Re: [Pcbsd-developer] PCBSD-Developer Digest, Vol 2, Issue 10

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

On Wednesday 26 July 2006 3:58 pm, Charles A. Landemaine wrote:
> On 7/26/06, pcb...@li...
> <pcbsd-developer-> >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).
>
> I think this is pointless. Whether the person types her information
> before, during or after installation doesn't matter, she will have the
> same effort. Now, joining all install steps together is important.
>
OK. Leave choice nr 2 out. I have my reasons to change set up order sometim=
es-=20
for example I install system, but there is no user for couple of minutes an=
d=20
then he/she can type username and password later. For "handsfree install"=20
this is obvious. If I know that this particular computer is compatible with=
=20
PC-BSD then I can type all setup information in the beginning, but if=20
something goes wrong in the middle of installations and I have to type all=
=20
this info again...

> > >System Installer - Set Timezone for system
> >
> > Set multiple keyboards for KDE, multiple languages and timezone.
>
> Multiple timezone? You can be only at one place at a time :) (unless
> you have a Doppelg=E4nger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppelganger )
>
Where did you read about multiple timezones? I said "... and timezone."

> > Xorg detects refresh rate automatically but manual intervention is good
> > to have.
>
> Yes it does, but it's wrong most of the time (X monitor config is
> always wrong in my case anyway).
>
Did you test my script? It works 100% of the times with my installations-=20
tested on 5 different computers so far. I haven't changed refresh rate this=
=20
year even once and Xorg detects maximum value automatically, unless you got=
=20
some ancient monitor that is crying for dumpster anyway...

> > >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.
>
> Laptop detection is not necessary but it's a big plus. One more thing
> the user doesn't need to do to customize his computer.
>
We need just one radio button to activate numlock in control panel.

> > >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.
>
> Grub can be set up automatically without any user intervention like
> Ubuntu does beautifully. A number of users have been dissapointed by
> the default FreeBSD bootloader since last year. In a nutshell, they
> say it's counter-intuitive, not customizable, and when you have to
> load PC-BSD that is on a 2nd hard-drive, instead of loading PC-BSD,
> the bootloader reboots the computer when you hit the "Drive 1" boot
> option.
>
I am very happy with FreeBSD boot loader and just hate GRUB bloat. FreeBSD=
=20
bootloader is VERY customizable if someone dare to look at scripts. And=20
booting up from second hard drive problem is PC-BSD installer bug not=20
bootloader one.

> > >System Installer - Display time elapsed for install and info screens.
> >
> > Display cpu, memory, disk usage like with "systat -vm" command.
>
> No bloat please :P
This is not a bloat, this is option to look at FreeBSD at first glance and =
see=20
how it works. I am always wondered how fast installer copying files to hard=
=20
drive and how much it use processor. This feature is must when something go=
es=20
awry.

>
> > 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.
>
> There are advantages and drawbacks to this. I personnally don't want
> that on my system, it's a terrible waste of HDD space, and it's
> frustrating when you see you have 5GB left on /var and just 50MB free
> on /usr
Again, did you read what I said- there is no "/var" space in my post. "/boo=
t"=20
partition is 25+MB and common users don't have to touch it 99,9% of the tim=
es=20
and if something goes fubar it boots up in rescue mode at least.