Subject: Re: Graphical Sysinst in 2.0
To: Timo Sch?ler <timo.schoeler@macfinity.net>
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden@netbsd.org>
List: current-users
Date: 09/07/2004 09:40:42
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On Sun, Sep 05, 2004 at 12:42:18PM +0200, Timo Sch?ler wrote:
> >
> >The current sysinst code is tightly coupled with the curses code which=
=20
> >I
> >want to change.  Also, I'm working on better error checking and things
> >like that too.
>=20
> that sounds cool :)
>=20
> why not taking this chance of writing (perhaps) a new sysinstall to=20
> make further changes?
>=20
> * using XML for data sets like the timezone list (there's more or less=20
> a kind of dynamic change in it)

I'm not sure if this step is needed. While I actually like XML for a=20
number of things, I don't think it's needed here. I see XML as the right=20
choice if you have a lot of tools (or even just two) that need to parse a=
=20
file, but only need to understand some of it. With XML's structure, the=20
parsers can ignore the parts they don't understand yet still be confident=
=20
they are correctly-reading the file.

Time zone info isn't kept in XML files, so the only consumer of such a=20
file would be the installer. Since only one tool (or one library) will=20
read the file, XML doesn't gain us much.

> * making the whole process (more?) scriptable, e.g. for mass rollout=20
> events (might be very useful in cluster environments)

I thought this feature'd already been added to sysinst? Maybe I'm=20
mis-remembering.

An installer that is set up to use multiple UIs could easily have a script=
=20
UI that just reads a task script. Add that to a tool that will take the=20
log for an install and make such a script, and we easily have a scripted=20
install.

Take care,

Bill

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