Bug#3189: nvi over-cautious about .exrc?
> Not much trouble if it is just one machine. Some time ago I had to
> install 10 machines as X workstations which don't need to handle mail
> at all, and need no user accounts (NIS). I had to answer all these
> questions about user names and passwords only to delete these accounts
> later. I don't want to do unnecessary work, lazy me :-). FYI, when
> I installed SCO OpenServer 5, it asked me for root password (Debian
> does it too, good), but didn't require that I create a new user account
> immediately.
What we really need to support this case is a means of loading some
amount of pre-configuration on to the root floppy when doing large-site
installs. You should be able to pre-configure the root password (stored
in encrypted form) and most of the other installation questions except
for "what is my host name and IP number".
It would make sense to provide a menu reachable from the main menu that
configures the installation defaults and lets you make policy decisions
like "don't create any users". This information would be written back
onto your root floppy. This would be much more appropriate for large-site
installs. The problem with the present installation menu is that it is
written for one-system installs, and it's not really appropriate for anything
else.
> Hmm. I can't chgrp my own files to any group I am not a member of.
I meant that the _super-user_ could run a script to convert users and their
files to belong to a centralized group. You have to be root to install the
quota package anyway, this could be a post-inst option.
Thanks
Bruce
--
Pixar's Toy Story: Over 1/3 Billion dollars world box office so far.
Bruce Perens AB6YM Bruce@Pixar.com http://www.hams.com/
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