---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Joey Hess <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:13:23 -0400
> Subject: Re: Bug#437018: Network shouldn't be used/enforced on non-network
> installs
> Wouter Verhelst wrote:
> > ("there's no working connection to the Internet, but what the heck,
> > we'll try anyway, and if it doesn't work, the admin will have to wait
> > for the connection to time out an insane number of times")
>
> If there's no network connection *at all*, there is no timeout to wait
> for. Try it yourself:
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:/home/joey>ifdown wlan0
> ...
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:/home/joey>time apt-get update
> ...
> 0.06user 0.04system 0:00.21elapsed 48%CPU (0avgtext+0avgdata
> 0maxresident)k
> 0inputs+0outputs (0major+3403minor)pagefaults 0swaps
> zsh: exit 100 command time apt-get update
>
> In the edge case where there is a network connection with a default route
> that
> doesn't work, you get to wait for a timeout. We have discussed this
> before,
> and this is a sufficiently uncommon enough case that it's not worth asking
> in every install whether d-i should hit the network[1]. If you're in such
> a
> situation, unplug your network cable, or fix your network before trying to
> install Debian, or run the install in expert mode and tell it not to set
> up a network connection.
I see what you're saying. However, one must still navigate the d-i steps
related to networking in any case, and in my experience I've had to wait for
a DHCP timeout on a disconnected network card. IMHO, it seems logical to add
a "Don't use a network for this install" option as a choice on the screen
which lists the available network cards. If that is selected, the updates
step and all network-related steps would be skipped entirely.
I think that would be the ideal solution - it would make the install much
more friendly to users who don't have networking during the install. This
situation is probably more common than you think, since it includes every
wi-fi-only user as well as anyone who uses authentication methods like
802.11x.
Could this be considered?
Tim
Tim
