New Boot Loader Menu

[Devin Teske]

On Oct 7, 2012, at 10:04 AM, Andriy Gapon wrote:

> on 07/10/2012 02:48 Devin Teske said the following:
>> Hello,
>> 
>> I've been working on a new boot loader menu system.
>> 
>> This is what is in HEAD, CURRENT, and RELENG_9 at the moment:
>> 
>> http://twitpic.com/b1pkll/full
>> in color: http://twitpic.com/b1pkz1/full
>> 
>> 
>> I'd like to propose the following replacement to the above:
>> 
>> http://twitpic.com/b1pll5/full
>> in color: http://twitpic.com/b1plxi/full
>> 
>> The boot options have been whisked away into a sub-menu (see below):
>> 
>> http://twitpic.com/b1pm51/full
>> in color: http://twitpic.com/b1pme8/full
>> 
>> 
>> What does everybody think?
> 
> 
> Can't say for everybody :-)
> I think that the infrastructure is great.  How you chose to use it in your demo
> might turn off some people though :-)  I mean hiding of the traditional options
> into the sub-menu.
> 

That wasn't a demo, that's my honest-to-goodness proposed replacement for HEAD.

^_^



> Let's use sub-menus for the really useful stuff.  Like detailing safe boot
> options (e.g. under Troubleshooting sub-menu; ACPI can got there too) or
> offering a GUI way to chose a boot+root filesystem (esp. for ZFS).
> 

I'm here to provide the infrastructure. I'll admit that:

+ I'm not the one to decide how my infrastructure is best used.
+ we desperately need to discuss before making any changes.

I just knew how to provide the necessary infrastructure in a way that:

+ didn't break backward compatibility for the old/current menu
+ could accommodate more functionality than was available
+ could accommodate the features iX approached me about*

* such as BE menu (which I've not yet talked about to any great length YET, so I am myself very short on details as I think we're still in the design phase)


> Please don't mind the people who react to screenshots rather than to your work
> (and thus, perhaps, can't see the wood behind the trees).
> 

True. Tho it may be nice to give those that don't know Forth a chance to participate.



> Whatever you do, verbose boot and single-user mode must stay on the first page.
> At least until the next round of evolution.
> 

I'm not committing to making any changes to the visible functionality at this time (beyond fixing the bug that gnn brought to my attention -- with respect to initial-state of things like boot_verbose from loader.conf(5) not being adhered to).

What's there will remain as-is until we come to an agreement on what to do.

However, I will move forward with committing-back _all_ functionality enhancements (which will remain largely unused at this point until either iX comes in with the BE menu code or we decide to shunt some-or-all of the ancillary boot options off to a submenu).
-- 
Devin

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