Re: installer defaults for desktops (was Re: Suggested edit)
> On Mar 20, 2017, at 4:29 PM, Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> wrote:
>
>> On 03/20/2017 03:06 PM, Lisi Reisz wrote:
>>> On Monday 20 March 2017 09:46:45 Jonathan Dowland wrote:
>>> I don't have an installation image locally to test this as I write, but
>>> your messages indicate that the graphical desktop options are by default
>>> not selected in the installer, regardless of which installation medium
>>> (netinst, CD, DVD) is being used. If they simply defaulted to on, but could
>>> be disabled as normal, would that not address the "noob" issue without
>>> frustrating those who know they don't want a desktop environment?
>>
>> Last time my attention wavered when I was doing a net-install I landed up with
>> Gnome. I would expect that the net installation still defaults to a Gnome
>> desktop. I will try to test this in the near future.
>>
>
> If run from Jessie's DVD 1 of 13, if Desktop is selected but without a specific D.E. selected, you get Gnome.
>
You only get Gnome if you have first selected a mirror. But the mirror selection comes after the misleading message that your base installation is complete and the system will now reboot to Linux. You can't blame some beginners for believing the installation is complete! If you don't know what a mirror is for, and that the base installation is not what you want, it is entirely too easy to back out of the installer at that point thinking you are not missing anything.
If your network card is not recognized and configured, you can't even choose a mirror and therefore get stuck at this point, not knowing you only need a firmware package, and lacking a means to download that firmware package if you know. Mint and Ubuntu solve that issue by including the firmware. I understand and agree with the decision to not include it, but there ought to be a way to let people know at the very start of an installation that a firmware package is going to be needed, so they can stop the installation before they have rendered their previous system, and the ability to acquire that firmware package, inoperative.
The hard part is determining whether the firmware is needed to function, or to allow enhanced function. I get a firmware notice for my network card, but it works without it, albeit more slowly than with it.
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