Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 19:02:47 +0200 From: "Karsten W. Rohrbach" <karsten@rohrbach.de> To: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> Cc: Bill Moran <wmoran@iowna.com>, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: getting rid of sysinstall - Was: FreeBSD Mall now BSDCentral Message-ID: <20010711190247.D52923@mail.webmonster.de> In-Reply-To: <3B4A1423.E8E365E@mindspring.com>; from tlambert2@mindspring.com on Mon, Jul 09, 2001 at 01:29:23PM -0700 References: <20010706144935.A61843@xor.obsecurity.org> <3B4650D0.97F10B83@bellatlantic.net> <20010707002340.B16071@widomaker.com> <20010707004731V.jkh@osd.bsdi.com> <3B49F8D5.2C9BFA73@mindspring.com> <3B4A0124.26025FB5@iowna.com> <3B4A1423.E8E365E@mindspring.com>
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Terry Lambert(tlambert2@mindspring.com)@2001.07.09 13:29:23 +0000:
[...]
> There are too many steps.
>
> X11 is a distribution set, instead of a package.
>
> Etc. (I could go on forever).
>
...then let's wrap up a concept of a interpreter language driven
installer. redhat does it in python since years, so could we...
some rough and spontaneuos ideas:
- stripped down python interpreter runs as init
- class framework for 'plugin modules' such as postinst config,...
- basic 'service' classes for abstraction of the ui, binary execution
and fileio (for config files)
- every class has properties which can be preloaded (=unattended install
functionality from 'recorded' install session or manually generated
setup)
- ability to run in 'expert' command line mode (ab)using interactive
python, text ui, x gui/tk mode
- after installing the base dist, we could import batteries included
python libs from the userland for configuration/upgrade management and
so on, perhaps stuff configuration metadata into xml and re-write it
to the appropriate (maybe new/different) format -- oops, i said the
x-word :->
- instrumentation to do 'the right thing' _or_ to be very talkative by
message/dialog emission properties, severity levels -- we would need
some kind of policy for that because of the multiple user interfaces
- remote install dialog ui using ethernet as transport (yay!) would be
a nice idea
- making the base system consist of packages would raise the need for
package db flagging of non-removable/mandatory pkgs
- xf86 must become a package, yes ;-) IMHO it's a pain in the ass to
upgrade xf86 without side effects when it was installed as tarball
- with that step we also could package sendmail and bind out of the base
system ;-) hint-hint
- package signature verification would also be a nice thing to have,
especially with signature fetching over the net
so the scheme would boil down to something like this:
[gui multiplexer]<--+-->[cli]
^ +-->[text ui]
[cdboot/loader] | +-->[xf86 gui]
| | +-->[remote ui]
v | +-->[unattended]
[kernel]->[python]->[rc-loader] |
| |
v v
[messaging/core]<------+-->[config writers]
^ +-->[exec subsystem]
| | ^
v | |
[sig verifier]<->[dist source handling] | v
^ | [fdisk/disklabel/...]
[cd mount]<---------+ |
[hd mount]<---------+ +-->[upgrade subsys]
[nfs mount]<---------+ +-->[package installer]
[ftp/http fetcher]<---------+
<disclaimer>
this in no way perfect, just some idea -- feel free to flame me if i
missed the point, but don't rip out my intestines ;-)
</disclaimer>
/k
> -- Terry
>
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--
> "The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom." --W. Blake
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