RE: [GSOC 2008] update: install-tool

[Tim Rightnour <root%garbled.net@localhost>]

On 15-Jul-2008 Zach Wegner wrote:
> The network stuff is
> complicated. My thoughts are to either have the front end be able to
> call the back end in test mode, i.e. it sets up the data, then the
> back end sees if it would be able to install, but not actually
> install, or, whenever the back end has an error, it calls up the front
> end and lets the user try to fix the problems.

I think what you want instead of this approach, are a set of test routines for
each step in the install.  For example, lets say the user selects cdrom.  The
front end would quickly mount the cd, and look to see if all the expected sets
are present.  Same with ftp/etc/networking/etc.  A quick test routine to bring
up the net, look on the ftp site, and then bring it back down.  These tests
would be done in the front end to basically validate the input.  Additionally,
you could also rerun them in the backend right at the beginning, to verify that
the config file is sane.  (especially in the case of an install via file only,
with no front-end)  I think these test routines would go in libsysinst, and
thus basically be shared code.

> While both are similar
> in functionally, the main thing I want to avoid is duplicating code
> between them. Another issue, in the same vein, is floppy disk
> handling. Yes, you can still install from floppies. Right now, the
> user is prompted in sequence for each part of a set, e.g. games.tgz.a.
> 3 hours and a hundred floppies late, it cats all of them together to
> get the distribution sets. The problem is that this is a very involved
> process.

I don't know if floppy set installs are still realistically needed.  The only
machines I would imagine they might still be used on are vaxen.  Perhaps ask on
port-vax if they care?  What other machines still require pure-floppy installs
these days?

---
Tim Rightnour <root%garbled.net@localhost>
NetBSD: Free multi-architecture OS http://www.netbsd.org/
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