[ For those folks in debian-devel who don't know, the debian-installer
project is an effort to write a new Debian installer, with a modular
package-based design somewhat like Debian itself. Docs at
http://cvs.debian.org/debian-installer/doc/ ]
What's happened in the past week:
* We decided how the udebs will fit into the main debian archive, and
support for them has been added to the package pool code.
* Udebs were built for the first time.
* Some hacking on main-menu, almost finishing that module.
* Some hacking on udpkg, it's nearly usable now.
* A lot of development of cdebconf.
Things we need for the "first cut" installer[1], and their status:
- design [Joey Hess, debian-boot]
75% done. Enough to know what the big peices are
and how they fit together.
- udeb archive setup [James Troup, Anthony Towns, Jason Gunthorpe]
95% support in new package pools code. That code will
go live soon after Debian 2.2r1 is released.
- udeb building [Joey Hess, Wichert Akkerman]
99% done. udebs can be built, but a 2 line patch to
dpkg-genchanges is required. A new version of dpkg-dev
was promised for last weekend.
- cdebconf (miniature debconf in C) [Randolph Chung, Anthony Towns]
In progress. Infrastructure is 70% done. have one working
(sick) database backend, have a conceptual text-based
frontend that is ~1/4 done.
- udpkg (tiny dpkg clone) [Randolph Chung, Joey Hess]
Usable. Can install packages and update the status file,
though there is one known bug related to that. Needs to
support Pre-Depends and localized descriptions. --unpack
and --configure code needs testing.
- main-menu (main menu generator) [Joey Hess]
90% done (one non-trivial todo item).
- busybox integration [Erik Anderson?]
Not started. Busybox needs to build one or more .udebs.
Probably more than one.
- network card detector [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Detect the NIC in a computer by safe autoprobing,
and by prompting otherwise.
- network setup [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Set up the network, via dhcp or via prompting;
implementor decides.
- retreiver control program [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Sort of like apt, except tons dumber, this
uses retreiver(s) to download Packages files and then udebs,
and calls udpkg to install them.
- http retreiver [UNCLAMED]
Not started. Download udebs, other files from network.
- install target media detector [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Just has to figure out what media to install to.
Probably trivial; most support already in the kernel.
- disk partitioner [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Some kind of a UI to let the user partition their
disks and decide what the partitions are used for.
- disk formatter [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Formats disks, turns on swap, etc.
- base system installer [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Installs the base system, probably from base.tgz
for now, and does any necessary setup.
- {lilo,grub} installer [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Sets up {lilo,grub}.
- kernel module udebs [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. We will need various sets of kernel modules;
one such set is NIC drivers. Each set goes in a udeb; there
probably has to be a system to build the whole kernel and
udebs.
- library reduction [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. There is code in the boot-floppies that may
be usable, but this is one of the hardest parts.
- install media build system [UNCLAIMED]
Not started. Puts all the peices together and makes
install media.
- documentation [UNCLAIMED}
Not started.
How you can help:
* Aj and Randolph need someone, especially someone who knows curses well,
to help with cdebconf.
* The 3 impemented programs need testing, especially udpkg.
* The http retreiver and retreiver control program are important
infrastructure we need before some other bits can be done sanely.
* Many of the UNCLAIMED items can be started at this point.
How to help:
Subscribe to debian-boot, and mail the list to claim something. Show us
some working code and you will get commit permissions and get your name
on the above list.
--
see shy jo
[1] "a demonstration system that can install onto some very limited
set of machines, in some very limited fashion"
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