Difference between revisions of "Talk:Installing/New To Linux"

didfem: Installing/New_To_Linux is fine with me.

reynhout: OK, I'll rename it as such.

didfem: I am not sure what you have in mind for "a channel to primary author". Where should this be mentioned, and what kind of communication means should be used?

reynhout: Maybe we can just link it to a Reddit thread? We should announce the page when you're ready to go live with it, and solicit comments etc. Then add the link to that thread to the page to complete the circle. Does that sound good?

Reply didfem: I have used UNetbootin for years in Windows and Linux and I have never observed a problem that I could trace back to this application. I suggested it because it is available in all three major OS's. However, if you know of another application as simple to use as UNetbootin, we could swap the info. In the wiki, I avoided the "dd" method because users may not have Linux and/or maybe uncomfortable with using a script that requires figuring out what the drives are called and other things. I would really like to keep it basic.

reynhout: Fair point. I really dislike that it changes the boot menu, though. What does "Default" do?

didfem: When you talk about "changing the boot menu", I assume you mean the blue page you see when the computer first boots from the Live USB. This only comes up when you boot from the USB drive. Once GalliumOS is installed, you never see this page again. You get the standard "Press Escape" and boot drive selection. Now that you mention it, I don't really know what "Default" does. I'll have to check it, but I suspect it starts whatever OS is already there on the internal drive. I'll check it to-morrow, for fun.

reynhout: Right. The issue has come up before where users are looking for support and saying they used the "default" install option. We didn't create that and don't know what it does. In fact I had no idea where it was coming from until I saw your screenshots. It might be fine. I can't think of any good reason that it would be added by UnetBootIn though, and plenty of bad reasons. :(

didfem: Funny enough, I tried all three options in the UNetbootin page. The first one "Default" and the second one "GalliumOS Live Image and Installer" do exactly the same thing. The third one is now (?!) different from the screen dump I took only a week ago and inserted in the wiki. It states: "GalliumOS CLI". When this last option is selected, it first displays the standard GalliumOS front page (logo with blue background) then a terminal to enter galliumos login name then password. I don't know if there is a standard login name and password to install GalliumOS from the command line and I think it's totally immaterial. The indications I wrote in the wiki are still valid, although I could also state that pressing Enter when Default is highlighted (the "opening" option) will do the same thing. The only indication that is wrong in the UNetbootin start-up page is where it states: "Automatic boot in 10 seconds". You can wait all day, it won't boot! I haven't had this problem with many (too many...!) live USB I prepared with UNetbootin. So it might be something in GalliumOS or UNetbootin, or the interaction between the two, that causes this slightly odd behavior. Nevertheless, if you follow the Tutorial (Select "GalliumOS Live Image and Installer" with the down arrow key and press Enter), you should have no problem. I am going to take another image of the new (!) UNetbootin start-up page and drop it into the wiki page.

didfem: I pushed further my investigation of the CLI option in UNetbootin. It takes you to a terminal prompting you for a "galliumos login". If you enter "username" and leave the Password blank, you get to a standard Linux terminal prompt. If you enter "startx", you get to the GalliumOS Live USB page (glass building shot from below, "Install GalliumOS" icon, etc.). In other words, it's a long way to reach the same destination. No gas saving there!

reynhout: Yes, the CLI option is for the case when the graphical environment won't start correctly, so a command line interface is the only choice. We discussed whether it was useful to include in the release ISOs and decided it might be, but at the worst was harmless -- assuming people know what CLI stands for. I'm open to removing it or renaming it.

I wonder if there might be options to Unetbootin that say "don't mess with the ISO, man.."? If it's truly identical to the first option that we create, then I guess it's safe to overlook. I just don't understand why it's there at all. If it affects anything that has an impact in support requests, that would be an issue.

didfem: I don't think there is any harm in leaving the CLI option as it is. If people select it and don't know what it is, nothing happens: they get to the prompt, are puzzled by the galliumos login, get back out and try the other options which "fortunately" give both the same results. I wonder, however, if this Tutorial should cater to those who want or need to use the command line interface. Since it is aimed at people without Linux and programming expertise, I don't think it would be a good idea that users tinker with a bunch of commands. The options could stay, but we don't have to talk about it. Note that the mystery remains about the "Automatic boot in 10 seconds" that doesn't work. However, I have noticed over the years that this function occasionally doesn't work with some distros; it's kind of "temperamental". Still, in my mind, it's only a "nice to have" feature, not a "need to have". Regarding the publication of this Tutorial, I leave it to you to decide how and when. Also, regarding ColtronDRG, I think I messed up when I try to send a message through the IRC channel. (I am way below the bottom of the learning curve in that IRC thing ...) Just let him know that I am willing to collaborate with him on the Acer 710 Tutorial and contact me through e-mail or through this page. Also, tell him that I suggest to use this Tutorial as a basis for the Acer 710 one; nothing much would have to be changed.

reynhout: OK, it sounds like UNetBootin does no harm. I don't know much about the failure to autoboot, I don't think I've seen the problem. I will ping ColtonDRG re the Parrot page, and hopefully this weekend have some more time to read your full page properly. :)

Reply didfem: "Gb" replaced by "GB".

Reply didfem: Line added to emphasize the need to check that the Chromebook is supported.