Re: Switch default installation image link?
On Tue, Jun 06, 2017 at 01:01:29PM +0100, Steve McIntyre wrote:
> For a number of years, we've been linking to the amd64/i386 netinst
> installer image from the front page. I think it's time to just switch
> that to just an amd64 image for stretch now. The vast majority of the
> machines out there are now amd64, and we're asking people to download
> useless stuff in such cases. i386 users can still find an image for
> download.
Please do! At this time, i386 is a trap for newbies who don't know better.
No proper crossgrade tools exist yet, but a good first step is to stop
digging that hole.
No one installs i386 new -- machines that are non-amd64-capable are:
* mainstream machines from 2004 and earlier
* a brief wave of mobile devices, now thankfully gone
* deeply embedded, usually incapable of running d-i
If you're installing on one of them, you're reinstalling a buggered up
system thus know what you're doing. It's no different from installing on
alpha, mips or powerpc. Thus, secondary architectures should be kept out
of the view of newbies (with a convenient link for the rest).
> I'm *also* tempted to switch from the netinst to the first DVD image
> instead - network connections have improved a lot.
I'd vote no -- netinst + packages you need is smaller than an entire DVD.
Those who want to install multiple machines from an image tend to know what
to do -- and even them will typically still download the installer more
times during tests than they have machines to install.
Meow!
--
⢀⣴⠾⠻⢶⣦⠀ A tit a day keeps the vet away.
⣾⠁⢰⠒⠀⣿⡁
⢿⡄⠘⠷⠚⠋⠀ (Rejoice as my small-animal-murder-machine got unbroken after
⠈⠳⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀ nearly two years of no catch!)
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