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-   Slackware (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/)
-   -   Rethinking the description during install? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/rethinking-the-description-during-install-869002/)

Skaperen 03-16-2011 01:47 PM
Rethinking the description during install?
 
Back in the days of slow machines, displaying the package description during an install provided for some reading to break up the boredom (if one was inspired to sit there and watch it do the install). Now days, the descriptions just fly by, several a second most of the time (unless doing things manually).

Do we really need this anymore? It's unreadable.

I'd rather see a list of packages being installed scroll by, one package name per line (with size info). Even that might get hard to read during the buzz of small packages being installed causing rapid scrolls.

volkerdi 03-16-2011 02:12 PM
Hasn't it been fun to see the speed increase over the years? :D

szboardstretcher 03-16-2011 02:15 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by volkerdi (Post 4292933)
Hasn't it been fun to see the speed increase over the years? :D
Yes it has.

I agree that the packages fly by too quickly to be read anymore. Perhaps a slideshow of some sort would be better utilized in the installation.

I remember typing 'dir' on the old 8088 and having a 20 file directory go by slowly enough to read it. :D

Skaperen 03-16-2011 03:16 PM
I don't know that a slideshow would be the Slackware way. A scrolling list of packages, in text mode, of course, seems right to me. Well, if you can make a text slideshow, then maybe.

marafa 03-16-2011 03:24 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skaperen (Post 4292910)
Back in the days of slow machines, displaying the package description during an install provided for some reading to break up the boredom (if one was inspired to sit there and watch it do the install). Now days, the descriptions just fly by, several a second most of the time (unless doing things manually).

Do we really need this anymore? It's unreadable.

I'd rather see a list of packages being installed scroll by, one package name per line (with size info). Even that might get hard to read during the buzz of small packages being installed causing rapid scrolls.
skaperen you may have a point but then again. i know some ppl who install from media or worse over a 512kb dsl line that doesnt get its full advertised speed.

and to volkerding - :) slackware 2 with a 100 diskettes (download, format floppy, copy to floppy, start install, insert requested floppy, remove floppy for next requested floppy) was too much for me - maybe i will revisit slackware soon but still my hat is off to you :)

Skaperen 03-16-2011 04:06 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by marafa (Post 4293002)
slackware 2 with a 100 diskettes (download, format floppy, copy to floppy, start install, insert requested floppy, remove floppy for next requested floppy) was too much for me - maybe i will revisit slackware soon but still my hat is off to you :)
I remember those days ;) But I don't think it was quite 100 diskettes. More like 80.

TobiSGD 03-16-2011 04:29 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skaperen (Post 4292998)
Well, if you can make a text slideshow, then maybe.
LOL, maybe some ASCII art.

sahko 03-16-2011 10:14 PM
I agree with Skaperen. In my own packages i use 3-lined slack-desc's.
1 for package description, 1 blank, 1 for homepage of the application.

The rest is a waste of time and space, writing, maintaining, scrolling and in any way dealing with. Thanks for bringing this up.

edit: Although i have to admit, some of them are actually educational.

fskmh 03-17-2011 06:15 AM
The short duration with which the messages are displayed may lessen their value during installation, but their utility after installation is undeniable because:
a) You can simply less /var/log/packages/pkgnam-blah-blah to get a description. (If it's a Slack dist package you can also see what "diskset" it came from.)
b) AFAIK gslapt displays this info when you click on a package.
c) The pkgnam-blah-blah.txt file is generated from slack-desc when the package is made, and this text file is very useful for reading about a package that you might be unfamiliar with before downloading it.
d) Some of the seemingly dated wisdom that went into the design of Slackware is timeless and can potentially save your butt when unanticipated problems arise.

Skaperen 03-17-2011 08:42 AM
I'm not against having descriptions somewhere. I just don't see the need to having the screen flashing a bunch of different sized blocks real fast. OTOH, it can make me look like Mr. Data if I stare at this when people walk by :cool:

Wed 03-17-2011 04:58 PM
Isn't it actually even worse?

During a system install from scratch, and browsing packages in the categories list, the description doesn't fit on the screen and thus unreadable. While installing, the descriptions flash by quicker than readable.

If installing manually, the package is already installed when you can see the description. You must have opted to install the package before the description is visible.

The only package descriptions I have ever read to the full extent, are those on slackbuilds.org.

My preference for system install, would be to see the package names scroll by. If anything catches the eye, there are some second to focus before it escapes off the screen.

T3slider 03-17-2011 05:12 PM
Or perhaps a persistent indication of the current package set being installed in the title bar of each installing package dialog so you can have an idea of the actual progress at a glance without having to memorize which packages are in each package set...

lumak 03-17-2011 05:17 PM
Lets add a toggle option!

Hrmmms perhaps write to a fifo buffer the list of packages processed and display that in one mode while displaying the descriptions in the other mode?

Skaperen 03-18-2011 08:10 AM
I was installing slackware64-current last night, within qemu in 64-bit emulation, on a 32-bit system. I could read the descriptions!

allend 03-18-2011 09:39 AM
You can always modify the installer.
Dump the -infobox option to installpkg and add an echo for the $package variable.
Do not try to be too cute as this runs in BusyBox.
Code:
installseries() {
  if [ -d $SRCPATH/$1 ]; then
    # First, make sure our tagfiles are in order:
    if [ ! -r $TMP/tagfiles/$1/tagfile -a ! $MODE = full ]; then
      updatetagfiles $1
    fi
    # First, make sure there's at least one package:
    if ! ls $SRCPATH/$series/*.t?z 1> /dev/null 2> /dev/null ; then
      return 1
    fi
    dialog --infobox "
Installing package series ==>$1<==
" 5 45
    sleep 1
    # Install the package series:
    for package in $SRCPATH/$series/*.t?z ; do
      [ "x$REMOTESVR" != "x" ] && get_pkg $series $(basename $package) '-q'
      if [ "$MODE" = "full" ]; then # install the package
        installpkg -root $ROOTDIR -infobox -priority ADD $package
        ERROR=$?
      else
        installpkg -root $ROOTDIR -menu -tagfile $TMP/tagfiles/$1/tagfile $package
        ERROR=$?
      fi
      if [ ! $ERROR = 0 ]; then
        errorcode $ERROR $package
      fi
      [ "x$REMOTESVR" != "x" ] && zap_pkg $series $(basename $package)
    done
    # A "README_SPLIT.TXT" file means the series continues on another CD:
    if [ -r $SRCPATH/$series/README_SPLIT.TXT -o -r $SRCPATH/$series/readme_split.txt ] ; then
      # Defer until later.
      echo $1 >> $TMP/series/series.out
    fi
  else # requested, but not on media.  defer until later.
    echo $1 >> $TMP/series/series.out
  fi
}
From /usr/lib/setup/slackinstall in the 13.1 initrd.img


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