From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Mar 1 11:41:55 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C91511065670 for ; Sat, 1 Mar 2008 11:41:55 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gregoryd.freebsd@free.fr) Received: from smtp8-g19.free.fr (smtp8-g19.free.fr [212.27.42.65]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 56A348FC23 for ; Sat, 1 Mar 2008 11:41:55 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gregoryd.freebsd@free.fr) Received: from smtp8-g19.free.fr (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by smtp8-g19.free.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id A514D17F54E; Sat, 1 Mar 2008 12:41:53 +0100 (CET) Received: from imp6-g19.free.fr (imp6-g19.free.fr [212.27.42.6]) by smtp8-g19.free.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7092017F51B; Sat, 1 Mar 2008 12:41:53 +0100 (CET) Received: by imp6-g19.free.fr (Postfix, from userid 33) id 1B27D43E4; Sat, 1 Mar 2008 12:41:50 +0100 (CET) Received: from mar44-4-88-161-154-223.fbx.proxad.net (mar44-4-88-161-154-223.fbx.proxad.net [88.161.154.223]) by imp.free.fr (IMP) with HTTP for ; Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:41:49 +0100 Message-ID: <1204371709.47c940fdd7a81@imp.free.fr> Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:41:49 +0100 From: gregoryd.freebsd@free.fr To: "Chris H." References: <1204151575.84335.3.camel@neo.cse.buffalo.edu> <1204310983.47c853c70577d@imp.free.fr> <47C89B18.8010803@infracaninophile.co.uk> <20080301011750.3paot6klcw4ko04o@webmail.1command.com> In-Reply-To: <20080301011750.3paot6klcw4ko04o@webmail.1command.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: Internet Messaging Program (IMP) 3.2.8 X-Originating-IP: 88.161.154.223 Cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE Available X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:41:55 -0000 Quoting "Chris H." : > BSD is /different/. Which is /not/ bad, just /different/. :) Never said it was bad (on the *very* contrary) Been using it for a little more than 10 years now: would I have been if I had thought otherwise ? ;-) > * choose net/cvsup-without-gui no longer needed: csup is readily available ! (and works perfectly) > cvsup -g -L 2 /root/stable-supfile That needs an internet access which, precisely, I lack in my office ! > In any event you're now in a position to build/install > anything the BSD ports system has to offer. While this /may/ > seem like a long process, it's not. It's very quick. In fact > it /is/ faster than the Linux GUI install process - I just > performed one the other day. Then blew it away and replaced > it with a fresh copy of RELENG_7. :) I *really* have nothing against the installer UI (to tell the truth, I'd rather it not be changed, however modern the desktopbsd installer may have seemed to me, I definitely prefer the "old" one) The problem I pinpoint is this: for people without internet access once they have downloaded the whole CD set, having to swap CDs during install *so many times* is a real PITA. It might prove a deterrent for would-be new users. And also, it is not up to the good work that went in the OS proper, and documentation and all. Of course had I the opportunity, I would go with the way I do *at home* where I have an xDSL link: boot-only CD and making ports (or packages, depending on available time). Precisely what you described. But without an internet connection it is just not possible. Now, thinking over yesterday's experience: maybe I should have grabbed the boot-only CD and burnt a DVD with packages, and then establish a kind of "repository" with those. Then again, it would consume precious network bandwidth (desktop is for remote administering...) if I wanted to make it available to colleagues. Bottom line: I think the installer needs a fix in how to handle package installation when spanning several CDs. It's an opinion, though. Based on (a bad) experience, but still an opinion... I'm aware CDs are still indispensable, since many machines are not equipped with DVD drives. But couldn't we imagine a desktop oriented release on DVD (which would be the exact same as the CD set, maybe only with more packages to take advantage of the supplementary space available) ? (if fixing the installer swapping thing is too much trouble) gregory