7 proposals - was Re: [Fedora-livecd-list] Kadischi - Anaconda

[J. Hartline]

Jane Dogalt wrote:

>*** proposal 1 ***
>*** integrating the current functionality of kadischi directly into anaconda
>
>a) new commandline option --output-livecd=/path/to/destination.iso
>  
>
It has been suggested to just use rootpath.
What my personal focus is just:
1) Building Live media (CD or DVD)
2) Installing from Live media (CD or DVD)

This would require us to determine without intervention of the user
if we are running from an installed system to build a LiveCD or running 
from a LiveCD
to install a system. Rootpath can be used in both of these instances.. 
if and only if
doing some conditionalizing enable or disable partitioning and 
bootloader installation.

The cosmetics of this are probably the touchy part.
I can say myself, that doing some hackery I could determine if I were 
being run from
an installed system and build a LiveCD, going through steps as normal, 
and also if I am being
run from a LiveCD, and assuming I need to be installing to a system.

I am not so sure however "just doing" these things is going to be a 
targeted way of accomplishing this.
I mentioned a check box, e.g not something you can pass to Anaconda to 
build the Live media.. as
we wouldn't want this on a standard installation, say from Disc #1. 
Fedora Project already has plans
to build and possibly release an Official LiveCD. This assures us the 
user is getting what they want.
This requires a subset of menus however and other sections to be added 
to Anaconda besides just
making the Squash image, the false root and rolling up an ISO.

On the other hand, detect if we are running from LiveCD media, and the 
LiveCD option shouldn't appear.
Use rootpath, and conditionally do partitioning and bootloader setups.

In either case, to do anything that would confirm the operation we are 
doing would require some extra
modules and options etc, to be within Anaconda. Otherwise no cosmetic 
changes need to be made and
rootpath mode is used exclusively for CD builds, and from-CD installs, 
without intervention and with little
options.

I think these are the two major points in using Anaconda solely for both 
of these operations.
J. Hartline