[Pcbsd-developer] Propose of enhancements for 1.3 roadmap

[Andrei K. <an...@bs...>]

1.3 Updates (September 2006) 

>System Installer - Prompt for settings before install
I'd like to have a choice in beginning of installation with radio buttons:

"How you want to set up users and all other settings for this computer:"
1. Right now, right here.
2. After system is installed- in the end on installation. (partitions must be 
configured first anyway )
3. After system is installed and rebooted up successfully. (partitions must be 
configured first anyway)
4. Set "handsfree installation" config from networked server, USB or floppy 
disk (set up from XML file data: disk(s), user(s), language(s), keyboard(s) 
and auto-installed PBIs).

>System Installer - Set Timezone for system
Set multiple keyboards for KDE, multiple languages and timezone.

>System Installer - Enable Upgrade option
Download installer patches over internet or local update server (local patches 
made by admin).

>System Installer - Graphical Overhaul (Clean up look-n-feel)
>System Installer - Monitor Refresh Selection
Xorg detects refresh rate automatically but manual intervention is good to 
have. I already made script for detecting and setting up resolution and 
colour depth. http://forums.pcbsd.org/viewtopic.php?t=4382&highlight=

>System Installer - Detect Laptop / Desktop (For setting Numlock)
Detection is not necessary, user can decide itself if this particular machine 
is desktop computer or notebook/laptop.

>System Installer - Detect SMP Motherboard
Then we have to load SMP kernel for installer and look at smp table.

>System Installer - Use GRUB for bootloader?
GRUB is too cryptic for casual user and FreeBSD bootloader is working just 
fine- never had any problems at all. For those who need bazillion operating 
systems to boot- can use "whatever" bootloader they want.

>System Installer - Allow Sound Setup to be done or skipped.
Sound module must be built into kernel already and detection should be done 
within system initialization not by installer anyway. Support for multiple 
sound cards for programs like GDAM. (Yes I worked as DJ when I was joung)

>System Installer - Display time elapsed for install and info screens.
Display cpu, memory, disk usage like with "systat -vm" command.

And now my additional requests:
1) Set multiple partitions for PC-BSD by default 
like: /boot/, /etc/, /usr/, /home/. "/boot/" and "/rescue/" partitions should 
be read-only and mounted r/w only when needed. 
2) Swap partition should be resizable and calculated by installer based on 
installed RAM size. If computer got multiple hard drives then possibility to 
set up multiple SWAP spaces.
3) Language files should be available also via Internet download in installer.

Andrei