DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: remove the hd install script



Quote (mikshaw @ May 02 2006,14:43)
for clarification: When I say debian-style, i mean it as a general term for a setup which, like debian and hundreds of others, has its entire filesystem installed to a writeable partition or partitions, and where changes are permanent.

That would be called a "generic linux install", wouldn't it?
Bringing back up an old thread-  I do want to mention that there is a class of us out here that don't have an optical drive in the system. I'm building an appliance, and used a CD for the initial install to an 512MB IDE CF. When I get done configuring the system, I'll remove the optical drive (there is no room in the case for it) and run CF only.  Once I'm fully configured, I'll duplicate the CF for additional units.

Why I need a HD install:
I use an IDE to CF adapter for cost reasons. Much cheaper than any notebook sized HD, better mechanical mounting than an internal USB stick, and field replaceable if the user really hoses the system.
Speed- Boot time is important, and I suspect that I'll get faster booting with an HD install, especially if I can remove some auto-detect stuff I don't need.
Cost- No optical drive means a much cheaper unit.
RAM savings- Only having the required apps in RAM means I can install less, which again is cheaper.
Will never be adding/removing apps.

If I'm missing something here, please advise, but on the surface the HD install sure seams to match my needs best.
The big thing really is boot time, amount of ram, and ease of configuration.  With a traditional install the filesystem is not compressed into a single file requiring the loading into a ram drive of the complete OS.  Also there are the additional apps that are loaded to make things more useable.  Figuring out what needs to be backed up may be daunting and some things require being present at init so the restore process doesn't work.  The time it takes to reinstall a trashed system is negligable especially if you back up your apts, mydsls, compiles, etc...

<had some sarcasm here but felt I should remove it because it did not serve the community spirit>

I am glad the developers of DSL can see that there are many different views out here.  What works for one may not work for all.  I don't feel that I need to be forced into using a frugal install when an HD install works best for me.  Traditional HD installs may be best for newbies because changes they make would be persistent and therefore less confusing until they become more linux savy and a reinstall only takes minutes..

original here.