Re: [gentoo-dev] GUI installer

[Mark Bainter <mark-gt@cymry.org>]

Jeff Rose [rosejn@Colorado.EDU] wrote:
> Well, I'm glad to see that people are interested.  After doing some
> initial research I have some thoughts.  First, we should decide on whether
> we want to have a terminal or X based installer.  Does anyone know how

You know.  I'm sooooooooooooo tired of this topic.  Is there
any way we can get this added to the FAQ, with maybe a link
to the oh, 20 or 30 threads about this that have popped up
already on this list?

While it won't stop everyone, more people read FAQs than 
search mailing lists before posting I'm sure.  At least it'd
cut it down a little right?

> well the generic vesa driver works for X?  I personally have battled with
> X so many times that I'm not sure I think its worth it for an installer.

No.  It isn't.  But not because of battling with it, but because
once you do it you instantly bloat the size of the install CD.  

Thanks, but no thanks.  -blech-

> (Although we could just use the RedHat stuff for autodetection etc. if we
> want to go that direction.)  Besides X we could use ncurses dialog
> widgets or another terminal gui package.  I was thinking it would be cool
> to use somethine lighter than X like svgalib.  I have no experience with

Ok, I'm going to summarize my opinion on this into just a short
blurb.  I'm sorry for not being more verbose, but I just went
through all this not more than a couple weeks ago.

A GUI installer lowers the bar for entry on gentoo.  Right now
many people who might want to use Gentoo, but are yet ready for
it do not attempt to use it because the install holds the bar
too high.  That's a good thing.  If we lower the bar so anyone's
grandma can install Gentoo, anyone's grandma will be flooding
the gentoo lists and forums with worthless questions that should
not need to be asked by someone using Gentoo.  

Gentoo is not a newbie distribution, and putting a pretty 
installer on the front of it, regardless of its flexibility,
presents a representation of the skill level required to
use and maintain it.  

So, once again, I vote NO on a GUI installer.

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