cvs commit: src/release Makefile

[Ken Smith]

On Fri, 2007-11-16 at 22:04 +0000, Alexey Dokuchaev wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 16, 2007 at 01:14:27PM +0000, Ken Smith wrote:
> > kensmith    2007-11-16 13:14:27 UTC
> > 
> >   FreeBSD src repository
> > 
> >   Modified files:
> >     release              Makefile 
> >   Log:
> >   The i386 disc1 size wandered above what fits on 650Mb media which has been
> >   our target previously.  So i386 joins the others that have switched over
> >   to a separate livefs iso image.
> 
> I'm not even sure 650M discs are still being produced.  Seriously, I
> know that this was raised before, and the answer was always "no", but
> aren't we loosing more that gaining by sticking with 650M limit?
> 
> ./danfe

The decision that this was the target pre-dates me.  I do my post-build
tests using 650Mb rewritable media to both alert me when we cross the
limit and not create *too* many coasters...  But a quick pass through
newegg.com suggests you're correct that you can't even buy 650Mb media
any more, even the rewritable variant.

If nobody screams loudly (as in someone more in tune with why we've
always targetted 650Mb media than I am chimes in) I don't mind switching
the target, I can buy a new set of 700Mb rewritable media for tests.

That said switching i386 back to not having a separate livefs is
probably going to take more than just this.  A few of the things that
are to be considered:

	- The bulk of the other architectures went to having the
	  separate livefs a while ago, including amd64 which is
	  generally considered on par with i386 as far as our
	  priorities go.  Getting it back to no livefs cd isn't
	  likely.

	- Given above having i386 not be different is desirable
	  from an end-user point of view.  Which iso's do what
	  being the same would be nice.

	- It crossed the size target even without packages on
	  disc1.  I'd have likely switched it to having the
	  separate livefs even if it didn't cross the target
	  now once we started looking at packages.  It's very
	  desirable from an end-user (potentially novice) point
	  of view if everything sysinstall needs up to the part
	  where it enters the "Would you like to browse the
	  packages?" screen is on disc1.  That boils down to
	  most of xorg at the moment, you can still select to
	  have X11 stuff be installed as part of the initial
	  software distribution selection (I'd like to change
	  that shortly in HEAD but it's not going to happen
	  for 7.0...).

	- The size of stuff won't decrease as the branch matures
	  (7.1, 7.2, etc).  IMHO we might as well admit now that
	  before we stop doing releases on RELENG_7 we'd have
	  needed to do this and get users used to the idea.

	- Yes, people have asked about doing DVDs instead but
	  I haven't had time and nobody else progressed past the
	  question phase.  :-)  If nobody else does I'll start
	  screwing around with it in HEAD after the releases are
	  over so that it's feasible for 8.X but we're way too
	  far along in the release cycle to consider it now.

I haven't started to look at the packages yet, that's usually something
I start at least mucking a little bit with around RC1 so I don't know
how much space the disc1 package set will need.  But I'm guessing even
if we shift over to having a 700Mb target size it's likely due to other
factors we should just leave the livefs separate.  I would also guess
the bulk of our user base doesn't *really* mind having a separate livefs
since one would hope needing to rescue a machine isn't something that
happens all that often.

-- 
                                                Ken Smith
- From there to here, from here to      |       kensmith at cse.buffalo.edu
  there, funny things are everywhere.   |
                      - Theodore Geisel |

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