On Mon, 2005-01-31 at 22:34 -0700, Dennis Kibbe wrote:
> On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 02:08:12 -0700 (MST)
>
> If this weekend's InstallFest is any example of things to come, we'll
> get a wide variety of requests. Everything from simple installs to
> hardware RAID to Gentoo.
----
Gentoo seems to be an odd choice when you consider the limited time
frame for an installfest
----
>
> So, here's where we need triage.
>
> Is it a simple install for a newbie who will dual boot? Then we need
> a safe choice and an experienced installer. FC3, Mandrake, Ubuntu, Mepis
> look like safe bets here.
----
seems reasonable
----
> Is the box being dedicated to Linux, then we can widen the choices a
> bit. Maybe even be adventurous and install Debian or Slackware
> depending on how much the user wants to learn. And some do! We've had
> people that have gone from newbie to Gentoo in a week!
>
> A dedicated box is something a new installer-person can handle
> without fearing they wll trash any data. Good way to learn and get more
> people experinced in installing!
>
> It's not unusal for someone to go through 3 or 4 distros in the first
> month or two. Trying different ones to see what they like. So what we
> install may get replaced within a week.
----
I can only think that unless the person is the adventurous sort and
somewhat computer savvy - that semi-weekly distribution changes are only
going to confuse people.
----
> The more difficult installs are an opportunity for all to learn, so
> we don't want to turn them away, I think. *Unless* there is the risk of
> doing real damage. One InstallFest someone brought a laptop with all
> the company financial records and mentioned that he had to meet with the
> auditors on Monday!
>
> Even if we can't do a Gentoo install or hardware RAID. We can still
> be of service by pointing them to the issues they will face and maybe
> some places online to look for help.
----
Hardware raid should simply appear as a single SCSI hard drive. It
shouldn't be a problem at all UNLESS - the raid controller isn't
supported by kernel modules which might require a driver disk - which
would place it in the category of more challenging to be sure.
I would suspect that many times these old servers with hardware RAID are
probably being considered for migration from WinNT to Linux and a debian
'stable' or RHEL 3 clone distribution would likely have the modules
necessary to make it work. Having done this several times with Dell and
Micron servers, I know they can present challenges and I'm seeing that
the 2.6 kernel drivers are not always including support for the older
SCSI controllers and ISA stuff.
----
> I know der.hans would like to see a totally automatic
> over-the-network install, but I think that is some ways done the road
> and in fact may not be desirable since going though an install is an
> important learning experience for all. The key is preparation to make
> the install process as smooth as possible and be able to deal with
> problems that come up in a professional manner. Even if we can't solve
> a problem, as long as it's not a show-stopper we can always come back to
> it or, at least, explain what needs to be done.
>
> How about an IRC channel during the InstallFest? Might be an easy way
> to ask everyone for help without leaving the install you're working on.
> I know a question came up Saturday about hardware RAID on Dell 620
> Precision Workstations that I could have answered (and saved a couple of
> hours frustration) except I was in another room doing an install.
>
> Again, the goal we should focus on in these discussions is that we want
> the person to walk out with a Linux box they can really use. That means
> the printer is setup, Internet and mail work, music plays, etc. and
> we've spent a minute showing them some of the features and where the
> config tools are.
>
> To make this happen we need to learn with each InstallFest so any
> problem we run into we follow up and solve and have the solution
> available for the next InstallFest.
>
> An example of this is Fedora Core 3 doesn't play MP3s out of the box.
> Playing MP3s is something that most people want to do with a computer
> and the solution isn't hard[1], but we need to know the solution and
> make it one of the standard things we do each time Fedora is installed.
----
http://www.fedorafaq.org
a shortcut on the desktop or adding it to the 'bookmarks' would be good
or more specifically
http://www.fedorafaq.org/#xmms-mp3
----
> This means creating a follow up sheet for each install and creating a
> checklist for that distro.
----
good idea
----
>
> Yes, it means chasing a lot of details, but the payoff is that the
> InstallFest will be a fun learning experience for all.
>
> Anyway, my 2 cents worth and hope it didn't sound too much like a rant.
----
good points
Craig
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