Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 10:14:27 -0700 From: Devin Teske <dteske@vicor.com> To: freebsd-sysinstall@freebsd.org Subject: NIC Selection Menu Message-ID: <1274807667.6175.101.camel@localhost.localdomain>
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I just got a call from the field which inspired me with an enhancement idea for sysinstall... Problem: Currently as-it-stands, when performing a network-based install with sysinstall, sysinstall gives you no indication as to which network interface is "active" (versus "no carrier" for 'status')... often leading to the scenario where the field engineer has to try one, and then the other. Solution: Sysinstall could "bold" the NIC entry in the selection menu if (and only-if) [a] it is able to properly probe the status of said NIC and [b] said status indicates that a cable is plugged into the interface. The particular problem that this poor field engineer ran into was that he tried to configure one interface, surreptitiously failed, then tried to configure the next (without reboot) and then dead-locked himself because the system was ultimately confused with both NICs using the same IP address (diagnosed by walking said field engineer through a series of commands on the emergency Holo shell -- over on Alt+F4). Currently, I am instructing our field engineers to -- when presented with the NIC selection menu -- do the following (because our install disc supports this, as it has been highly customized): 1. Press Alt+F4 2. Type "rescue" and hit enter NOTE: A special feature of our install disc... the mfsroot has a shell script named /stand/rescue which bootstraps (using ldconfig, et. al.) a fully-functional bash shell with 217 ancillary binaries, such as ifconfig, awk, grep, ls, and many MANY more 3. Type "ifconfig" and hit enter 4. Find which adapter has "status: active" opposed to "status: no carrier" 5. Press Alt+F1 to go back to the install menu which is prompting for NIC selection 6. Select the proper NIC to use 7. Continue with the rest of the setup instructions Now... if the NIC selection menu simply showed the status (if/when available), then the above would be null-and-void... the field engineer would know immediately which NIC to select from the menu. ASIDE: Maybe making-bold is not the best solution. Perhaps -- if room can be made -- we should simply add a "status" column. Or... perhaps we do both (make bold the active interfaces AND add a column with the status). I like the latter, as it means I should theoretically get less calls from L-Users (I kid). ^_^ -- Cheers, Devin Teske -> CONTACT INFORMATION <- Business Solutions Consultant II FIS - fisglobal.com 510-735-5650 Mobile 510-621-2038 Office 510-621-2020 Office Fax 909-477-4578 Home/Fax devin.teske@fisglobal.com -> LEGAL DISCLAIMER <- This message contains confidential and proprietary information of the sender, and is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any use, distribution, copying or disclosure by any other person is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the e-mail sender immediately, and delete the original message without making a copy. -> END TRANSMISSION <-
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