You’ve all have been first-time installers of this distro and out of curiosity, I’m wondering what you would like we should’ve put in the installer as a choice option (next to the existing DE and driver choices).
Just look at this question through the eyes of a first-time installer and multiple options are possible.
Choice which shell (bash, fish, etc.)
Choice which kernel (s) (main, LTS, zen and or hardened)
Choice in browsers (Chromium, Firefox)
BTRFS
ZSH
LibreOffice
Firewall
Bluetooth
Other (please specify and it should be available in the Arch repo, so no AUR packages.)
I think most of those aren’t needed in any other form than they are now. Anyone who wants a shell, knows enough to get it! LibreOffice, firewall etc are already there on Welcome. The Filesystems - maybe - but I don’t know enough about running them to make a recommendation there. The thought I have about it is ‘allow it’ - if the user pre-sets it up before saying ‘go’. I would think there are too many possibilities to cover in an installer otherwise. Another thing to specify/script in Welcome?
I DO think that a choice (especially of the LTS kernel) would be a very good idea, especially if an explanation of the difference were included.
Don’t get caught up in trying to do everything for everybody (even if it sounds like I’m planning to overload @manuel ) - just keep polishing as you have been…
(the preceding was my 2 cents worth) (Das Vorhergehende war meine zwei Cent wert) hope that translates OK!
This poll is not to to do everything for everybody, it is quite the opposite, actually. We’re just trying to figure out which of these options are seen as a must-have on an average install, hence the remark I made about seeing it through the eye of a first-time installer.
To deepen the info behind this poll, Calamares is going to switch program language and we anticipate on the (most negative) possibility that we have to rebuild the installer, once that change is made.
If we have to rebuild, then why not ask you guys on the status of the existing procedure.
Glad to hear it’s not expanding out of hand! I stand by my first comments - if you can make work what you already have in the new version, you’re already ahead! Some way to handle the alternate filesystems is good, if you can, but a guide and instructions to pre-configure the disk(s) is better IMHO. Even staying in ext4, having the partitions pre-done is a plus for several reasons, if only because you can’t see fiolesystem or partition labels, and can’t set them in the installer either! They make life so much easier to have them though, especially on multi-boots so they show up as ‘endvr-gnome’ rather than ‘200 gb filesystem’ on Thunar - or in blkid!
I don’t know if kernel swaps can be made inside the installer either - other distros I have seen just provide separate ISO’s for choice in that area. It’s already more flexible than most, so don’t forget that option!
Come to that, a separate version for exotic or encrypted filesystems and kernels, as opposed to the more standard might be a good idea What language are they going to? Not Haskell I hope!
I thought Calamares is written in C++, I am sure I saw cpp code executing…
As a suggestion, maybe let the user to choose the default cli text editor to install? Vi/Vim/Emacs/Nano? It’s not that important as the other choices though, but would be nice
I didn’t vote because “none of the above” wasn’t available.
Choice of shell. Maybe add another shell in addition to bash. If this option means replacing bash with zsh, etc. then definitely not. That would be going against Unix, BSD, and Linux history from the very beginning. Anyone experienced in CLI EXPECTS bash to be there.
Choice of kernel. This could be OK, but personally I would limit it to Current kernel or LTS kernel. Maybe always install the Current kernel and offer LTS kernel as a backup. Anyone wanting a different kernel besides these two would have enough knowledge to easily install them.
Choice of browsers. This is kind of covered in Welcome.
BTRFS EndeavourOS is targeted to less experienced users wanting an easy install of Arch Linux so they can learn as they go. If so, then my opinion is I would want them to be using a bullet proof, very established file system designed for personal workstations. Namely ext4. But I might have too much of a old school stance on this. So, maybe, but a lot of inexperienced Linux users would select this simply because it’s there and not fully understand what BRTFS is. Which would increase forum traffic greatly.
LibreOffice LibreOffice is handled nicely with Welcome.
Firewall Oh brother, don’t get me started on this one. My opinion is a firewall should be installed de facto on every installation and enabled for normal PC usage. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but ufw has not been maintained for quite some time. With the new successor to iptables coming along, that might be a problem in the future. I think firewalld which is actively maintained by a corporate distribution might be a better choice.
Bluetooth. I have never owned or used a bluetooth device, so no opinion.
Now that I think of it, there is no reason that Welcome couldn’t handle the changes to/from linux-lts after installation. Just remember to mkconfig the grub, and tell them to reboot
Seriously, almost everything worth doing is ‘easily’ done via the Welcome app scripts - so just get the current ISO logic into the new Calamares.
I would like to have the chance to choose from kernel. And secondly and thirdly from the other options i chose. I like to say that it’s nice that you are interested in our opinion.
Here’s my two cents on what should be included in the installer:
Choice of kernel: For myself I’m happy with the main. However I can see why some people would want the other ones.
Firewall: This was the first thing I installed after my first reboot into the OS. That option would have been nice to have during installation.
Choice in browsers: nice idea. Not everyone likes Firefox.
Choice in which shell: If you want to include this feature, make sure you explain what the shell is and what each one does differently. Personally I’m happy with the shell that’s included now.
Bluetooth: absolutely should be included! Who knows how many laptops are using Endeavour.
LibreOffice: I’m happy with installing LibreOffice after the first boot. That way I can make up my mind if I need it (or not).
ZFS and BTRFS: that would be a great option to include! Always wanted to use those filesystems. I was actually hoping that BTRFS would have been included in the last installation, but it wasn’t so I dealt with it.
I second @Pudge’s and @freebird54’s arguments. Just follow the KISS principle.
I don’t quite understand - calamares is perfectly capable of setting up btrfs, even encrypted, in it’s current version. You just need to choose ‘manual partitioning’.
I’d personally keep it this way; a user should know why he/she chooses btrfs over ext4. If a user then opts for btrfs the installer can handle this.
Again, see Pudge’s argument …
So, I just realized I seem to be perfectly happy with the EOS installer at this time.
As I mentioned in another thread I really think it’s a good idea to implement downgrade. I know it’s not from Arch repository, but from EndeavourOS repository. That shouldn’t make too much of a difference because that repository is implemented anyway.
but you want to ask for ZFS or i am wrong ?
What language are they going to? Not Haskell I hope!
