From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Aug 6 14:56:00 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 04099106566B for ; Sat, 6 Aug 2011 14:56:00 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from nwhitehorn@freebsd.org) Received: from agogare.doit.wisc.edu (agogare.doit.wisc.edu [144.92.197.211]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CE5378FC13 for ; Sat, 6 Aug 2011 14:55:59 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; format=flowed Received: from avs-daemon.smtpauth2.wiscmail.wisc.edu by smtpauth2.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) id <0LPI00L00HHAEN00@smtpauth2.wiscmail.wisc.edu> for freebsd-current@freebsd.org; Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:55:58 -0500 (CDT) Received: from comporellon.tachypleus.net ([unknown] [76.210.68.180]) by smtpauth2.wiscmail.wisc.edu (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 7u2-7.05 32bit (built Jul 30 2009)) with ESMTPSA id <0LPI00FSBHH9VB10@smtpauth2.wiscmail.wisc.edu> for freebsd-current@freebsd.org; Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:55:58 -0500 (CDT) Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:55:57 -0500 From: Nathan Whitehorn In-reply-to: To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Message-id: <4E3D55FD.7090803@freebsd.org> X-Spam-Report: AuthenticatedSender=yes, SenderIP=76.210.68.180 X-Spam-PmxInfo: Server=avs-14, 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 14:56:00 -0000 On 08/05/11 20:04, Garrett Cooper wrote: > On Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 3:35 PM, 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. >> >> 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. >> >> 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. > One of the things that's still a problem as well (since you're talking > about it here) is that the partition editor assumes that all > partitions are properly formatted, etc, when specifying just a > mountpoint. One needs to trash the MBR / GPT metadata and start over > from the beginning. GPT partitions have issues too with incomplete > partition schemes (i.e. user deletes a GPT partition out of an > existing setup, etc) because unfortunately the "boot" partition gets > created improperly the 2nd+ time around and/or gets created multiple > times for some whacky reason (I don't know why this happened, but it > did!). > I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to. Whenever you add a / partition on a partitioning scheme that requires a boot partition (APM, GPT on some platforms), the installer asks you if you want to add a boot partition. The auto-partitioner does this automatically. It does not reuse any existing boot partition for two reasons: - It has no way to know the other boot partition was correctly set up and so would need to reinitialize it. - There is no guarantee that it is even related to FreeBSD. On APM disks, we share a boot partition type with OS X and Linux. The safest thing to do is to make a new one, and let the user delete any extraneous old ones, just as they probably have deleted old extraneous / partitions. -Nathan