Features of the next Slint installer - request for comments.

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DidierSpaier
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Features of the next Slint installer - request for comments.

Post by DidierSpaier »

I plan to provide a new Slint installer by end of April.

Planned changes:

1. In manual partitioning mode a BIOS Boot partition will be only mandatory if when starting the installer the machine booted in Legacy mode.

2. In manual partitioning mode an EFI partition will be only mandatory if when starting the installer the machine booted in EFI mode.

3. In both auto and manual partitioning modes the user will be allowed to select an existing partition and dedicate it to /home, possibly to continue using an existing /home.

4. If a dedicated /home partition is already formatted the user will have the choice to have the installer format it (erasing all data in it) or not. Of course if the partition is not formatted the installer will format it.

5. Prior to formatting a /home partition the installer will give the user a choice between the btrfs, ext4 and xfs file systems.

6. In auto partitioning mode a partition dedicated to /home should be located in another drive than the one hosting the root partition, as all existing data in this drive will be erased.

Questions, comments and suggestions are welcome, the sooner the better.

Cheers,
Didier
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gapan
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Re: Features of the next Slint installer - request for comments.

Post by gapan »

Hi Didier,
DidierSpaier wrote: 19. Apr 2023, 17:45 1. In manual partitioning mode a BIOS Boot partition will be only mandatory if when starting the installer the machine booted in Legacy mode.
But a boot partition is not needed, even then. I don't get why it should be mandatory.
DidierSpaier wrote: 19. Apr 2023, 17:45 6. In auto partitioning mode a partition dedicated to /home should be located in another drive than the one hosting the root partition, as all existing data in this drive will be erased.
I don't get this either. So, for example, on a laptop (which only has a single HD of course) there would be no option to have a separate /home partition?
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DidierSpaier
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Re: Features of the next Slint installer - request for comments.

Post by DidierSpaier »

Hi George,

thanks for your input.
gapan wrote: 23. Apr 2023, 09:01
DidierSpaier wrote: 19. Apr 2023, 17:45
But a boot partition is not needed, even then. I don't get why it should be mandatory.
I should have written:

In manual partitioning mode a BIOS Boot partition will be only mandatory in case of a GPT if when starting the installer the machine booted in Legacy mode.

This is needed by GRUB in this case.
gapan wrote: 23. Apr 2023, 09:01
DidierSpaier wrote: 19. Apr 2023, 17:45 6. In auto partitioning mode a partition dedicated to /home should be located in another drive than the one hosting the root partition, as all existing data in this drive will be erased.
I don't get this either. So, for example, on a laptop (which only has a single HD of course) there would be no option to have a separate /home partition?
No, because in auto partitioning mode the file system used is BTRFS with a subvolume for /home which is very similar to having a separate /home partition without having to set its size. I have allowed a separate /home for people who would for instance keep an existing /home when installing:
  • If they have two drives (typically in a desktop and some laptops: a small SSD or NVMe and a large spinning hard disk) they can have / on the small drive and /home in the big one. This will be allowed in both auto and manual partitioning modes.
  • If they have only one drive this will be allowed only in manual partitioning mode.
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gapan
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Re: Features of the next Slint installer - request for comments.

Post by gapan »

DidierSpaier wrote: 23. Apr 2023, 09:50 I should have written:

In manual partitioning mode a BIOS Boot partition will be only mandatory in case of a GPT if when starting the installer the machine booted in Legacy mode.

This is needed by GRUB in this case.
I'm not really sure it's needed then either. Is it only GRUB that needs that? I think with LILO there is no such restriction.

DidierSpaier wrote: 23. Apr 2023, 09:50No, because in auto partitioning mode the file system used is BTRFS with a subvolume for /home which is very similar to having a separate /home partition without having to set its size. I have allowed a separate /home for people who would for instance keep an existing /home when installing:
  • If they have two drives (typically in a desktop and some laptops: a small SSD or NVMe and a large spinning hard disk) they can have / on the small drive and /home in the big one. This will be allowed in both auto and manual partitioning modes.
  • If they have only one drive this will be allowed only in manual partitioning mode.
OK, I missed the BTRFS part. It makes some sense this way.
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DidierSpaier
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Re: Features of the next Slint installer - request for comments.

Post by DidierSpaier »

gapan wrote: 24. Apr 2023, 14:36
DidierSpaier wrote: 23. Apr 2023, 09:50 I should have written:

In manual partitioning mode a BIOS Boot partition will be only mandatory in case of a GPT if when starting the installer the machine booted in Legacy mode.

This is needed by GRUB in this case.
I'm not really sure it's needed then either. Is it only GRUB that needs that? I think with LILO there is no such restriction.
Yes, only GRUB needs that as in Legacy mode it can't put its stuff in an EFI partition. But this partition can be very small (1M is enough for simple layouts but I make it 4M to be sure it will be big enough)
gapan wrote: 24. Apr 2023, 14:36
DidierSpaier wrote: 23. Apr 2023, 09:50No, because in auto partitioning mode the file system used is BTRFS with a subvolume for /home which is very similar to having a separate /home partition without having to set its size. I have allowed a separate /home for people who would for instance keep an existing /home when installing:
  • If they have two drives (typically in a desktop and some laptops: a small SSD or NVMe and a large spinning hard disk) they can have / on the small drive and /home in the big one. This will be allowed in both auto and manual partitioning modes.
  • If they have only one drive this will be allowed only in manual partitioning mode.
OK, I missed the BTRFS part. It makes some sense this way.
I understand the "some". But if I allowed a /home partition in "auto" partitioning mode in the same drive as / the risk would be to end up with either a too small /home or a too small /, regardless or who (the user, or an algorithm) decides their respective sizes. A user who really knows how many space he or she needs can use the manual partitioning mode.
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