Re: RFC: Acknowledge important stuff by pressing RET on install time.
(disclaimer: jim@laney.edu does NOT have voting status)
About not having to press enter during an install process...
I like the idea as an admin... it lets me upgrade lots of machines at once.
I would add that configuration of packages can be handled by GNU expect or
some such equivalent for totally hands-free installs of debian from scratch,
something that an admin would majorly cherish.
Whether it's mailed to root (or the first created user), placed in a log file,
delayed until all packages are configured or each individual piece of info
is delayed until such time as it's needed in the install process (maybe
delaying configuration, or alternatively moving configuration ahead so that
all such packages are configured before other packges not requiring "press
enter to ack" are configured), the user should have a choice. Debian shouldn't
make assumptions like "this user is an admin" or "all users should know unix"
(a way-wayyyy-too-often-made assumption) or "this user is a newbie -- coddle
accordingly".
As a new user, however, I'd want to be informed about everything on-the-fly
as is now done. I'd want to be able to say "wut id dis?" and "hewp me figger
out wut yu ar tellig me" (disclaimer: I don't assume that all newbies have
problems speling :)
Summary: I am suggesting here that the level of verbosity during the unpacking
and configuring of packages should be looked at together with the problem of
the cloning of admin boxes: admin boxes should -never- pause, and complete
config info can be built into expect scripts, while newbie installs -should-
pause and allow the user to take in the info. There may be midpoints, and
also points beyond these supposed extreme points.
-Jim
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