Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: "Derek J. Belrose" <derek@×××××××××.com>
To: Jeff Rose <rosejn@××××××××.EDU>
Cc: gentoo-dev@g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] GUI installer
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2003 20:36:13
Message-Id: 3E99CA3C.2020306@omegabyte.com
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-dev] GUI installer by Jeff Rose
1 I haven't had any problems with wxPython, and it should be pretty simple
2 straight through. I do think limiting the stage 3 to X11 is kind of
3 presumptuious though. My Blade 100 doesn't have a monitor hooked up, so
4 an X11 install would in fact limit me to a Stage 2 or 1 install.
5
6 Anyway, once we get the CLI part, we should be able to design a decent
7 gui around it.
8
9 I want to start a thread on what a gui/cli package manager should do,
10 what info to present, etc.
11
12 Jeff Rose wrote:
13
14 >Alright, we are narrowing in. I think starting with a CLI installer makes
15 >sense because it will allow us to work on the true installation issues
16 >rather than getting bogged down in gui code. Lets use python. That will
17 >let us to use both Cursing Cow and Anaconda as great resources for just
18 >about every step of the installation. Once we feel like everything runs
19 >smoothly on a variety of boxes then we can work on putting a gui on top.
20 >(I think wxPython is the best solution. Its clean, quick and extensive.
21 >We could even use a gui builder to quickly experiment with a variety of
22 >interface options.) Anyway, that is for later.
23 > Building the installer as a set of install/configuration modules
24 >is a great idea. Lets start with defining those modules, and then we can
25 >work on common code etc. before digging in.
26 > I propose that we break this whole idea into 3 main sections.
27 >(Note: This has nothing to do with the stage1,2,3 tarballs.)
28 >
29 >First, we need the basic gentoo installation:
30 >
31 >- partitioning and file systems (RAID support? SCSI cards?)
32 >- nic detection and module loading (Pretty much complete?)
33 >- dns, routing, firewall stuff
34 >- date & time
35 >- keyboard, mouse, language
36 >- cpu detection and compiler flags
37 >- mounting partitions and getting stage tarball setup
38 >- password & hostname
39 >- fstab
40 >- bootloader setup (interfaces to lilo and/or grub)
41 >
42 > Once the basic system is installed we move into part 2,
43 >initial Portage system installation and configuration:
44 >
45 >- Portage tree sync
46 >- Setting use flags
47 >- Kernel configuration
48 >- build
49 >
50 > Now we have a basic system installed. We can reboot into our new
51 >kernel and start the final, most difficult, stage of installation: package
52 >selection. Rather than just copying everyone else and making large lists,
53 >lets try to make this more intuitive. Maybe we could have a few bundles
54 >that people can select to get rolling quickly, but full control should
55 >still given to the user. Personally, I would rather just get a
56 >working gnome/kde installation and then use a gui selection tool rather
57 >than some clunky ncurses thing. Maybe we could have a very lightweight
58 >CLI manager that lets you select gnome, kde or just cli. If they use
59 >gnome or kde then we give them a slick gui manager once X starts up. If
60 >they use cli then they are probably setting up a server and they can deal
61 >with using emerge as is.
62 > After looking through a bunch of code I agree we should really try
63 >to use a lot of the existing stuff to get things started. The LiveCD
64 >pretty much does all the very initial stuff. After that we can use the
65 >cursing cow work to put together the install stage1 and part of stage2.
66 >For stage 3, I think we should build a python gui (wxPython?) that doesn't
67 >use kde or gnome specifically. This is where a lot of the experimentation
68 >will need to go.
69 >
70 >Whooh... What do you say? I'll be graduating in a month so I won't be
71 >able to work a whole lot until the summer begins, but I think we should
72 >try to refine this idea/design a lot before diving in and hacking out
73 >something that just works.
74 >
75 >Peace!
76 >Jeff
77 >
78 >
79 > On Sun, 13 Apr 2003, Alain Penders wrote:
80 >
81 >
82 >
83 >>The main installer that was being worked on is Cursing Cow. Both developers
84 >>that were working on it recently left Gentoo, however.
85 >>
86 >>If someone wanted to continue it's development, we probably can get the
87 >>information needed from them. From what I know, it's in pretty good
88 >>condition... part of it needed to be rewritten, but nothing major.
89 >>
90 >>There's at least one (I think two) other installers in CVS, but I have no idea
91 >>on their status or where they were left at.
92 >>
93 >>
94 >>Building a good installer goes beyond installing Gentoo. For example, if the
95 >>installer has a module to configure networking, that module should be written
96 >>so that it works in the installer, but also in an after-install system
97 >>configuration tool. Installers also need to be able to handle updates or
98 >>"corrective installs", which means integration with configuration file
99 >>management.
100 >>
101 >>Alain
102 >>
103 >>
104 >>
105 >>On Fri, Apr 11, 2003 at 05:04:10PM -0600, Jeff Rose wrote:
106 >>
107 >>
108 >>>Hello,
109 >>> I'm pretty new to gentoo, but I am an instant convert. Just a
110 >>>few months of emerge bliss and now I'm an avid supporter. Anyway, I'm
111 >>>thinking about starting a summer project and I'm pondering the idea of a
112 >>>gui installer. I've been looking around a bit and it doesn't look like
113 >>>anyone is working on one. Is that true? If there isn't already a project
114 >>>then I think I'll give it a whirl. I know, I know, gentoo is so great
115 >>>because it allows you to customize and tweak the hell out of everything.
116 >>>That is completely true. So, an installer would have to allow just as
117 >>>much but it could take care of the mundane details for those who aren't
118 >>>interested or knowledgable enough.
119 >>> I haven't been around to see what people discuss in terms of the
120 >>>installer so I'm sorry if this is all stuff that you have gone over
121 >>>hundreds of times. Even more minimal than a gui installer, have you
122 >>>thought about adding more scripts to do the standard directory setup,
123 >>>download, chroot... type of stuff?
124 >>> What do you think?
125 >>>
126 >>>-Jeff
127 >>>
128 >>>
129 >>>--
130 >>>gentoo-dev@g.o mailing list
131 >>>
132 >>>
133 >>>
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136 >>
137 >>
138 >>
139 >
140 >
141 >--
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143 >
144 >
145 >
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Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-dev] GUI installer Cliff Free <anaranjado@×××××××××.net>