RE: [waldi@debian.org: Re: [tsec-gf] Re: will s390 have a working installer for sarge?]
> > > - cdebconf
> > > - text frontend don't respect dumb terminal definition,
> > > should disable
> > > translations.
> >
> > This sounds like a general problem. TTY on serial console
> would have the
> > same problem.
>
> Maybe this is the bug that the install hangs on serial console
> installs when you choose a language other than english? Do you have
> any idea how to fix it.
Scanning through the boot log you sent, my first guess would be that
some of the visual escape sequence crap is causing a flow control
problem that is hanging the device. Not everything is a ANSI terminal,
still, and an installer that assumes ANY terminal processing will lose
on this big-time. How does the display process get the terminal type?
Hmm. At this point things are probably still pretty braindead in terms
of termcap/terminfo, but that may be a general fix for the problem (a
stub /etc/termcap and/or /etc/terminfo with ANSI and TTY only, and
examine the apps for direct escape sequence generation code, to be
eliminated on sight...)
> > > - as discussed, default items should be prefixed with
> an asterisk or
> > > similar.
> >
> > Ditto.
> I personally use colour on serial installs so I don't see this.
Eeeuw. Ick. Installers shouldn't assume ANYTHING but plain-text until
they have enough brains to ask if the device can handle it.
Question: how much screen-handling intelligence does this thing really
need? IF it can get by with a clear-screen capability (and write lines
to simulate cursor positioning), you may want to generate the boot image
with the 3270 console driver active instead of the 3215 console. That
would give you a limited terminal definition that is capable of a
clear-screen sequence and some limited highlighting (stick to 3278
hi-lite/normal text, and it'll work on any 3270). A test would be to
see if the installer works properly on something really ancient and
brain-damaged like a ADM-1 terminal. If so, it could work on the 3270
console driver.
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