anaconda installer movin' out of F18

hadrons123 · #1 15th May 2012, 01:12 PM

New UI for f18 installation -->' hub and spoke model '

No text install at least for f18.

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/NewInstallerUI

***Dan*** · #2 15th May 2012, 04:32 PM

<..

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Uh, oh! I can see BIG dragons there! Not the redesign. I think that's long overdue. Methinks the danger is in the non-inclusion of a text-based install. There are still waaaay too many problems with video drivers etc. (Read:nouveau) for that to be a good idea. <..

..>

***DBelton*** · #3 15th May 2012, 04:36 PM

Even if the text install is gone for just one release, it's going to cause a mass uprising, and there may even be a shortage of tar and a lot of bald birds around.

For some people that is the only way that they can get Fedora installed on their hardware.

Edit:

And yes, I also agree that the major overhaul to anaconda is long overdue. It really does need to be rewritten instead of the bandaids they have had to keep putting on it just to get it to keep functioning, and there really hasn't been a good way for them to add functionality.

hadrons123 · #4 15th May 2012, 04:38 PM

I wish fedora didnt have to go thru the transitions every six months, its time and man power consuming task. Smaller projects like Arch linux with hardly 100 people can do the transitions from gnome 3.2-->3.4 in much smoother way, whereas fedora struggles. It would have been better if fedora produces a solid installer or release CD every one year, and turn into a rolling release. Just my opinion.

edit::
anaconda is the fastest installer around, but why to change when its working. correct me if i am wrong.

***Gareth Jones*** · #5 15th May 2012, 06:29 PM

I agree that Anaconda needs a redesign, especially the partitioning section. The current partitioning screen is going to be problematic with btrfs and its integrated volume management. I usually end up doing partitioning and formatting in a virtual terminal before the installer gets to the graphical partitioning screen.

The lack of a text installer is pretty serious though! According to the linked page, this is due to lack of man-power, and they intend to have a text installer in time for F19, but even so, surely they could include the old Anaconda as a fall-back for text mode for now?

sea · #6 15th May 2012, 07:15 PM

Some pics of the new installed:
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaco..._Visual_Design

So far, i've found 2 installers that i'd call 'the masses are able to use them':
Which are:
* Anaconda
* The ubuntu installer

However, i do agree that anaconda 'feels' oldschool in its layout, specialy as it requires more ram than the actualy OS its installing!
This said, IMHO the first target of a new installer should be less RAM intense, which then in turn could counter-steer the 'need' for a CLI installer.

***DBelton*** · #7 15th May 2012, 07:30 PM

I totally agree sea.

An installer should be just that. An installer, and nothing else. A bare stripped down applications that does just one thing, and does it well. Install the OS. It needs no bloat, no glitzy bling, no fancy graphics. It just needs screens to give the users choices and then go off and do it's job.

And if I see that freakin hot dog show up in anaconda, I'm dumping Fedora forever.

hadrons123 · #8 15th May 2012, 07:40 PM

Debian installer is less bells and whistles but decent enough to get you going. But even then I like anaconda.

deanej · #9 15th May 2012, 07:43 PM

I've always wondered why anaconda didn't naively support installing from USB; no wonder given that it hasn't seen major work in nearly a decade!

hadrons123 · #10 15th May 2012, 07:44 PM

@ deanej
I don't get what you are talking about.
i always install fedora from USB stick.

sea · #11 15th May 2012, 07:50 PM

The DVD media install issues from USB can be found in HERE

deanej · #12 15th May 2012, 07:53 PM

Yeah, depending on how you make the stick, you may have to install the packages by downloading them from the internet, as anaconda only looks on the optical drive by default. Note that I don't use live media to install, only the full DVD.

***DBelton*** · #13 15th May 2012, 09:57 PM

Same with me. I never use the livecd media, only the full DVD, and I usually only do fresh installs as well. And trying to get anaconda to install using the DVD media on a USB stick has been a real pain in the butt, which they say they have finally fixed for F17. (Just got the fix in, I believe for the TC3, so any installs done before that didn't have the fix in it)

I haven't tried it yet to be sure it works, though. The only install I have done since they put the fix in was on a box that won't boot from USB anyway