usability: fedora's killer app? Clean-Install Assistant...

[Rahul]

Morgan Read wrote:
> What's the worst thing about operating systems and progress?
> 
> Clean-install/Re-install/Upgrade
> 
> And, fedora has both: allot of OS and allot of progress
> 
> While reading over the usability discussion on the devel list, I noticed
> someone's comment on the frantic release cycle - which is great, I want the
> latest and greatest.  But, the clean install every 6mths or less has got the be
> the biggest pita for fedora.
> 
> This is of course true with all OSs, only fedora clicks over three times the
> speed of anything else.  Three times the pita.  And we all want a clean-install
> cf. upgrade because we all want to make use of the latest and greatest fedora
> has to offer (never mind the questions of whether an upgrade ever actually works
> - on any OS).
> 
> Many years ago I installed all the interactions between MacOS 7.1 and 8.1, and
> then some.  The greatest thing I ever found was this:
> http://www.marcmoini.com/C-IAssistant.html
> 
> It's called Clean-Install Assistant.  A wizard that steps you through the
> process of saving your custom config (by comparing the system against a database
> of non-custom system) installing a clean system and then re-installing the
> custom config.
> 
> Of course fedora is somewhat more sophisticated than MacOS 8.1, but the
> principle's the same.  Basically, what I have to do at least every 6mths is:
> - List my packages
> - List all changes to /home/me/
> - List all changes to /etc/
> - back up /home/me/ and /etc/
> - Clean install
> - List my new packages and yum the diff
> - Go through my lists of /home/me/ and /etc/ and move-reconfig from the backups
> - Then muck around for the next month or so fine tuning all the stuff that I
> don't know about and never will that naturally gets customised through use
> - By which time it's time to go through the whole process again! (not quite:)
> 
> So, what a blessing it would be to have a wizard that by a few clicks of a mouse
> stepped you effortlessly and comprehensively through that pita I've just listed
> above.
> 
> I know, my Mac heritage is showing:)  But, the principle is a valid one and what
> a relief it would be.
> 
> M.
> 


You might be interested in 
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/AnacondaWorkItems#upgrade.
I would love to have a upgrade assistant like what you suggest too.

Rahul