Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:46:17 +0200 From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> To: Michael David Crawford <mdc@prgmr.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Modern FreeBSD Installer? Message-ID: <20090426214617.1cc2baf5.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <49F4B3C3.5060601@prgmr.com> References: <BLU0-SMTP493F2C64E33D39A37EF75DD8740@phx.gbl> <ade45ae90904251645s350689fdj31164457172f6630@mail.gmail.com> <20090426001855.GA89151@owl.midgard.homeip.net> <87zle3mii0.fsf@kobe.laptop> <20090426194410.c00aaf73.freebsd@edvax.de> <49F4A3D8.3090106@gothic-chat.de> <20090426210515.69a14c63.freebsd@edvax.de> <49F4B3C3.5060601@prgmr.com>
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On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:19:31 -0700, Michael David Crawford <mdc@prgmr.com> wrote: > I got cursed up in heaps on the debian-user list, because I had the gall > to assert that just installing a service shouldn't actually start it > running. Security considerations apply here. As well as "should the system recognize any media and automount it -o rw by default without asking?", this can cause problems. Or at least confusion. For example, when I put in a blank CD or DVD, maybe I don't want to use it right now, but later? But suddenly, a burning application pops up and annoys me. > Apple doesn't have a problem providing GUI installers for Macintoshes > because they have the full specs on all the video cards, and lots of > engineers and QA personnel. Yes, Apple can do that, no problem. But FreeBSD runs on the "good" PC x86 stuff, where manufacturers are known for not sticking to existing standards, and where developers have to reverse-engineer or trial+error to get things working. This is not a good condition for an installer. > Just about every day I read on the FreeBSD-Current list about ZFS > failing or even crashing the whole system. There are many, many > profound benefits a reliable ZFS implementation could bring to the > community. That would be a better use of the community's limited resources. Completely agree. When I see how great ZFS runs on Solaris, I wish to have this on FreeBSD rather than a colourful GUI installer that I only use one time per 5 years. :-) Remember: The installer is a thing you only use once. Of course, the "first sight" effect may apply here, and the judging about this effect is mainly influenced by previous experiences with OS installations. So if you come from OpenBSD or LFS, you'll say, "Wow, what a comfortable and nice installer!", while others may say: "This is DOS!" :-) Much more important are tools you use more than one time, and again, PC-BSD and DesktopBSD offer nice GUI tools for system administration (desktopbsd-tools can be installed on a "pure" FreeBSD from the ports), so no need to re-invent the wheel here. Those who insist on GUI tools already have their answers, and those who administer their system "purely" won't even touch these tools. -- Polytropon >From Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
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