Re: KGMD 2.0

[Tamminen Eero <t150315@students.cc.tut.fi>]

> Can the partition configuration be part of this installation.
> eg: i use the following
> internal TT drive
> c:d:e:f: tosfs
> g: 64M minixfs
> external attached drive used to backup internal drive
> h:i:j:k: tosfs
> l: 64M minixfs
> if it is expected that a certain number of partitions are required
> for the instalation, will the choices of how a system is configured

Installations shouldn't require any specific (number of) partitions.

> not be limited. Could we not assume that all directorys are set up
> in an orderly fashion on one partition, maintaining the basic fhs 
> formate, and allow the user to reconfigure if they so desire.

Why not do it like this (newbie installer):

- User opens the archive into C:\ and gets the instructions, installer,
  MiNT, XFSs, XDDs, gzip and tar into C:\MINT\.  User reads README.

- README tells user how much space is needed and recommends some
  partition setup, but tells also that although at least one minix
  partition is highly recommended, installation should also work on a
  TOS-fs as long as it has enough space (noting that linked files will
  then take additional space as those will then be copied instead of
  linking and that many filenames will be truncated/un-cased).

(here user uses some other program to create/minit partitions)

- After user has created the partition(s) or freed enough space, s/he
  runs the installer which asks whether s/he wants to redirect (mount
  using mint.cnf 'sln' directive) some root '/' directories to certain
  drives (or into created/existing directories).

- Installer will then create mint.cnf with above redirections and reboot
  to MiNT.  I would prefer that this step would install also a
  simple/free bootmanager (auto/ should be resorted so that it will be
  first to run) so that user can disable auto/ programs in case of an
  error (user should of cource be asked whether he already has
  bootmanager).  Resorting/disabling could also be done automatically
  for known problematic/unnecessary programs if users wishes so.

- Mint.cnf runs again (with necessary enviroment variables (PATH) for
  utilities) the installer which notes that it's now running under MiNT
  and therefore proceeds to step 2 ie.  prompting user for disk /
  directory where other archives reside.  Installer will extract these
  relative to u:/ ('/c/mint/tar.ttp -C / -zxvf /path/archive.tgz').

- Then the installer prompts for the rest of information needed
  (ISP number, account name / pasword etc) and creates necessary
  /etc/ entries based on that.

- As last step, the installer changes mint.cnf to run either init
  (/bin/(ba)sh) or AES (MULTITOS, N.AES...)  or if there is bootmanager,
  it could create separate boot configurations for both.

The original mint.cnf creator, tar.gz extractor and network
configuration utility could be separate programs, but as they don't need
to do very much, they could be a single one too.  The slightly more
experienced users (knows about tgz etc) would only need the network
configuration tool.

GUI frontends for minit and network connection initiatation would also
be nice.  If you've access to Linux, latter could be modeled after kppp
;-).  (Redhat Linux uses Python for it's configuration tools, but we
don't have GEM version (w/ bindings) of python ;-))))


	- Eero