layouts. Also, language is almost no hint;
I guess you meant location (for example, the local Brazilian
"standard" layout is a lot different than the one local to
Portugal, and the same holds for Canada/France).
> You might be able to auto-detect a Windows 95 keyboard, I am not sure. Why you
> would want to is another question? I mean what are you going to use the
> Windows keys for?
Not asking is already good enought a reason :-)
> > NU install mode. Options are "auto" or "custom"; "auto" means
> > choosing from one installation profile; then all things
> > from now on marked "U" are asked to the profile instead of
> > the user, with the exception of the partition layout. If
> > "auto" is chosen, then we ask _now_ for root's password, so
> > that the user may go get a coffe or something.
>
> And ask for the details of the first normal user?
Yes, I think so.
> > --- BOOT into the install. This may require serious hacks if we
> > want a real "auto" mode, because we want to get into the
> > newly installed system, not the install (CD|floppy|...)
> > again.
>
> CD boots, detects half finnished install and passes control to the hard drive.
That's what I thought.
> > NDU drivers. Even in "U" mode, we should ask as little as
> > possible unless user said something like "expert" somewhere
>
> Difficult with ISA
That's why I said "as little as possible" :-) with non-PnP ISA,
"as little as possible" would still be a lot.
> > NDU base system config (hmm, if we already have language,
> > timezone and network, what's missing? WM, if we have X?)
>
> Select a standard WM with a nice Debian theme. I suggest Window Maker.
Selecting a WM is not a problem, I think. Just present 4 or 5
buttons, where each button has a screenshot. Of course this
would hurt E and icewm, because screenshots don't show the
flexibility of themes. Perhaps get different buttons for 3 or 4
icewm themes and all E themes we have packaged.
> > NU let dpkg configure packages - of course we need a way to
> > make this non-interactive, but this discussion is old :-)
>
> Joey Hess is working on this, and he is being paid as well.
This is one of the reasons I think this is going to work. I
mean, up to here it's 3 folks being paid already :-) Not to let
down the volunteer work - if I didn't believe in it, I wouldn't
be in Debian to begin with - but installation is a thankless
job, it's good to know there are 3 guys with resources and paid
time sometimes.
> > Well, as of partition layout in "auto" mode (or "DNI" mode if
> > the server tells the client to ask):
> >
> > IMVHO the very nice "fsresize" package is what we want if we
> > don't find free space. But then, even if the user already told
> > us to don't ask anything anymore, we will want to ask how much
> > space to cut off from the existing OS.
>
> Take enough for all the packages and give it to Debian, then cut the rest in
> half between Debian and the otherfs.
This could be a good default, but I don't think "not asking" is
a very good option here.
[]s,
|alo
+----
--
I am Lalo of deB-org. You will be freed.
Resistance is futile.
http://www.webcom.com/lalo mailto:lalo@webcom.com
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Debian GNU/Linux -- http://www.debian.org
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