Hello, Marc Herbert writes: > On Sat, 31 Jan 2004, Christian Perrier wrote: > > > Quoting Marc Herbert ([EMAIL PROTECTED]): > > > > > Generally speaking, I find the new design of the installer very nice: > > > I like the idea of being able to go back and forth between "clever" > > > and "manual" modes. But please, just ask confirmation (just provide > > > a "back" button) before doing anything "clever", at the very least in > > > the MBR case. > > > > Just saw your IRC exchanges with joeyh about this. Can you indicate which > > boot loader was involved? > > As if I had time to choose one! The default one of course: GRUB. > By the way, it's kinda funny to provide two boot loaders when you just > can't choose. <snip>
I know, it won't make you feel better. There was some discussion about this starting at http://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2004/debian-boot-200401/msg01000.html where I have tried to voice the same concern. Kind of. There was no conclusion in the mail exchange IIRC. IMHO the MBR is a ``sacred site''. I strongly agree with your opinion not to touch it unless explicitly permitted. I would like to see this fixed, too. I wouldn't even know how to fix a broken windows MBR. Cheers, Erich > > > > > (probably any of lilo and grub installers exhibit the same problem) > > That's why I filed this bug "above", to debian-installer. I think it's > not safe for debian-installer to call whatever-MBR-spoiler without any > user interaction, and then cross fingers and trust that everything > will be fine below. Two warnings and user confirmations are obviously > safer than none. > > I heard that one of the design goal of the new installer is be more > newbie-friendly. So far, so good. But IMHO, what is not > newbie-friendly is just asking complex technical questions that can be > solved automagically 95% of the time. I think that asking: "Final > step, I will change the way your machine is booting, are you sure you > want to do that ?" _is_ newbie-friendly, every user can understand > that, and everyone still has the chance to press the "back" button". > > What is not newbie-friendly is just questions that stick you because > you do not know the answer (and where the installer can make a good > guess of course). Every newbie can choose between "yes" and "back". > Sometimes without even understanding the consequences, but then there > is no solution at all. You cannot say: "Let's not warn the user about > this dangerous action, since he may be afraid of it". > > What is also funny is that the installer stops and ask confirmation > before rebooting. You know why? because at this time, there is the > great danger of... rebooting from the CD! A very frightening situation > indeed. > > > > By the way, you are certainly a bit angry about this, but as you say, > > come on.......I'm pretty sure you have skills enough for fixing the > > problem, so I don't see any need for being that negative. > > - First I still not have figured out how to get my other systems > working again, assuming I can, which I don't even know yet. (No: I > don't have enough skills to write a windows MBR by hand with a disk > editor). > > - Then I did not of course tagged this bug "critical" just because it > destroyed MY machine, but because it can destroy everyone's MBR. > > > > Remember that, no, Debian is not Windows, neither Redhat....this is a volunteer > > project....:-) > > I have never and will never complain loud about free software that > does not deliver. But this is different: it actually delivers > something really nasty. > > > > If this is lilo, I think this BR may be merged with 229211. > > I don't think so. The debian-installer should also pause and think for > a second instead of rushing like this and fully delegate to some > sub-module such a dangerous action. I am just suggesting here a > complex, cutting-edge technology: a confirmation box, "yes/back". > > Again, I don't see the point in fixing bugs with LILO since you don't > even have the time to choose LILO. > > > > > > > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
