At risk of being extremely repetitive, it seems to be worth repeating.

Andrew Gaffney wrote:
> I've got a few questions about the proposed new installer:
> 
> 1. I've heard that the core installer will be written in Python. Is this 
> true?

Docs.

> 2. Whether Python or not, will real-time frontends have to be written 
> the same language as the core installer, or will it be controlled 
> through a pipe or similar method?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "real time" but the physical 
commands will be shelled out where required. If you're asking if we're 
going to reimplement fdisk in pure python, the answer is a certain "no." ;)

> 3. Will the core installer have plugin capabilities (e.g. user-created 
> configuration/installation steps), either scripted (bash) or coded 
> (Python or whatever)?

It depends on what you want to do. You can create arch templates (see 
the docs re: arch templates) that define the steps to perform and the 
actions that will be taken. Custom steps (see the docs re: steps) can be 
added increasing the front end (see the docs re: front end) options and 
what the user may do. Arch templates basically implement the control 
portion of the back end (see docs re: back end) and handle the flow control.

In short, docs. :)

> 4. Which existing installer will the new code be based from or will this 
> be done completely from scratch possibly using existing concepts?

Existing ideas will be taken and reused but all code will be a 
reimplementation to develop a generic platform. We'll be taking the best 
of each and running with it. Again, docs.

> 5. Are there any plans to include X along with Qt, GTK, Tcl/Tk, etc. on 
> the LiveCD to allow for the creation of GUI installer frontends?

There was talk of potentially creating a custom live cd with things that 
the installer can use / wants. Nothing was decided, but with catalyst, 
it becomes trivial (in comparison) so I imagine it will be decided later.

A simpler answer is the main live cd will almost never contain a full X 
environment. Love it or hate it - people will never agree and it's 
outside the scope of the installer project to try and force such issues 
either way.

> 6. What is already done? What needs to be done? What is still up in the 
> air?

Docs, docs, and docs.

> 7. How can I help?

Writing docs. Writing code. Offering ideas. Testing. Testing. Testing.

> I don't know Python, but I have pretty decent bash - 
> only since working on GLIS frontend ;) - and Perl skills. I don't know 
> any Python, but I can always learn.

While writing code is not to be discounted, there are many ways to help.

> 8. Anything else important that I might have missed?

The docs. :)

I'm sorry about busting your chops with regard to the docs. We have 
spent a lot of time putting them together to answer these kinds of 
questions (and others) and are trying to get people to look at them (and 
hopefully read them without glazing over). Of course, I jest for the 
most part but it can become difficult to repeat some things.

-- 
Eric Sammer
Gentoo Linux
http://www.gentoo.org