From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Aug 6 14:52:29 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6FCB0106564A for ; Sat, 6 Aug 2011 14:52:29 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from nwhitehorn@freebsd.org) Received: from argol.doit.wisc.edu (argol.doit.wisc.edu [144.92.197.212]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4529E8FC08 for ; Sat, 6 Aug 2011 14:52:29 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; format=flowed Received: from avs-daemon.smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu by smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) id <0LPI00400HBGNZ00@smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu> for freebsd-current@freebsd.org; Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:52:28 -0500 (CDT) Received: from comporellon.tachypleus.net ([unknown] [76.210.68.180]) by smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) with ESMTPSA id <0LPI001LAHBF7F10@smtpauth3.wiscmail.wisc.edu> for freebsd-current@freebsd.org; Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:52:28 -0500 (CDT) Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:52:27 -0500 From: Nathan Whitehorn In-reply-to: To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Message-id: <4E3D552B.3000604@freebsd.org> X-Spam-Report: AuthenticatedSender=yes, SenderIP=76.210.68.180 X-Spam-PmxInfo: Server=avs-13, Version=5.6.1.2065439, Antispam-Engine: 2.7.2.376379, Antispam-Data: 2011.8.6.144514, SenderIP=76.210.68.180 References: User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; FreeBSD amd64; rv:5.0) Gecko/20110704 Thunderbird/5.0 Subject: Re: New installation script X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:52:29 -0000 On 08/05/11 17:35, Kevin Oberman wrote: > I have installed 9-Beta1 using the new installation tool and I am > generally happy with it. > The new dialog cause me to need a few more key-strokes because I was > so used to the > old behavior, but it really is more intuitive and I would not want to > see the old behavior > restored. I'll get used to it soon. > > I do have a couple of issues with the new installation tool, though. > 1. After completing the partition design I am presented with the > option to "Save" the > partitions. It is not at all cleared that "Save" actually creates the > partitions and newfses > the file systems. I suggest changing "Save" to "Commit" or Execute". > These are far > clearer and more frightening. "Save" sounds too safe, not like you are > about to update > basic disk structure and may be about to make any data on the disk unusable. Several people have commented on this, and I think it's a good point. These buttons will hopefully have better names by BETA2. > 2. I was installing 9 into an existing set of partitions. (I > understand that this is NOT > typical.) First the system asks me about adding a partition. Oops! I > selected the only > option that was not clearly wrong, "Cancel". I was not at all sure > that it was what I > wanted, but it was. I have no idea how to improve this and it's > probably not worth > spending much time think about it. But the next step was confusing. > > I selected each of the existing partitions that I was going to use and > selected modify to > enter the name of the partition (/, /var, /usr, /tmp). I then quit and > selected the not > scarey "Save". I proceeded, but thought the "Save" was rather fast. > Then the install failed > because the partitions were already populated. I ended up re-booting > and then going > through each partition and deleting it and then selecting the slice > and creating it again. > While not a big deal, it seemed like the Modify to name the partitions > should have > triggered the newfs that was not done. > > I think my first point is pretty important. The second is far less so. This is, to some extent, a deliberate design decision. The idea is that if you are installing onto an existing partition with the right type, then you really do just want to use it without newfs. This mirrors the behavior of similar utilities on other operating systems, and I think is fairly intuitive. If you delete and re-add the partition, or change its type in modify, then the installer knows that the filesystem state needs to be new and will execute newfs. It's different from the old behavior, but I think makes more sense. > The install went pretty well and I am generally very pleased with the > new installer. It's > certainly an improvement over the old one! Thanks to the folks who worked on it. > Thanks! -Nathan