[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Adding ISO-search support to the CD (netinst) images?



On Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 12:30:10PM -0400, Joey Hess wrote:
> Evgeni Golov wrote:
> > grub2:
> >  loopback loop /debian-7.0-amd64-NETINST-findiso.iso
> >  set root=(loop)
> >  linux /install.amd/vmlinux findiso
> >  initrd /install.amd/initrd.gz
> >  boot
> 
> So for this to work, the user has to go out of their way to configure it
> to be used, including specifying the initrd to use. Why is this better
> than the user downloading the hd-media initrd.gz and using that?

The grub method is automatable (in grub itself too).
Just create a folder, dump some ISOs there and create a script that will 
itterate over the ISOs and create grub entries to chainload these.
If the iso would contain a grub.cfg (or better loopback.cfg [1]), this 
would run completelly automated (I have such a cfg on my hd, didnt 
commit it yet). If not, easy guessing is possible in most of the cases.

> This cannot quite replace hd-media, because the hd-media initrd contains
> many more kernel drivers, to be able to scan hard drives. Those are not
> included on the cdrom initrd to avoid bloating it.

Sure. But at least for me, I need hd-media to boot an usb-drive w/ D-I.
No fancy firewire/non-sata SCSI etc.
So current state would be enough (I boot netbooks/notebooks with the 
drive), even if not a complete replacement of all the hd-media 
use-cases.

> As one of the main authors and maintainers of iso-scan, I see it being
> used in increasingly limited circumstances, and have been hoping that
> those use-cases will narrow to the point that it can be removed. Making
> it marginally easier to boot the CD with grub2 is a very narrow use-case
> indeed, and not a good justification for adding iso-scan to the cdrom
> initrd.

Well, I fear this won't be possible. The last years gave us enough 
machines that have no cdrom and desperately need a way of installation 
from usb, so having hd-media was always great. And yes, hybrid media is 
cool, but does not give the same flexibility (is that a word at all?) of 
having multiple installers on one usb.

Regards
Evgeni

[1] http://www.supergrubdisk.org/wiki/Loopback.cfg

-- 
Bruce Schneier can read and understand Perl programs.


Reply to: