Re: r49295 - in trunk/packages/arch/i386/win32-loader: . debian l10n l10n/po templates
On Fri, Sep 14, 2007 at 09:34:44PM -0400, Joey Hess wrote:
> Robert Millan wrote:
> > Author: rmh
> > Date: Fri Sep 14 15:34:58 2007
> > New Revision: 49295
> >
> > Log:
> > Add dialog to choose desktop environment (GNOME, KDE, XFCE, None).
>
> We've chosen not to bother the user with a choice of desktop
> environments in d-i, for reasons that, while one may agree with them or
> not, seem to apply just as well whether or not d-i is launched from
> win32-loader.
>
> So, why make win32-loader do this?
When I saw that we provide desktop environment choice via alternate "CD 1"
ISOs, I thought the fact that there isn't a single "CD 1" that supports
multiple DEs was just a design issue rather than a conscious decision.
win32-loader provides choice of desktop environment _only_ when run in
expert mode. This is similar to the scheme used in CDs in the sense that
in both cases user has to get out of their way to enable a DE other than
the default.
> BTW, the implementation is also somewhat buggy. Some failure modes
> and potential issues:
>
> * win32-loader running from a CD that does not have kde on it, and yet
> still offering kde.
> [...]
> * win32-loader being used for a derived distribution that does not have
> kde or gnome tasks (ie, debian-edu), and yet still asking which to
> install.
> [...]
> * tasksel being changed to default to kde -> win32-loader will still
> assume it defaults to gnome. (An added gotcha for derived distros.)
Ah, right. So this should be a win32-loader.ini parameter, and behave in a
similar way to isolinux.cfg. I could add an option in win32-loader.ini to add
arbitrary parameters to Linux cmdline. Does that suit you?
> * win32-loader running on a machine that will not be partitioned with
> enough free disk space to install gnome, and yet still offering gnome.
> [...]
> * The user chosing one of the desktops from the list, and yet tasksel
> deciding this machine doesn't look like desktop material, and not
> defaulting to install a desktop. So the user would have to select
> desktop again in tasksel to have their original choice be honored.
> [...]
> * Conversely, if a user choses no desktop in win32-loader, and tasksel
> thinks the machine is desktop material, they will have to uncheck
> the desktop task a second time in tasksel.
That part is difficult to sort out. The question isn't really aimed at
asking which DE will be installed, but rather which one will be installed
if you choose to install one at all. Because this was difficult to ask in
a way that doesn't confuse users, I put the "None" option, but "None" doesn't
have any real meaning (it just does the same as choosing "GNOME").
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to ask this at all. But KDE and XFCE users want
to have this choice when using win32-loader (and I received a few mails asking
for it).
> In general, if win32-loader is going to be on our CDs and thus used by
> many users, care needs to be taken to not overrule standard d-i behavior
> except where there's clearly a case for doing so due to the installer
> being started from windows. Some other potentially problimatic divergences:
Agreed. There shouldn't be gratuitous divergences now that win32-loader is
an official part of D-I. I removed the ones you point out and one more that
I could find after a quick look.
> * Preseeding interface=auto, thus forcing d-i to use the first available NIC.
> Even if that's not the right one and even if it doesn't have link.
IIRC, the default is not the first available NIC but the first NIC that has
a link. Would this justify lowering priority?
> PS: If there are many cases where tasksel's existing heuristics don't
> default to selecting the desktop task on installs started from
> win32-loader (though this seems unlikely), we could add a preseed hint
> that win32-loader could use to tell tasksel the system used to run windows.
> Tasksel could factor this into its heuristics to make a better decision.
Good idea. How about "bootloader=win32-loader" ?
--
Robert Millan
<GPLv2> I know my rights; I want my phone call!
<DRM> What use is a phone call, if you are unable to speak?
(as seen on /.)
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