Re: Tandem projects in development....

If we can get just what has been on the TODO list for 3 years, that'd be 
good.  Basically the same install CONCEPT.. simplicity.. with an 
advanced mode and an 'UPGRADE' mode.. and a LIVE UPGRADE (i.e. apt 
repository or autorun enabled installer) would be nice.  I don't think 
it'd be a good idea to make it any more complex than what we have now 
(outside of the Advanced installer, that is). 
- I don't think we should do network config in the installer. 
- I don't think we should do any services configs. 
- Maybe give them the option up front of whether to use Autologin mode 
or Multiuser mode. (Advanced)
- Definitely ask whether they want to raid their disks together in a 
multi-disk System Install environment
- Once they choose their Language, ONLY install the language packs for 
their language of choice
- Under the standard installs (not Advanced) you might want to ask 
whether they're doing a Home Desktop / Workstation / Laptop / Server 
install, and set up the swap space accordingly.
- All non-SYSTEM install types should identify existing partitions and 
automatically set them to be mounted at boot time.. and possibly give a 
dialog popup stating WHERE they'll be mounted.. or .. failing that, 
create the necessary .desktop file on the desktop to let them have 
click-access to it.
- Or..make that an install-time option 'Automatically provide access to 
non-Ark Linux drives'
- Add in some extra safety precautions for System installs.. make it 
100% their fault if they nuke their thesis.

haven't finished my 2nd cup of coffee yet, so that's all I can think of 
at the  moment.  Having it X based will resolve quite a few of our 
existing installer issues.

Gary L. Greene Jr. wrote:

>Time for a little update on the things I've been doing....
>
>I've been woking steadily on the new post install wizard which adds much that 
>users have been requesting from us at the first boot. I should have it 
>finished soon.
>
>On the other things I'm doing, due to a recent Windows XP barf from me doing 
>some hacking on the NTFS driver for write support (and the subsequent 
>reinstall), I blew up my GRUB. Lo and behold, there isn't a single rescue 
>disk I could find that was based off the 2.6 kernel. For some fool reason, 
>distros are still basing their rescue disks off 2.4, thus I kept getting the 
>dreaded "FATAL: Kernel too old." message when I tried to chroot over to 
>re-enable GRUB.
>
>Long story short, I learned how to create boot cds that boot the system from 
>the CD. As I worked on it, I started to really get thinking about how I've 
>been longing for a real rescue environment and the calls from users for a 
>much more robust installer. So, once the post installer is finished, I'll be 
>slogging it through building a set of scripts to generate the environment 
>I've been needing, plus a new installer. I will NOT be basing the installer 
>off the one we already have since it will be built to work on X11 for better 
>support from various cards that are currently barfing at Qt-noX's VESA 
>support.
>
>I've only one question for all of you: any features you want?
>
>  
>