Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:59:53 +0300 From: Manolis Kiagias <sonicy@otenet.gr> To: VirtualHost <jeroen@virtualhost.nl> Cc: Wojciech Puchar <wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl>, questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Modern FreeBSD Installer? Message-ID: <49EFA169.4050903@otenet.gr> In-Reply-To: <49EF98C6.2060902@virtualhost.nl> References: <BLU0-SMTP493F2C64E33D39A37EF75DD8740@phx.gbl> <714DFCFC-9547-497D-A2C7-0BA10B39B901@mac.com> <49EF82B2.2040807@gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.0904222316130.3543@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> <49EF98C6.2060902@virtualhost.nl>
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VirtualHost wrote: > Please, calm down a bit, > > The original poster only revert to a "modern' install, who knows what > he ment by this. Perhaps he doesn't want to specify what the > partioning would look like himself, unless he prefered to do it > otherwise. The idea that he insist on a graphicals installation is > implied by the reactions, not by the original poster. Personally I > wouldn't mind if an additional install cd is available with a nice > graphical interface. As long as the original, text mode / sysinstall > is available as _default_, I dont't care if there is a > ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ISO-IMAGES-i386/7.1/7.1-RELEASE-GUI-i386-disc1.iso > sponsored by > Fritz Kolberg [ and yes, he insist on paying for something which is > free ] > > Jeroen > > Exactly. Modern install does not necessarily mean GUI. FreeBSD *needs* a text installer to work on old machines, headless servers, serial consoles and the like. That being said, there are quite a few annoyances with sysinstall. And of course, having a GUI installer as an additional option is also very welcome. Some of the current problems with sysinstall IMHO: - Confusing set of options - Beginners tend to go in circles inside the installer - No real 'back' functionality. Can't fix most mistakes, need to redo the install - Does not make the difference between base system and packages obvious. - Tries to do too much for a single program (install, configure, install packages, fdisk, label, network you name it) but many of these choices lack essential functionality or behave strangely. (i.e. the label editor will not allow you to create an extra partition without giving a mount point) Personally, I would like a text installer using a previous/next approach that would give me options like: - Install a Complete FreeBSD Base System => Subchoices: install everything or select base system components - Install Additional Software Packages - Configure other services - Help and that would allow someone to go back and forth between the pages For myself I don't really mind, as I always do the same install (Standard, Custom Distribution, Select everything but X, ports, local and so on) but it would be really nice if people just starting out don't get intimidated by the installer.
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