Subject: Re: sysinst install
To: Allen Briggs <briggs@ninthwonder.com>
From: Bob Nestor <rnestor@augustmail.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 08/09/2000 18:06:44
Allen Briggs wrote:

>I'd like to see a sysinst installation be a supported option on the
>mac68k for 1.5.  Most people probably have access to a CDROM or to a
>network (other than AppleTalk), and the MacOS mkfs/installer seem to
>be a source of some problems for new users.
>
>For this to work, we'll need to have some testing and documentation.
>This doesn't require any coding skills and would be helpful to new
>users.  Is there anyone out there who is interested in helping out
>with this?

Allen,

I wrote up the documentation when I first submitted the code for sysinst. 
 It wouldn't be hard to update them so they can be applied against the 
current version of the doc sources to produce the new documentation.  I'd 
like to have someone (like yourself) review what I wrote first though.

As for sysinst running on the mac68k port:

I rewrote major sections of the code to fix some bugs that had been 
reported.  The new version works (somewhat), but I haven't submitted the 
code changes.  I did send a copy of them to Scott at his request.  I'd be 
happy to send-pr them or turn them over to you if you'd like.  There is 
one remaining problem with the sysinst proces though and that is getting 
the new disk label back in-core during the installation.  My previous 
method of doing this required a minor change to the kernel diskreadlabel 
code which almost everyone objected to. The suggestion I got to just use 
the IOCTL to update the in-core label doesn't appear to work on the 
mac68k port because it ends up going through the same commented out 
function in the kernel.  So unless someone comes up with another way of 
doing this or unless the disklabel code gets some type of modification we 
still have a problem.

hope this helps,
-bob