Distribution method - could there be a better way?

[ashwin kesavan iyengar]

> Message: 12
> Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 02:23:40 -0500
> From: "Tom and Esther Ward" <tward1978 at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: Distribution method - could there be a better way?
> To: <fm_maillists at ntlworld.com>,        "For users of Fedora Core releases"
>         <fedora-list at redhat.com>
> Message-ID: <00d001c4ced1$e357b800$8f89b041 at noneflzmskjmuf>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Fletcher" <fm_maillists at ntlworld.com>
> To: "Fedora List" <fedora-list at redhat.com>
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 7:19 PM
> Subject: Distribution method - could there be a better way?
> >
> > So how about the Fedora team giving this idea some thought? Don't pack
> > everything into ISO files. Create the next Fedora distribution as a
> single,
> > much smaller file, which could be put onto, perhaps, a USB flash memory
> > device. This device, when booted, would then load up the installer as disk
> 1
> > of FC3 does, then perform all the information gathering functions for
> package
> > list, language, keyboard and location, partition and format the HDD, and
> > finally transfer all the gathered information to the HDD and set up a
> > yum.conf file for local mirror sites based on the location provided.
> >
> > Then reboot the machine, which automatically downloads and installs all
> the
> > latest packages from the mirrors, resulting in an immediately up to date
> > installation with a fraction of the download time.
> >
> > Does this seem like a sensible way to go?
> 
> Yes and no. I don't have a high speed connection so grabbing the isos off a
> faster machine and getting them burned for me is the only way to go. If I
> had to install off a server I would be forced to drop Fedora completely as
> high speed internet is simply not offered in my area. thus your point of
> speeding up the process would be actually a huge slow down for me.
> Another point with isos I do like having some sort of backup hard media  on
> hand just in case a Linux system would go down and require a reinstall for
> some reason. What you are suggesting would esentually leave me without a dvd
> or cd to grab and just do the install.
> However, on the flip side I can see in a situation where high speed internet
> is an option something like this might be ideal for someone wishing to get
> the newest and freshest Fedora updates.
> My opinion certainly leave the isos up there for us people wanting them to
> have, but if someone wishes another method as suggested above I see no
> problem with it provided I can still have the isos.
> 
> >
> > Reactions, please.
> >
> > Dave Fletcher
> >
> > --
> > fedora-list mailing list
> > fedora-list at redhat.com
> > To unsubscribe: http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 13
> Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 02:49:18 -0500
> From: "Tom and Esther Ward" <tward1978 at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: Distribution method - could there be a better way?
> To: "For users of Fedora Core releases" <fedora-list at redhat.com>
> Message-ID: <01e201c4ced5$760f5a10$8f89b041 at noneflzmskjmuf>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Erik Hemdal" <ehemdal at townisp.com>
> To: <fedora-list at redhat.com>
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2004 9:08 PM
> Subject: Re: Distribution method - could there be a better way?
> >
> > >
> >
> > This works nicely if you have an Internet connection that you can
> > dedicate for an installation.  I discovered that Windows XP does this on
> > a fresh installation from CD.  It was neat to see the installer skip the
> > old bits in the CAB and get updated drivers over the network.
> >
> > But if I had a slow connection, I think this would prevent me from
> > installing Fedora.  There's something to be said for having a set of CDs
> > or a DVD that one can use to install or reinstall without any "outside
> > help".
> >
> > Call me old fashioned, but I like the security of having physical media
> > around for when things go very wrong.   Erik
> 
> Another point for having physical media is installing Fedora on more than
> one computer. I do have a desktop duel boot Fedora/Windows and I have a
> laptop running Fedora.
> I don't generally connect my laptop to the internet and use basically what
> is on the original media unless there is updates that I absolutely need.
> Which in alot of cases does not happen because it does not run any server
> services like apache, sendmail,  postfix, etc and is used as a simple
> desktop operating system for Office work, reading notes while traveling, and
> things like that.
> I would hate to have to do a internet install on not one but two computers
> on a dial up connection. Especially, in the case of the notebook which many
> of the security updates do not always apply to me personally.


I totally agree with "Tom and Esther Ward". I believe there are still
lots of places es with a slow connection. IMHO d/l iso's is the best
option b'cos those who d/l iso's hav high speed connection. If they
were to make installation by this method, then i would hav to drop
fedora. (My place doesn't hav a high speed connection).

with regards,
ashwin