Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 23:29:59 -0600 From: Wes Peters <wes@softweyr.com> To: Paul Robinson <paul@akita.co.uk> Cc: Bill Moran <wmoran@iowna.com>, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD Mall now BSDCentral Message-ID: <3B4D35D7.21721EDF@softweyr.com> References: <3B49F8D5.2C9BFA73@mindspring.com> <3B4A0124.26025FB5@iowna.com> <3B4A1423.E8E365E@mindspring.com> <86ofqth6p3.fsf@hades.hell.gr> <3B4A7D9C.A64230D9@softweyr.com> <3B4B07DE.4801D208@iowna.com> <3B4B1B66.C011BF2B@softweyr.com> <3B4B32F3.7AC70D66@iowna.com> <3B4C0C3A.64E05112@softweyr.com> <3B4C46E1.8E65DB80@iowna.com> <20010711141439.B73193@jake.akitanet.co.uk>
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Paul Robinson wrote:
>
> On Jul 11, Bill Moran <wmoran@iowna.com> wrote:
>
> > Along with that, I think I'm finally getting a handle on what really
> > needs done to sysinstall. It's been a painful process, wrought with
> > misunderstandings and confusion, but I think I'm finally getting what
> > the point is.
>
> To me, the point seems to be that to increase the userbase an installer that
> a 10 year old could use is a Good Thing.
You're headed in the wrong direction there. I'm not worried about the
average 10 year old, they'll tackle just about anything. I'm worried about
the average 40- or 50-year old, who might be looking for a mail server, a
workstation, or maybe just to learn something, but doesn't know enough
details about their computer to install FreeBSD as it is now.
> However, there should be an option
> before the installer starts up to go to a more traditional install
> (/stand/sysinstall is still fine for me, because I'm used to it), or whilst
> in the "magical fairies do it all for me"-installer, there should be the
Yes, I agree. What is there now isn't terrible; some parts of it are fairly
good. (Speaking from the outside, user view, only.) The goal isn't to make
all the complexity disappear, but rather to break up the current stuff into
discrete pieces, add some functionality, then be able to layer a user
interface on top of that. Ideally, the installation will be broken into
functional steps, like it is now, and you'll be able to select what level
of detail you want as you go along.
For instance, the first task is to allocate some disk space for FreeBSD. If
there is an existing FreeBSD partition on the disk, you can simply ask if the
user wants to use that space, and continue if they answer yes. If not, or if
he answers no, he needs to partition the disk, so you go to the disk partitioning
tool. It initially shows a simple view of the disks(s) in the system and the
partition entries on each disk, and allows the user to manipulate them. Hitting
the "details" button give you a cylinder-by-cylinder view or something equally
fitting and detailed.
Next, you install the basic system. You get a list of various canned types,
like "Basic" or "X Kern Developer", or the ability to jump to a more detailed
installation. And so on.
Various developers in FreeBSD are working on some of the infrastructure
needed to implement this. I haven't kept up to date on the progress of
libh, etc., but it apparently is still getting some attention.
> ability to get a detailed amount of status information and an
> "Advanced" option on the dialogues to be able to allow people to have more
> control if they need it at various points.
Yeah. I think I'd like to see it relatively smart; if I've gone 2 levels
of detail deeper than the simplest install, it would be nice for it to
stay at that level as I move to the next step. Maybe. What do you think?
> The idea of more packages being
> installed and configured as a default is probably a good one too.
Or perhaps in groups. Wouldn't it be nice if you could select a "Base +
source" install, then a "profile" that equates to "Bind cache-only +
postfix + cyrus imapd" for your mailserver?
--
"Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?"
Wes Peters Softweyr LLC
wes@softweyr.com http://softweyr.com/
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