Development

New Installer

Design Ideas

• Separate logic and frontend code -- this allows us to keep a totally simple installer, to add an advanced installer for experts, and a fully automated install (akin to RH's kickstart without the design flaws)
• Small, reusable components (libraries) -- maintain some code in libraries that are also useful outside the installer, e.g. for post-install configuration. e.g. partitioning code can be reused in QtParted
• Make [almost] all installer components available as reconfiguration tools after installation
• Do install over ssh/vnc -- Insert the CD in a computer connected via Ethernet, let it boot, and connect via VNC or SSH. Good if monitor is broken/missing, or for when (if) we do a server version of Ark

Installer frontends

• Simple -- Basically what we have now

But prettier? Mockup here --Leinir 08:26, 3 August 2006 (CDT)

• Expert -- More options, like leaving out non-vital parts, configuring users
• Automated -- Kickstart-alike
• Ability to save all installation settings from any installation type in a format suitable for feeding to the Automated installer, to duplicate installs

Installer bootup

• Bootable from CD -- What we have now
• PXE -- Fully automated deployment server -- to be used primarily with Automated frontend
• System Copy -- Copy an installation (or parts thereof) from one system to another and redetect hardware/regenerate the initrd image for the new system. Great for backing up an old or failing system or testing various software/system upgrades

New Software Manager

Must be simple enough to be used by everybody, but also powerful enough that a poweruser would be satisfied with the possibilities and speed of operation. A NeXT File Viewer pane layout would do well for this. While this layout is less powerful for file manipulation (move/copy and so on), it is very fast and easy to use for actually finding things in a structured data layout. A layout suggestion and preliminary use case study can be found here:

EPS Version of the document - 2.1 MB

Assorted ideas

Sound system

• Add controls (similar to the arts volume adjuster) for /usr/bin/systemsound, using -af volume