[OpenIndiana-discuss] We need install images which work!

[Judah Richardson]

On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 9:53 AM Reginald Beardsley via openindiana-discuss <
openindiana-discuss at openindiana.org> wrote:

> I'm going to try one more time.
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The 2021.04.30  GUI Live Image has major problems.
>
> gparted(1m) dumps core
>
If you need to use gparted, use it on distribution on which it works. For
me that's my Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS, or Debian installations. This is what
I've meant by not having the mindset of 1 OS having to do everything.

>
> the documentation mentioned on the first GUI installer screen is missing
>
> the release notes are missing
>
> the GUI installer fails to install the boot loader
>
> the text installer incorrectly states EFI installs are limited to 2 TB
>
I do believe I've complained about this before, too. But I was able to work
around them and documented the workaround for others.

>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> All of these issues are also present in 2020.10.31 and possibly older
> releases.  This is a huge deterrent to new users.  None of them is a major
> task to fix.
>
> Simply throwing something over the fence doesn't do anyone a service.
> Spending an hour once  or twice a year to test a distribution image hardly
> seems a major burden.

This requires either having a dedicated test machine or disassembling an
existing running machine to install a blank disk to test. Then possibly
keeping that machine offline while any discovered bugs are addressed. For
even someone like me with 10 bare metal machines on hand, that's a tall
order as I don't have the budget for a bare metal testbed, and I have
enough trouble keeping up with the issues of my existing hardware and
distribution installations as is.

>
>
> We simply need a review process such that broken installation images are
> not posted for general distribution.

I take a different view of this. I prefer devs and the community be
transparent about what works and what doesn't as opposed to pretending
something works when it doesn't. Which is why I've been pretty
straightforward with my "rolling release" comments in previous emails as
well as my gparted one above.


>   While I only have one or two systems I can test,  I am quite happy to do
> it.  Even a single tester is better than none.  But my testing is of no use
> if the issues are not addressed before the install images are released.
>
I, personally, cannot be of assistance there.

>
> Without a reliable initial image from which to install, "pkg update" is of
> no use.  Without new users there will not be new maintainers/developers.
>
True. But as I said in a previous email, OSes are tools, and some tools
fall out of use/favor with the general population for a variety of reasons.
The aim is not to preserve tools as sacred artifacts, it's to preserve the
ability to do something (e.g. drill a hole, run a service) regardless of
which tool or distribution is used for that purpose.

>
>
> Reg
>
> _______________________________________________
> openindiana-discuss mailing list
> openindiana-discuss at openindiana.org
> https://openindiana.org/mailman/listinfo/openindiana-discuss
>