Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:31:40 -0600 From: Nathan Whitehorn <nwhitehorn@freebsd.org> To: Freddie Cash <fjwcash@gmail.com> Cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org, freebsd-sysinstall@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Request for review/testing: switching the default installer Message-ID: <4D7586FC.8040807@freebsd.org> In-Reply-To: <AANLkTi=ZUy5mNs_vosdaZNpuhDRqAHN_yrzFGRAEV89P@mail.gmail.com> References: <4D6BB5E3.6020408@freebsd.org> <AANLkTi=gf%2BLbtx-SS83ypT2Vcimsiumy%2BSOWv%2BybSj4o@mail.gmail.com> <4D757EB0.1010009@freebsd.org> <AANLkTi=ZUy5mNs_vosdaZNpuhDRqAHN_yrzFGRAEV89P@mail.gmail.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 03/07/11 19:27, Freddie Cash wrote: > On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 4:56 PM, Nathan Whitehorn<nwhitehorn@freebsd.org> wrote: >> On 03/07/11 14:14, Freddie Cash wrote: >>> Things that irritated me: >>> - when you drop to a shell from the disk editor screen, it lists the >>> instructions at the top, but then never repeats them ever again >> Can you suggest a better way to do this? In other words, when and in what >> circumstances would you want to see them again? > It follows along with the next item, so I'll address them both below. > >>> - if you get lost in the disk editor shell and type "exit" to get >>> back to the disk editor ... it thinks you are finished partitioning >>> and carries on with the install, which then errors out due to no >>> writable filesystems, requiring you to restart the entire process >> This is bad. I can modify it to check if a filesystem has been mounted at >> /mnt, and maybe if the fstab file exists and restart the disk editor menu if >> they have not. > If something like the above is done, then the first item above is also > handled. :) > > As in, if you forget the instructions, just exit the shell to go back > to the disk editor, which then complains you don't have a mounted > filesystem to install to, and then you can drop back to the shell. > > Maybe loop back to the beginning of the disk editor, where it asks you > if you want to do it Guided, Manual, or Shell? Or something like > that. The "Guided, Manual, Shell" is what I meant by "disk editor menu", so I agree with you entirely :) > "Something" needs to go here to check for a mounted, writable > filesystem to install to. :) > > On the flip side, the entire install process is short enough that it's > not too onerous to restart it. > >>> - the disk editor is very limited, especially in its error handling; >>> I found myself stuck in a loop trying to exit the screen without a / >>> filesystem listed, but I was doing everything from the shell >> That's a clear bug. It should probably only validate the setup if 'Save' is >> selected. The issue of whether it should allow you to save without defining >> a / partition when invoked from a shell is a more complicated one, and one >> I'll have to think about (suggestions welcome). > I don't recall there being a Save option, but maybe I skipped over it > and just went to Exit. I'll have to look at this screen again. Using > Save probably would have helpded. :) If you press Exit, it asks whether you want to Save, Abort, or Cancel. Abort exits the partitioner without making changes. I just modified this so that it will only try to validate the disk setup if you press Save -- you don't need a valid setup if you are bailing on the partitioner, after all. >>> - screen flips between a nice blue background (the curses >>> interface?) and a black background (running shell commands?) which is >>> quite jarring and slightly confusing; >>> - screen elements go from nicely centred (curses interface?) and >>> then jump to the top-left corner of the screen (shell commands?) which >>> is also quite jarring and slightly confusing >> Yes, this should be prettified. It's running a few things (passwd, adduser) >> in a chroot, and I figured getting things working there was more important >> than making them pretty for now. > It's a minor nit, as sysinstall does the same. Maybe there's a way to > use text input fields (like the DHCP screens, and adduser screens from > sysinstall), then run the commands in the background, and just show > error/success messages? [shrug] I know nothing about curses > programming. :) Yeah, I need to find time/a good way to do this (or someone else can: patches are always welcome). Text fields would work well, and I think even just making the banner at the top of the screen blue would help. -Nathan
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?4D7586FC.8040807>