Installer report
I tried the powerpc version of the installer built recently by Gaudenz
Steinlin. Since the root image was missing modprobe, I wasn't able to
get too far. But seeing a lot of errors gave me some insight into the
error handling code, and I thought I would enter my observations.
I chose the language, which was fine, but I agree (and I think there
may already be a bug) that the Choose language should be a separate
dialog, ala boot-floppies, so people that don't read English have a
chance. If I was presented with Japanese characters on the first line
of main-menu, I surely wouldn't feel confident about choosing it -- I
wouldn't know what the result would be. Another option might be to
display all the other language translations of 'Choose a language'
around the main menu box when the first item is highlighted? Nah.
In netcfg-dhcp, the message says 'This may take some time. It
shouldn't take more than a minute or two.' However, this is presented
in a dialog box where 'Continue' needs to be selected for this
'lengthy' process to start. I understand we shouldn't refer to the
button name directly, but how can we make the user understand that the
Continue button should be pressed to start the operation? I think a
new user could sit there looking at that message for a long time,
thinking that the operation it referred to was already in process.
The Detect a keyboard and select layout step failed due to the lack of
modprobe. However, it was very difficult to figure out what was going
wrong. When the step was selected, the background would momentarily
change to blue; I could see SIGSEGV in the upper left corner and some
other words, but the main menu was quickly re-displayed. I checked
console 3, there was no message there indicating what had happened. I
repeatedly selected the menu item so I could piece together the
messages displayed as they flashed quickly by. There is no error
message after the step fails in this way.
I found it odd that the Configure network via DHCP step and the
Configure static network step were separated in the main menu by the
keyboard configuration. I guess this is a result of the
Installer-Menu-Item conflict at #12. netcfg's item 14 also conflicts
with choose-mirror, as I noted back on June 6.
Perhaps this is a result of the way this build was executed; but when
Configure network failed, there didn't appear to be any way to choose
a CD mirror instead. The Choose Mirror step said it was dependent on
Configure Network, and offered to take me back there. When that
happened, and I used the Go Back button to try Configure Network
again, and it failed again, Choose Mirror didn't realize that
Configure Network had just failed again, and went ahead with its
function anyway. It should have gone back to the main menu or
complained again about Configure Network.
Another new-user trip-up might occur after executing a shell. It's not
evident how one exits from the shell; I'd suggest adding "Use the
'exit' command to leave this shell and return to the main menu" in
the brief intro which appears at the top.
One last suggestion: I don't know what version this test represents,
because I didn't build it myself. Obviously a common problem. I think
it would be appropriate to add the build version right there in the
main menu title, like "This is the main menu for debian-installer,
version x.xx"
--
Debian GNU/Linux Operating System
By the People, For the People
Chris Tillman (a people instance)
toff one at cox dot net
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