Re: sysinst split project - The Configuration File

[Marc Balmer <marc%msys.ch@localhost>]

Am 15.12.2009 um 07:25 schrieb Jason Thorpe:

> On Dec 14, 2009, at 4:40 PM, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:
>
> > Case 2: XML-like syntax -- with a huge artificial advantage because  
> > I've
> >         neatly indented it.
> >
> >         <thing>
> >                 <element-list>
> >                         <element>1</element>
> >                         <element>2</element>
> >                         <element>3</element>
> >                         <element>4</element>
> >                         <element-list>
> >                                 <element>5</element>
> >                                 <element>6</element>
> >                         </element-list>
> >                 </element-list>
> >         </thing>
>
> Of course, that is only one way to use XML.  That could be written  
> in a fashion somewhat easier on the eyes if your schema is designed  
> for it:
>
>         <thing>
>                 <element-list>
>                         <element value="1"/>
>                         <element value="2"/>
>                         <element value="3"/>
>                         <element value="4"/>
>                         <element-list>
>                                 <element value="5"/>
>                                 <element value="6"/>
>                         </element-list>
>                 </element-list>
>         </thing>

The main question is, who produces the configuration, and for what  
purpose; and who uses it.  If a human being is involved in this chain,  
XML is not the right tool.  If it is only machines, it might be the  
right tool.

For the system installer, I assume that the configuration of what gets  
installed, and how, is something a sysadmin wants to prepare.  And  
since sysadmins are half-human beings, using XML would mean torture.

Instead of splitting/rewritting/ sysinstall or replacing it with  
bsdinstall, I'd suggest to evolve it:  Add Lua for the configuration  
and move the logic and user interface from C to Lua, keeping some core  
functionality of an installer in C, but make it available to Lua.  A  
good installer would also let me install packages, maybe even meta- 
packages, so that one of the first questions this installer asks, is:  
"what kind of system do yo want to install?" and provides me with a  
selection of meta-packages that are available on the distribution  
medium (and for which the dependent packages are also available for  
the architecture given).

Then the ideal installer would allow interactive operation or complete  
unattended operation, where installation instructions are give in a  
file.

Well, the ideal installer does not yet exist, but ahoka and myself  
have some loose plans to make exactly this happen...

- Marc Balmer