Feature idea: package an installer image as a grub entry before F8.

[Jeff Spaleta]

On 6/6/07, Jesse Keating <jkeating at redhat.com> wrote:
> I think we're way off in the weeds trying to solve the wrong problem here.


I would agree. Since i started this round of discussion. Let me
clarify. All I want is a preferred technical means that we can
comfortable offer to users as an upgrade path (and test as part of
release-eng) without needing a dvd/cdrom burner/reader locally,
especially now that we have dropped cdrom iso sets.  A solution that
can work with a remote system would be nice, but not my primary
concern.

For my part, I take it as sacred truth that 'live' upgrades, no matter
how you do it, will have more caveats than a specialized boot image
based approach and will never be considered the preferred method to be
encourage to the 99% of the userbase which is less technically
inclined than those of us who attempt to hold constructive discussion
in this list.

I am not looking for a solution which attempts to make 'live' upgrades
look easier.  Putting a child proof safety cap on a bottle of shards
of broken glass isn't going to get us anywhere.

What I want is a preferred solution which can be offered to users
without a dvd/cdrom burner/reader which gives them an upgrade path
similar to users who have access to burner/reader hardware.

Now perhaps a simple way to create a bootable installer usb stick
would suffice. Or a simple way to make a grub entry for an installer
image would do it. Both of these methods already have cookie-cutter
howtos floating around on the web.  Toolizing the recipe instructions
and offering a tool to users instead of a howto to read seems
reasonably done in time for F8.  Blowing up the world to re-engineer
how we think installs/upgrades should work in general probably isn't.

-jef"so if I ask to have my wisdom teeth returned to me after the
surgery, can I trade them to the Tooth Fairy for some swag?"spaleta