Karen Tung wrote: > Ethan Quach wrote: >> >> >> Glenn Lagasse wrote: >>> Hey Ethan, >>> >>> * Ethan Quach (Ethan.Quach at Sun.COM) wrote: >>>> Alok Aggarwal wrote: >>>>> We've had some discussion around media options in >>>>> regards to the some of the forthcoming installers. >>>>> >>>>> While the text installer options are going to be discussed in the >>>>> meeting tomorrow, I wanted to capture >>>>> the results of the discussion wrt bootable AI and >>>>> regular AI image here. >>>>> >>>>> Currently the only known consumer for a bootable AI >>>>> image on x86 is the VMC project. The requirements the VMC >>>>> project has on a bootable AI image are listed in the >>>>> func spec - >>>>> >>>>> http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/caiman/VMC/ >>>>> >>>>> >From a high level, the project would like to - >>>>> >>>>> - boot the AI image standalone (without the need for >>>>> an AI server) >>>>> - have the auto-installer service obtain a manifest >>>>> to install from, from a well defined location >>>>> - kick off an IPS based install and once down shutdown >>>>> the VM >>>>> >>>>> Given these requirements, I think it makes a lot of >>>>> sense to combine the bootable AI and regular AI images >>>>> for x86. >>>>> >>>>> How would it work? >>>>> ------------------ >>>>> >>>>> DC would be changed such that all x86 images created >>>>> are bootable. The choices of a media based boot, network >>>>> based boot (no AI) and network based boot with AI would be >>>>> provided in the GRUB menu. >>>>> >>>>> Media based boot would be the default selection. >>>> What do you mean by "media based boot" is the default >>>> selection? Default selection for which prompt? The >>>> embedded grub menu with the media based boot would >>>> still offer both selections, interactive and AI, right? Which >>>> ones of these is the default by default? >>> >>> Are we planning to include interactive installation options on the AI >>> media? I may have missed some mail, but I hadn't heard that before. >> >> I assumed that what was being described as "networked >> based boot (no AI)" meant interactive installer. Does this >> not mean that? ... hmm, does it just mean AI is disabled and >> we're booting to a login prompt? >> > I believe the purpose of network based boot (no AI) is to solve > the problem of machines being rebooted automatically, and we > don't want those machines to be installed. That's what the link Alok > gave at the end of his email refer to. > > As for whether the text installer should be included or not, I wonder > whether it is worth including the text installer if the text installer > doesn't have the capability to install from IPS. Since the initial > release of the text installer will only do cpio-style install of the > content of the image, and the AI image has very limited content. > would copying just those content be useful for people? > Probably for those that wants the "minimal OS"
Sorry for opening up this can of worms. I recall now from a couple meetings ago we decided not to make the txt-based installer accessible via a network boot in this initial work. There will probably be subsequent work to make this happen though right? (I'm thinking too much legacy installer when I saw "networked based boot (no AI)" ... ) thanks, -ethan
