Re: Ubiquity - setting a separate /home by default
On Tue, 2008-05-13 at 21:51 +0200, David Prieto wrote: > Hi again, > > > > Ubiquity can now install onto a partition that has an existing home > > > directory without deleting it. It just removes the system directories. > > > Do you have to do anything special for that to work? I usually keep > my /home in a separate partition, but I have another partition with some > spare gigs to try Intrepid. This morning I reinstalled Ubuntu in that > partition and it destroyed the previous /home folder. Go into the manual partitioner. Select your home partition and set it to be mounted on /home. Make sure the format box is not checked (it will not be by default). Finish configuring the rest of your partitions, press next. You should get a warning about it potentially deleting files. If you've made proper backups press continue. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Ubiquity - setting a separate /home by default
On Tue, 2008-05-13 at 23:47 -0400, Mackenzie Morgan wrote: > On Wed, 2008-05-14 at 00:33 +0100, Colin Watson wrote: > > I presume that you did not instruct the installer to format the old > > /home partition? (If you did, then why?) > > > > If not, then that's a very serious bug. Please report it as soon as > > possible with all relevant details, including /var/log/installer/syslog > > and /var/log/installer/partman. > > The paragraph quoted says that the partition into which Intrepid was > installed had a /home *folder* not *partition*. It was said in response > to someone saying that a separate partition is not needed because the > installer no longer destroys /home directories inside the / partition. > Obviously, the installer did delete the /home directory and not just the > system directory. The code in question should work in either circumstance. That is, it should delete everything but the /home directory or /home partition. I'm simplifying this somewhat. It actually deletes specific directories rather than wiping everything but /home in order to leave your /randomdirectory intact. As Colin mentioned, if you haven't checked the format box on the partition containing /home, and the installer wiped it anyway, then that's a very serious bug that needs to be brought to our attention. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Banshee by default in Intrepid
On Sun, 2008-06-08 at 14:43 -0400, Darren Albers wrote: > There are a couple of positives to using Banshee by default over Rhythmbox: > 1) Complete iPod support (Rythmbox only supports reading from iPods) No. Rhythmbox can write to iPods just fine. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Banshee by default in Intrepid
On Sun, 2008-06-08 at 15:20 -0400, Darren Albers wrote: > I have never been able to get Rythmbox to update my iPod nor my wifes. Then please file a bug. > The Rhythmbox webpage only says it can read from iPods and other > portable devices nothing about writing. From http://www.gnome.org/projects/rhythmbox/ : "Transfer music to and from iPod, MTP, and USB Mass Storage music players" I just filled a third generation iPod Nano using it. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: call for testing usb-creator
On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 6:48 AM, (``-_-´´) -- Fernando <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'm sorry for not having reported this earlier, but I did give it a test last > week, with a daily cd iso and a 8GiBs pendrive, and it got stuck at 8%. This is in some respects a bug. It's not getting stuck, it's just updating the progress based on the number of files copied rather than the number of bytes copied, which means that it will sit at 8% for a while while it copies the squashfs. I plan to fix this today. > It stood there for more then 30 mins with the pen light blinking. > Only a file was created on the pen, but i cant remember its name (syslinux or > something like that) > I tried it several times and even tried to make it verbose, but got nothing. > > I also saw files being created on /tmp/, and I was afraid I would run out of > space on that partition (only had 1GiB free). I dont know what that temp file > is used, but if I tried the DVD iso and the temp file grew that much I would > have ended without free disk. Please let me know if it does. It does mount the source image and target disk in /tmp if they're not already mounted. Perhaps this is what you were seeing? > I'll try to test it today again with the most up to date version and a daily > CD iso. Thanks. Please file any issues you find on the bug tracker as it's quite difficult to keep track of them when they're posted to a mailing list. -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Fwd: You lost a new Ubuntu user
I'm forwarding here as Peter's email implies permission to do so. Please CC Peter on replies as he is not subscribed to the list. -- Forwarded message -- From: Peter Henderson (2nd Acnt) Date: Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 10:07 AM Subject: You lost a new Ubuntu user To: ubuntu-devel-ow...@lists.ubuntu.com Dear Development owner, I'm sorry I really don't want to have to go through all the rigmarole or joining a forum when I only have one message to put on it and move on so I'm writing to you. If you want to put it up on the Dev Forum that's up to you. The problem in a nutshell is I've been a lifelong Microsoft user and before that I used Gary Kildall's CP/M. I have basically reached a point where with such a complex operating system and every day I see Microsoft heading towards more DRM and with it I'm losing the original rights as a user and ultimate manager of my operating system to someone that every time I do something I'm prey to Malware, the operating system "phones home" my actions or software is starting to dictate what I do, I see these as processes that are getting worse, not better. The short answer is I seriously considering going into open source software so I can theoretically verify there is nothing but 100% code designed to purely to put me in charge in the most efficent way possible for the least amount of complexity and to be completely frank I love a little "eye candy" as well. For the last couple of weeks I've been asking around "who has the best FOSS operating sysem" and the average answer is Ubuntu so when I got the chance in reformatting my HDD to allow me to start the first steps in changing over I obtained Ubuntu. I started the desktop version I downloaded and I thought it was marvelous with graphical screens and a huge range of options that took a bit of work to figure out but I slowly picked up how it did things for where I wanted the system to go and to be honest "I was as happy as a clam at high tide". Then came the deathnell for using the system because at 82% of installation IT SETS UP AN INTERNET CONNECTION AND USES MY ADSL MODEM AND WANDERS OFF TO SOME WEBSITE(MIRROR) FOR SOMETHING I DON'T EVEN KNOW AND I DIDN'T ASK FOR... There are heaps of us guys under the shadow of MS that are thinking about Linux as the alternative not because we want to tinker all day with a esoteric command line sequence but simply we want a robust OS and the paradigm of "the user is in charge". If your aim is for someone who wants software to make all the decisions then I supose this is their system but if this is how the installation program treates me, who is to say what is is the rest of OS. Many thanks for providing me with software to begin with, I appreciate there must have been a lot of work go into it. Peter Henderson -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: live cd ubiquity fails when partitioning
On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 10:09 AM, shirish wrote: > Hi all, > Please see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/316148 > > I have nominated the same for jaunty (preferably alpha3) as due to this bug > people cannot install from daily live CD. This is already fixed in bzr, and will be uploaded for Alpha 3. The automatic partitioning option is unaffected by this, making it still possible to install. -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: gparted, ubiquity and other packages left behind by karmic a2 installer
On Sun, Jun 21, 2009 at 11:41 PM, Nathan Dorfman wrote: > Just installed karmic alpha 2, and noticed that a few packages that > should have been removed at install are left behind. > > These include gparted, ubiquity, casper and a couple of others. > Ubiquity's package description even states: Installing this package on > a normal system is unlikely to be useful. > > Has anyone else observed this? No, I just tested this myself and was unable to reproduce the behavior you experienced. Are you sure the installation did not crash near the end, and enough of the system was in place to allow you to boot? You would not have seen the "installation finished" dialog, if this were the case. If you are able to reproduce this issue, please file a bug against ubiquity (http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+filebug), and attach the log files following the procedure documented at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingUbiquity/AttachingLogs , plus the output of `dpkg --list | grep ubiquity` from the installed system. Thanks! -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: ubuntu ubiquity
On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 7:02 PM, Thiago Braga Santana wrote: > I need to know how to pass a pressed.cfg file as an argument for program > ubiquity. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbiquityAutomation should help you get started with that. > When I'm trying to install, it stops at step 7 without displaying any error. > The preseed.cfg file is attached. You do not have a partition recipe set. Please note for future reference that attaching /var/log/syslog, /var/log/installer/debug (if present), and /var/log/partman, in addition to the preseed file, will help us debug any further problems you have. Also, in an email sent directly to me, you asked if it was possible to configure networking via ubiquity. It it not possible at present. You'll need to do an install via the alternate CD for that. Hope that helps, Evan -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Ubuntu Stack Exchange
About two weeks ago I created a proposal for an Ubuntu Stack Exchange (http://webapps.stackexchange.com/ or http://stackoverflow.com for the unfamiliar). My hope is that this proposal will be accepted and the Ubuntu site will be helpful for those individuals whom are already familiar with the immensely popular Stack Overflow type sites, and for a new class of user (we can always use more of those, right?) for whom the forums might be a bit too cumbersome for any multitude of reasons. It also wont hurt to leverage the success and talent pool that the Stack Overflow family of sites have cultivated. I'd appreciate it if others would hit the "Follow It!" button on http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/7716/ubuntu and up-vote 5 on-topic and 5 off-topic questions so that we may move to the next round of evaluation. Also, I'd greatly appreciate if you could help spread the word. Thanks and all the best, Evan -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Crashes from Unity/Xorg continues with 12.10
On Tue, Oct 23, 2012 at 7:36 AM, Thomas Novin wrote: > Now I had my first crash in 12.10 and it generated a crash-file in > /var/crash: > > -rw-r- 1 root whoopsie 5718069 okt 22 16:14 _usr_bin_Xorg.0.crash > However, after logging in, I didn't get any notification that my system had > crashed and question about submitting. Is update-notifier running (`ps aux | grep update-notifier | grep -v grep`)? This is the process responsible for watching for changes to the /var/crash directory. -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Request to include in Main: migration-assistant
migration-assistant is an application that imports documents and settings from other operating systems. It will be used in Ubuntu as part of Ubiquity and debian-installer to import from dual-boot systems during the install process. It needs to be uploaded to main so that the supporting Ubiquity code can be merged. I am the upstream developer. The report can be found here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MainInclusionReportMigrationAssistant The specification can be found here: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/migration-assistance -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Announcing migration-assistant
Just in time for Feature Freeze, migration-assistant 0.3.1 was uploaded to main and the accompanying changes were merged into Ubiquity. It can be run using the --migration-assistant option in Ubiquity. The goal of this feature is to allow users to import documents and settings from their previous operating systems (Windows XP and some bits of Linux at this point) and convert them into their Ubuntu equivalents during a dual-boot installation. So for music, it pulls "My Music" into Music and sets the necessary gconf keys so Rhythmbox starts with all of their existing music already available (provided they've installed the necessary gstreamer packages). It also merges settings from multiple sources. So if you have Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer installed it will create a single set of bookmarks from all three of them. Further details can be found in the specification: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/migration-assistance I'd appreciate people trying this out and filing bugs on the migration-assistant source package, but please only run it on a system in a virtual machine or one that you have backups of. While migration-assistant is non-destructive, the installer is obviously not. If you have any questions I can be found in #ubuntu-installer. Thanks, Evan Dandrea (evand) -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Ubiquity usability study
Celeste was kind enough to do a usability study of Ubiquity, and in doing so pointed out a number of issues that should be resolved. I have the following thoughts on how the installer can be improved to fix these and other issues, but I am interested in getting input from other developers, especially ones with a background in usability. The report has plenty of shots of the offending parts of the interface, should you forget what they look like. On Tue, Jun 12, 2007 at 09:20:07AM -0400, Celeste Lyn Paul wrote: > > Hi Matt, Colin, and Jonathan - > > Sorry about the delay, but I have finished compiling results from the > usability test I conducted of the Kubuntu version of Ubiquity: > > http://obso1337.org/hci/kde/Kubuntu_Installation_Usability_testing_June_2007.pdf > > Comments and questions are welcome. Some of the more major issues > (such as partitioning) will take some discussion and thinking about > before we can resolve it. I have also written a blog entry as a place > for public comment: > > http://weblog.obso1337.org/2007/results-from-kubuntu-install-usability-testing/ > If the number of users who download the Live CD with the primary goal > of installing are the primary user group, it is recommended a welcome > dialog appears when the system is fully loaded to prompt users to > install or explore the system. I think the welcome dialog would be a good idea. Perhaps we could include text in it that lets the user know that unless they click install, they will not modify their existing system, but any changes they make to their Ubuntu desktop will be lost on reboot. > This difference in usage between "disk" and "drive" should be > investigated to see if there is a common difference which may cause > confusion as seen in usability testing. > Consider changing the phrase from "This will destroy data..." to "Data > on partitions you remove is irrecoverable.." or something similar I think these are both reasonable changes. > It is recommended that future versions of the Time Zone Picker > interface always include the drop??down menu. Alternately, separating > the timezones by a line and allowing the user to click within that > time zone rather than on the small city dot may improve interaction on > the map. The timezone changes seem to be what we're already planning on doing in the UbiquityForumIdeas specification. This is partially blocked on finding a free source of time zone boundary data. > To help reduce confusion of a large number of options, consider adding > an indication of the "most common" or "safest" options, in addition to > making them default. I'm not sure how we could convey the "most common" options. I'd suggest possibly rewording "US English" to "Standard US English" to make it stand out more. > Try to provide some sense of time in minutes, percent completed, or > packages installed. Putting in a countdown seems reasonable. Packages installed doesn't work as the installer is copying files, not packages. > Be more clear on what action users should take after installation is > complete. Break up large chunks of text so users can more easily scan > directions and information. Perhaps it's just been from using the GTK UI all the time, but I found the absence of "continue using the CD or restart" buttons on the dialog a bit confusing, so I would definitely like to make this change. > A simple, but not as effective, solution would to provide an > introduction or explanation of partitions to help educate users. This > will still be difficult for newer users, however, preserve control for > advanced users. > A more complicated, but much better usability??wise, solution would to > obscure the concept of a partition so uses do not have to have > knowledge of them. This is excellent for users who are newer and have > no concept of a partition, but destroys the model used by advanced > users. Obviously this is where we fall on our face, though great work is already being done to fix this. The advanced partitioner that landed in Feisty was a first cut and we plan to add blocks to represent the partitions (already done in the KDE UI), much like what gparted does. It's worth noting that the InstallationFromWindows specification keeps users away from the concept of partitions by installing Ubuntu into a file in Windows. > By making the safest option the default option, the risk to > accidentally destroy information on another partition could be > reduced. If the safest option cannot be identified, we would suggest > to provide no default option and force the user to examine the options > and make a choice. Dual booting also seems to be the most likely case > for less technical users, and so the Manual option would be the best > default. On the first point, I agree with Celeste that making a complete reformat the default option when resizing is not available is scary. However, I'm hesitant to send users into the advanced partitioner unless they really want to go that rout
Re: CD boot installer for Windows contribution
On Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 06:00:53PM +0200, Krzysztof Lichota wrote: > It is Windows installer based on Instlux which allows booting system > from CD without modifying BIOS, by modifying Windows boot loader sequence. > > It is different from Instlux because it does not require kernel nor > initrd image and it is thus tiny (about 200 KB). > > It does the trick using grldr and its "boot from CD" function. Instlux was one of the options [1] we evaluated when developing the installer-for-windows [2] specification, which was partially created to address the boot order issue. Ultimately we went with Wubi, which should be integrated in the LiveCD very soon. The functionality to fix the boot order issue has been implemented as another option in Wubi, which is the ideal course anyway as it does not make sense to have both Wubi and a modified Instlux as part of the installer. I do appreciate the intended contribution though, and I am glad that it solves the problem for your derivative. Thanks, Evan 1: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/InstallerForWindows?action=recall&rev=24 2: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/installer-for-windows -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: CD boot installer for Windows contribution
On Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 01:47:05PM -0600, Conrad Knauer wrote: > On 9/7/07, Evan Dandrea <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Wubi, which should be integrated in the LiveCD very soon. > > By "very soon" do you by any chance mean for Gutsy? > Or will this likely start with the Hardy alphas? It should be on the Gutsy daily desktop CD tomorrow or shortly thereafter. -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Graphical installer for the alternate CD?
On Thu, Sep 27, 2007 at 08:44:56PM +, Tormod Volden wrote: > The below, inlined patch introduces the boot option "lowraminstall" which > boots the computer directly into Ubiquity in a minimal X session. I would > suggest sneaking this into Gutsy, as a hidden and unsupported possibility > for those who need it. If people are happy with it, the extra line in the > boot menu in isolinux.cfg can be added in a later version. Further > enhancements would be to avoid starting printing and network daemons etc > that are not needed during installation. Sorry to be so late in reply. We actually already have most of the code for this as a result of work that was done for the Wubi specification. We just need to add it to the isolinux menu, but we're waiting for Hardy to do that. Thanks, Evan -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Graphical installer for the alternate CD?
On Fri, Sep 28, 2007 at 08:16:16AM +, Tormod Volden wrote: > Interesting. Is there a boot option that I can use to check it out? Add 'automatic-ubiquity' to the kernel cmdline on boot. Thanks, Evan -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Preseeding ubiquity, how?
On Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 12:02:13PM +0200, Fabrizio Balliano wrote: > Hi to all, > as a developer of a few Ubuntu derivatives I followed the last threads > about the barebone X session for ubiquity, the "only-ubiquity" boot > option it's really cool for me so I can avoid remastering alternate cd > that's a bit difficult. > > Now the question, googleing around it seems possible to preeseed > ubiquity but I can't find a guide or some kind of documentation, I'm > looking at the source code but... if someone knows where to find a bit > of doc it would be wonderful. "only-ubiquity" will not work with preseeding. Please use "automatic-ubiquity" for preseeding a barebone ubiquity session. There is not any documentation for this yet, but I will begin typing that up soon. Rather than make you wait, here's a rough overview: Just like with preseeding the alternate installer, you specify the preseed file on the kernel cmdline using file= or url= Additional preseed options: ubiquity/summary - preseed empty to avoid the summary page. ubiquity/reboot - automatically reboot when the installer completes. ubiquity/failure_command - specify a command to be run on install success. ubiquity/success_command - specifiy a command to be run on install success. A sample preseed file can be found here: http://evalicious.com/evan.seed HTH, Evan -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: Will PulseAudio be in Hardy? (Re: New Programs for Hardy?)
On Mon, 2007-12-17 at 10:36 +0800, Joel Bryan Juliano wrote: > I think PulseAudio can save every user great amount of trouble regarding > sound issues, and bad bad esd. > > I hope PulseAudio get included in Hardy as default. > https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/cleanup-audio-jumble signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: A Look at the Ubuntu Installer
On Tue, 2008-01-08 at 09:05 +1300, Jonathan Musther wrote: > Agreed. I don't know why gparted was abandoned, it provided a more > user friendly way to do things. I like the proposal here too! > GParted was abandoned because it was actually just an embedded window rather than an actual component of the installer, which lead to a whole host of bugs. The interactive communication that we have with the partitioner backend now, which allows us to determine what options are available to the user based on certain criteria, would not be possible with the GParted hack. We also would not be able to handle advanced partitioning in a single page like we do now. I'm sure there's more, but it's been a long time since we used GParted and my memory is a little fuzzy on every good reason we had for ripping it out. The current UI needs work to be as usable as GParted, but such work is in progress, with more planned in the future. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: A Look at the Ubuntu Installer
On Tue, 2008-01-08 at 17:51 +0100, Thorsten Wilms wrote: > > Let's hope it won't be forgotten in the depth of the ML, like many > > other great things... Have you directly contacted the authors? > > An email to Colin Watson (installer team leader), no answer. > Hmm, yes, maybe I should contact the debian installer authors. I would kindly advise against that. While debian-installer forms the base code for ubiquity, the Ubuntu desktop CD installer, the interface code is an entirely separate body of work maintained by the Ubuntu Installer Team. So being something that they don't themselves use, the Debian developers would probably have little interest in this subject. I imagine the reason you have not gotten a response from Colin yet is that he has been on holiday, and most certainly has a large backlog of email. But please be patient, I am finishing up a reply to your original email now. Thanks, Evan signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: A Look at the Ubuntu Installer
On Mon, 2008-01-07 at 20:16 +0100, Thorsten Wilms wrote: > Hi! > > I did a walk-through and compiled issues, suggestions and several > mockups regarding the Ubuntu installation: > > http://thorwil.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/ubuntu_installer_thorwil.pdf > > Any comments welcome. I'm willing to refine things where and if there's > interest. I could file requests if that's deemed helpful. > > The document is actually a bit older, but I decided to wait past the > holidays ;) Thorsten, Thank you very much to take the time to write up this detailed and visually stunning report. I've CC'ed Colin, Matt, and Celeste, whom I think might be interested in this discussion. I encourage them to chime in if they notice a technical error, disparity between what I've written and what we discussed in the past, or a usability nightmare. Previously, Celeste Lyn Paul was kind enough to provide us with a usability test for the Kubuntu desktop installer [1], and out of discussions at this past FOSSCamp and Ubuntu Developer's Summit with her, Matthew Paul Thomas (the original author of the UI portions of the Ubiquity specification), Colin Watson, and several other interested parties, we were able to come up with a plan for improving the usability experience in Ubiquity over the course of the next two releases. The relevant specifications for this are: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/hardy-ubiquity-usability https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/hardy-ubiquity-reliability As the former is somewhat sparse on the finer details (we lost some of the notes at the usability session :-/), I'll go through your report item by item and discuss where it already overlaps with current plans, where you have good ideas, and where I disagree: > What if the user can't read English? It should be considered to start with > language selection before presenting anything else. That's actually the current plan. The language selection page will be shown prior to the isolinux menu. Colin is taking care of this. > Language and keymap menus should allow type-ahead (hit D for a lan- > guage starting with D). This would be a good bite-sized task for someone with adequate time and experience. > F4 VGA reads like it's about VGA options. Well, it is. I don't think we want this option to be as easily discoverable. The user should be using the VGA options only when booting into the desktop CD environment fails. > F2 and F3 are followed by labels, not the chosen option, so the same > should apply here. This was discussed at FOSSCamp. The language option is going away, so that's not relevant, but I don't recall what was decided with respect to the keymap option. I'll get back to you on that. > If the Help menu is up, all F keys except F1 have another meaning. So > the legend on the bottom should be hidden. Ah, that's an oversight. > The user must know / figure out the use of F keys, arrow keys, Escape > and Enter. An attempt at providing some help: I recall something just like this being proposed before, but I cannot find a record of it. Nevertheless, it looks like a good idea. > Bug #61050 The live system doesn't pick up the choice of key-map from text > mode, >but defaults to English instead. The installer ignores both the > text mode >choice and the live system preference. This is actually LP: #181440, a recent bug that only affects Hardy. > For installation, it would be better to: > - start the installer automatically > - hide all irrelevant preferences > - hide all productivity applications that make only sense if you can save > to somewhere In Gutsy we added the ubiquity-only boot option, which lets you start the installer in a minimal graphical environment. For Hardy, we plan to reduce the number of options presented in the isolinux main menu, as well as add "Install Ubuntu" and "Try Ubuntu" options, with the former starting with ubiquity-only and the latter starting in the environment you're already familiar with (it will still include a Install shortcut). > A good live system should have: > - drive icons for easy mounting Go to Places -> Computer, double click on any volume. > - an option to save preferences to disk (or to make a package for online > storage) This already exists: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LiveUsbPendrivePersistent > In Computer, the drives are listed with names like 14.0 GB Volume. > Seeing the size is helpful, but not enough to identify drives that are > named by the hda/sda convention elsewhere. Mounted disks are > labelled disk, disk-1 ... . Too generic and no connection with previous > name. Also counting from zero, which should be left in the coding realm. My understanding is that it uses the disk label, when it exists. I could be wrong, but this is nevertheless outside the scope of the installer. > The User Switcher applet shouldn't appear with only one user. Again, outside the scope of the installer, but you'll need to provide solid examples of how it decre
Re: LVM on hardy's live installer?
On Thu, 2008-01-03 at 14:29 +1100, Lex Hider wrote: > I'm not that interested in whether or not previous releases had it. > My main concern is: if it fairly simple to add LVM support to the live > CD, can we implement it for the Hardy release? > > When I talk of LVM support, I don't mean by default, I mean having the > option to mount my LVM partitions, or create new ones, through the > custom partition dialogs. It's something we've planned to do for a while, but it's not a simple task and it's not planned for Hardy. To my knowledge there has never been a LVM branch of ubiquity. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: LVM on hardy's live installer?
On Wed, 2008-01-09 at 10:26 -0700, Kevin Fries wrote: > On Wed, 2008-01-09 at 11:50 -0500, Evan Dandrea wrote: > > To my knowledge there has never been a LVM branch of ubiquity. > > I am 85% sure Jeos does, as does the alternate install disk. For some > reason, I thought the server disk also did. Right, but those use debian-installer, not the live CD installer, ubiquity. d-i has had LVM support for a while, as already mentioned. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Re: LVM on hardy's live installer?
On Wed, 2008-01-09 at 10:49 -0700, Kevin Fries wrote: > There is a bad issue IMHO with the way Ubuntu partitions disks by > default anyway. While I always custom install to place /boot and /var > or /var/log on separate partitions, I understand other reluctance to do > that. But! /home should always be on a separate partition in a > workstation build, and placing that as LVM by default is just a great > CYA move. > > If there is any part of the system that is likely to grow out of > control, its user file space i.e. /home. This just comes down to > long term ease of use for the end user. Adding another disk, could be > added to the /home LVM, and provide an environment that is more > advantageous to end users than Windows (who would need to keep track of > additional disk drives rather than just see a larger home partition). > > Given that Hardy is a LTS release, I guess the question is to add it now > so that the LTS users don't have to wait 3 years to get it? Or consider > the feature untested, and wait for Hardy+1 so that there is time to iron > out bugs before its added to the next LTS release? LVM support for the desktop CD installer (ubiquity) citing this specific use case of having a separate /home has been brought up at the past two Ubuntu Developer Summits. However, the conclusion has always been that the graphical tools to manage LVM PVs are not ready. I also believe that the ubiquity-preserve-home [1] specification, which is targeted for Hardy, will mitigate the need for a separate /home partition. 1: http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/ubiquity-preserve-home signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
Automating desktop CD installations.
After the release of 7.10 I received a few questions about automating installations using the desktop CD and ubiquity's new preseeding support. I just finished writing a brief overview of how to accomplish this here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbiquityAutomation Feel free to directly email me if you have any questions. Thanks, Evan signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part -- Ubuntu-devel-discuss mailing list Ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-discuss
