-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 As kfreebsd gets closer and closer to meeting release qualifications, I think its a good time to look at porting d-i to kfreebsd. The current installer is, without a doubt, a hack :-P.
There has already been some work in extending d-i to non-linux platforms, hurd-i386 used a linux-based d-i port for their installer for awhile (it appears this is no longer used though). Since Linux can't run hurd binaries, this port essentially extracted all the dpkg's into /target, and then had the user, on the first reboot, run /native-install to handle configuration. Obviously this is non-ideal, and in kfreebsd's case, non-feasible as LInux can't currently write to UFS2 based file systems. Porting d-i is however rather non-trival, in general, the following would need to happen. On the archive side of things: - - mini-dak will need to be extended to be able to put udeb's in installer-kfreebsd-* instead of binary-kfreebsd-*. This special package group is used on netinst CDs to load modules; if you ever done a low memory, or advanced install, this is where d-i gets the list of modules to install. On actually just running d-i: - - the d-i image creation scripts need to be extended to create a kfreebsd based live CD instead of using linux. This shouldn't be too difficult to do as parts of the current script for generating liveCDs can be recycled into this. (the hardest bit is adding /boot/loader support, or using grub, and cheating ;-)). On the porting side of things: - - New d-i modules need to be written for handling disklabels (internally, d-i simply uses debootstrap to install onto target, so as long as this is fessible, no special modification to the bulk of d-i will be needed). - - Partition and disk labeling will have to be added (I don't know if a full blown port of partman would be needed, it might be just sufficient to call freebsd disk label) - - /boot/loader udeb packaging and module (should be straight forward enough, install the files, install /boot/looader to the MBR). Michael (PS: I am somewhat new here, although I've been lurking in #gnu-kbsd for awhile, and I'm helping to do an unoffical kfreebsd lenny release, but more on that in another email :-)). -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: http://getfiregpg.org iEYEARECAAYFAkirHHgACgkQpblTBJ2i2pu18QCfYy1pTOMbSACf/mSKKKwHlC0g U7gAn0+DVtTPQLBIEgE48ZEvtHOEZkmp =9YwM -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
