From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Mon May 27 19:31:26 2013 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.FreeBSD.org [8.8.178.115]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BC168CA1; Mon, 27 May 2013 19:31:26 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from Devin.Teske@fisglobal.com) Received: from mx1.fisglobal.com (mx1.fisglobal.com [199.200.24.190]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 88087813; Mon, 27 May 2013 19:31:26 +0000 (UTC) Received: from smtp.fisglobal.com ([10.132.206.17]) by ltcfislmsgpa06.fnfis.com (8.14.5/8.14.5) with ESMTP id r4RJVJfZ010135 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=AES128-SHA bits=128 verify=NOT); Mon, 27 May 2013 14:31:19 -0500 Received: from LTCFISWMSGMB21.FNFIS.com ([10.132.99.23]) by LTCFISWMSGHT06.FNFIS.com ([10.132.206.17]) with mapi id 14.02.0309.002; Mon, 27 May 2013 14:31:19 -0500 From: "Teske, Devin" To: Alfred Perlstein Subject: Re: FreeBSD installers and future direction Thread-Topic: FreeBSD installers and future direction Thread-Index: AQHOWV60z6k72swSkkmGANUzy/EMLJkWZ1wAgAAkfQCAAE6UgIAAH7eAgAAeuACAAA8cgIACXGSAgAAS94CAABK3AIAAGI8A Date: Mon, 27 May 2013 19:31:18 +0000 Message-ID: <13CA24D6AB415D428143D44749F57D7201F631FD@ltcfiswmsgmb21> References: <51A0DC3F.9030301@cran.org.uk> <51A1025A.2020607@cran.org.uk> <51A14445.4060305@freebsd.org> <51A15EDF.6050600@erdgeist.org> <13CA24D6AB415D428143D44749F57D7201F5B337@ltcfiswmsgmb26> <51A38051.8040909@mu.org> <51A39039.1070202@cran.org.uk> <51A39FEC.5070402@mu.org> In-Reply-To: <51A39FEC.5070402@mu.org> Accept-Language: en-US Content-Language: en-US X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: x-originating-ip: [10.132.253.126] Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-ID: <0153016D4C54814D8138A845F0064412@fisglobal.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.10.8626, 1.0.431, 0.0.0000 definitions=2013-05-27_04:2013-05-27,2013-05-27,1970-01-01 signatures=0 Cc: Bruce Cran , FreeBSD Hackers , Devin Teske X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list Reply-To: Devin Teske List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 27 May 2013 19:31:26 -0000 On May 27, 2013, at 11:03 AM, Alfred Perlstein wrote: > On 5/27/13 9:56 AM, Bruce Cran wrote: >> On 27/05/2013 16:48, Alfred Perlstein wrote: >>> Why can we not use in the interim use pc-sysinstall on the platforms th= at it performs best on and use bsdinstall on the others? >>=20 >> Because pc-sysinstall doesn't have a UI - it's only a backend. If we upd= ate bsdinstall to use it, then it won't work on other platforms. >>=20 > This still doesn't make sense to me. Why can bsdinstall not conditionall= y use it? >=20 Because, believe it or not, not all programs are split in twain, having a f= ront-end and a back-end. I'm not defending it, and I'm not promoting it, but bsdinstall does things = in a different way where pc-sysinstall wants to be just a back-end. bsdinstall would have to go thro= ugh a major revision to make it use any external back-end. Currently it's one self-enclosed enti= ty. > Do we always have to seek the lowest common denominator for our user expe= rience? >=20 When the situation*is* that the release engineers can only embrace one inst= aller for the release media of more than just x86 architecture, the answer is=85 yes (common deno= minator required). My thoughts are=85 let me toil on a new installer and then we can think abo= ut opening the can of worms that is "how to enable conditional installers." HINT: I already solved that problem=85 by modifying the boot loader Forth m= enu to allow the creation of custom boot menus. Now all we need is another installer to elic= it the use of that code to present the choice the user. However=85 (and this is a big however), unl= ess the 2nd choice installer is as half-as-bad as bsdinstall=85 I don't see why it wouldn't ju= st replace it (therefore negating the need to invoke that code I put in to allow multiple choice ins= tallers at beastie menu). --=20 Devin _____________ The information contained in this message is proprietary and/or confidentia= l. If you are not the intended recipient, please: (i) delete the message an= d all copies; (ii) do not disclose, distribute or use the message in any ma= nner; and (iii) notify the sender immediately. In addition, please be aware= that any message addressed to our domain is subject to archiving and revie= w by persons other than the intended recipient. Thank you.