Subject: New Installer
To: None <port-mac68k@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Stephen C. Brown <sbrown@shellx.best.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 04/30/1996 19:08:15
Allen was nice enough to place my new version of the installer on puma for
ftp.  The location is as follows:

ftp://puma.bevd.blacksburg.va.us/pub/NetBSD/installer/MacBSDInstaller1.1.sea.hqx

The new installer has the following features that the old one did not:

        1) Batch selection/installation of archives.
        2) Proper device recognition - no longer recognizes
                cd-roms and other scsi devices as "sd" type devices.
                Also, more descriptive listing of devices in dialog.
        3) More error checking - actually checks for an AUX partition
                before it tries to mount it, etc.
        4) Keyboard shortcuts.
        5) Drag & drop install of archives - by this I mean if a file or set
                of files is dragged on top of the installer icon, it will
                launch itself and bring the package(s) up as selected for
                install.

I do still have the "installer wish list" and will look at the other
items as time permits.  The following is a list of things I think are
priority for the next major release:

        1) Speed enhancements - currently, a batch install of all of the
                archives takes over 2 hours(didn't time it exactly, but I
                went to dinner and came back and it was STILL going. :-( )
        2) Progress bar - or at least some kind of visual indication how far
                an install has progressed.  I know I don't have all of those
                file names memorized to know how much longer I have to wait.
        3) Merge in the Mkfs/newfs functionality.

        4) MORE error checking - including better handling of bad archives
                etc.

NOTE: the old installer was not foolproof and this one is not either.  If you
        come across things that need fixing soon, let me know.  One thing that
        should be noted is it currently will NOT run under System 6.  If this
        is a big issue let me know and I will try to get access to a System
        6 capable macintosh to test on.

Steve Brown

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        It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.
                                        -Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
                                        a.k.a Lewis Carroll
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