Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 13:16:44 -0400 (EDT) From: "David J. MacKenzie" <djm@earth.web.us.uu.net> To: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@freebsd.org Cc: djm@web.us.uu.net Subject: misc/17957: installer navigation is confusing Message-ID: <200004121716.NAA01001@earth.web.us.uu.net>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
>Number: 17957 >Category: misc >Synopsis: installer navigation is confusing >Confidential: no >Severity: non-critical >Priority: medium >Responsible: freebsd-bugs >State: open >Quarter: >Keywords: >Date-Required: >Class: change-request >Submitter-Id: current-users >Arrival-Date: Wed Apr 12 10:20:02 PDT 2000 >Closed-Date: >Last-Modified: >Originator: David J. MacKenzie >Release: FreeBSD 4.0-RELEASE i386 >Organization: UUNET >Environment: x86 PC >Description: The 4.0 installer program (what gets run from mfsroot.flp) seems to use a tree-structured model for navigation, I've inferred. Some of the submenus involve backtracking to a previous menu when done. This structure, combined with the quirky mappings of the return and space keys, left me continually unsure of how to proceed. I was never sure whether I was about to cancel and undo what I'd just selected, and sometimes I'd get trapped into what seemed like an infinite loop between several menus. Some of the menus have OK and cancel buttons PLUS an "Exit to previous menu" selection, if I recall correctly, and you can't actually move the cursor over the OK button; you seem to have to press return over one of the main selections. I was very relieved and a bit surprised when I miraculously made it all the way through the process. >How-To-Repeat: (Try to) install FreeBSD 4.0 on a PC. I've been installing various Unix systems for over 10 years, and this is probably the most confusing installer I've run across. >Fix: A much better model would be a linear one, in which it's always clear how to proceed to the next step in installation. I wouldn't mind if I have to tab over to the OK or cancel button and press return to get out of a given menu, even if it requires a few more keystrokes; it would be way less confusing. The Red Hat and Mandrake Linux installers (not to mention Windows) are much easier to navigate. >Release-Note: >Audit-Trail: >Unformatted: To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-bugs" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?200004121716.NAA01001>