FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE Available

gregoryd.freebsd at free.fr gregoryd.freebsd at free.fr
Sat Mar 1 11:41:55 UTC 2008


Quoting "Chris H." <chris#@1command.com>:

> BSD is /different/. Which is /not/ bad, just /different/. :)

Never said it was bad (on the *very* contrary)
Been using it for a little more than 10 years now: would I have been if I had
thought otherwise ? ;-)

> * choose net/cvsup-without-gui

no longer needed: csup is readily available ! (and works perfectly)

>    cvsup -g -L 2 /root/stable-supfile

That needs an internet access which, precisely, I lack in my office !


> In any event you're now in a position to build/install
> anything the BSD ports system has to offer. While this /may/
> seem like a long process, it's not. It's very quick. In fact
> it /is/ faster than the Linux GUI install process - I just
> performed one the other day. Then blew it away and replaced
> it with a fresh copy of RELENG_7. :)

I *really* have nothing against the installer UI (to tell the truth, I'd rather
it not be changed, however modern the desktopbsd installer may have seemed to
me, I definitely prefer the "old" one)

The problem I pinpoint is this: for people without internet access once they
have downloaded the whole CD set, having to swap CDs during install *so many
times* is a real PITA. It might prove a deterrent for would-be new users.
And also, it is not up to the good work that went in the OS proper, and
documentation and all.


Of course had I the opportunity, I would go with the way I do *at home* where I
have an xDSL link: boot-only CD and making ports (or packages, depending on
available time). Precisely what you described.
But without an internet connection it is just not possible.


Now, thinking over yesterday's experience: maybe I should have grabbed the
boot-only CD and burnt a DVD with packages, and then establish a kind of
"repository" with those.
Then again, it would consume precious network bandwidth (desktop is for remote
administering...) if I wanted to make it available to colleagues.


Bottom line: I think the installer needs a fix in how to handle package
installation when spanning several CDs.
It's an opinion, though. Based on (a bad) experience, but still an opinion...

I'm aware CDs are still indispensable, since many machines are not equipped with
DVD drives. But couldn't we imagine a desktop oriented release on DVD (which
would be the exact same as the CD set, maybe only with more packages to take
advantage of the supplementary space available) ? (if fixing the installer
swapping thing is too much trouble)


gregory


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