Re: RH and GNOME

[Craig Sanders <cas@taz.net.au>]

sorry if this thread is already dead. if so, let it stay dead. i just
couldn't help responding to the unstated assumption that a GUI installer
is inherently a good and desirable thing.

On Sat, 25 Jul 1998, Petra, Kevin J Poorman wrote:

> > Also, what to do about people using serial-console?
> 
> option. optional. ... a gui install is optional. not required... a console
> install is also available... either or...

before anyone rushes off to develop a GUI debian installer, they should stop
and ask themselves the following question:

    what, precisely, can a GUI install do that a text-mode install can't?

and then follow that up with questions like these:

    how many extra install floppies will that require?
    how much time will that add to the install process?
    how much effort/time is required to write it?
	how do i deal with weird graphics card or mice or other weird hardware?
	how do i make the installer fit in 4mb (including ramdisk / fs).

and, best of all:

    is it really worth it?  (which is just a variation on the first question)


personally, i don't see any benefit at all in a GUI installer for an
OS. but then, maybe i'm just some sort of depraved freak throwback to
the Bad Old Days<tm> of text consoles: i'm just wanting to install
debian....i'm not after some installation "experience" with pretty
graphics and flashing lights and bells and whistles. i just want the
damn thing to work, and work reliably.

i can't help feeling that anyone who actually *needs* graphics to
install linux probably shouldn't be running linux.


craig

--
craig sanders


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