Debian Gets Win32 Installer
Posted by
kdawson
on Sun Jan 28, 2007 02:10 AM
from the no-CD-no-USB-no-problem dept.
from the no-CD-no-USB-no-problem dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Debian hacker Robert Millan has just announced the availability of a Debian-Installer Loader for win32. The program, inspired by Ubuntu's similar project, features 64-bit CPU auto-detection, download of linux/initrd netboot images, and chainloading into Debian-Installer via grub4dos. The frontend site goodbye-microsoft.com/ has been set up for advocacy purposes. Here are some screenshots."
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Almost Too Easy? (Score:4, Interesting)
(http://en.wikipedia....thematical_induction | Last Journal: Saturday February 10 2007, @08:15PM)
The ease with which someone could blow away their Windows install (and apposite data) is hilarious, actually; the frontpage is slick, and the Debian logo has a nice, clean svg -> png feel.
The one thing I always felt FOSS had going for it were pious, minimalist interfaces;* goodbye-microsoft.com [goodbye-microsoft.com] is no exception.
_____________
* And dangerous ones, like fdisk.
Re:Almost Too Easy? (Score:5, Informative)
(http://www.genesi-usa.com/)
The process is, basically - GRUB loads a kernel+initrd from the Windows filesystem. Kernel loads, mounts / from the initrd, mounts the NTFS or FAT filesystem from the Windows box, and finds the hardfile and initrd - then it swivels root to use the image via the loopback filesystem (so you can mount files as disks).
Not sure how this bodes for expandability of the disk image though. I guess the idea is the Ubuntu install just works, and you can put the data back onto your Windows disk..?
Well you have to install WINE... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Almost Too Easy? (Score:5, Insightful)
While I agree that a high-quality installer is a worthwhile goal (I remember when I first installed FreeBSD back in 1999 or so and it was so bare-bones that I had no idea what the hell I was doing for about 90% of the installation) and things are moving in that direction, there are a lot of people who lack the hardware to burn LiveCDs, aren't going to take the risk of paying for one for an OS they're just mildly curious in and have never used, and/or have no knowledge of configuring their operating system. These people also probably have an OEM copy of Windows and don't know how to use anything else. Making the act of trying something new as simple as running a program using the Windows Installer dialogs they're used to is, to me, a good idea, and rather reminiscient of the old BeOS 5 Personal Edition. Whether anyone switches or not, it's a safe way for them to check it out.
the ultimate answer (Score:3, Funny)
Slashdotted already? (Score:2, Funny)
Goodbye (Score:5, Funny)
IE exploit? (Score:5, Funny)
Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible if somebody actually does this.
Re:IE exploit? (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.plur.ca/)
Re:IE exploit? (Score:5, Funny)
(http://pietersz.co.uk/ | Last Journal: Wednesday May 04 2005, @05:22AM)
I told a neighbour recently that I did not use Windows. The reply was "What do use instead? Excel?"
Most people do not know what a PC is, or that it is a switchable component.
What would the Slashdot position be... (Score:1, Redundant)
(http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3675.html)
Re:What would the Slashdot position be... (Score:5, Insightful)
(Last Journal: Tuesday September 12 2006, @03:31PM)
"Responsability" (Score:2)
(http://www.pmarks.net/)
http://goodbye-microsoft.com/screenshots/3.png [goodbye-microsoft.com]
Re:"Responsability" (Score:4, Insightful)
You have sent it in havn't you?
Maybe not the best way to get new users... (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://bitterlittleman.blogspot.com/)
This has a few interesting applications:
- Migrating to Debian for users who have no idea how to burn an ISO and/or how to configure their BIOS for CD boot.
Uhhhh, if someone doesn't know how to burn an ISO or tinker with their BIOS, is this installer really something they should be screwing around with?
Some Opperationz are Dangerous! (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://lists.clickers.org/linuxsig/index.html | Last Journal: Friday November 09, @11:00PM)
Uhhhh, if someone doesn't know how to burn an ISO or tinker with their BIOS, is this installer really something they should be screwing around with?
I understand that it's dangerous to "screw around" with your computer when it's running Windows, but I did not know that writing a file was one of those dangerous things now.
You would be amazed at how difficult some vendors make it to do what should be very easy. Though burning an ISO image should be the easiest thing a program could do with a blank CD, most burning programs either lack the option or hide it. Telling your computer what device to boot off should also be easy, but the larger vendors don't display the keystroke required to get into the BIOS configuration utility. What should take five minutes can easily take hours and could take a trip to the store to buy burning software. People are usually put off but these types of guessing game, especially when the results are uncertain.
All of it backfires eventually. A user who's insulted enough will do something about it. Sooner or later, they all learn.
Mirror? (Score:1)
It would seem that after less than an hour of slashdot traffic, their server has melted into slag.
Well that didn't work (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Well that didn't work (Score:4, Funny)
could use a better description... (Score:1)
Those saying goodbye to Windows that haven't already said hello to Debian don't know or love the "D-I" (which they probably know what D-I is).
Sure, it makes sense to most of us here, but Joey Bagodonuts won't have any clue what that page means.
And I was thinking something else (Score:1)
(http://mkaras.info/)
goodbye-microsoft? (Score:1)
Because... (Score:1)
Just in time! (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://blog.mzzt.net/)
For the release of Vista in two days, which will make this installer break! Vista no longer uses boot.ini or the NTLDR loader.
In fact, I'm using the Vista RC2 bootloader to boot Windows XP. The Debian installer would fail horribly because the boot process would not be altered atall.
This sort of thing really is needed (Score:2)
goodbye-microsoft.com (Score:1)
Worms (Score:4, Informative)
(Last Journal: Monday December 22 2003, @01:52PM)
All it would take is a silent installer with a built in bit torrent client to download the files and an XP theme for Gnome or KDE.
They could even advertise - don't like Windows? Want Linux? No problem - just plug your Windows machine into the net, turn off your firewall and go out for a few hours.
I Love it! (Score:1)
(http://www.wavesound.co.uk/)
goodbye-microsoft.com (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.smileystation.com/)
The front-end site is really terrible (Score:5, Insightful)
However, the goodbye-microsoft.com front end site is a complete disaster.
It just contains a link to an executable file. The 'More details about it link' says NOTHING about what it does. It doesn't say what it will install, what it is for, or what it will do to your existing OS.
I really hope that few people would be stupid enough to run the executable. Getting people to run random files from sites with names that suggest that they will trash your OS is not something to be encouraged.
Shows why I don't want Linux as my desktop (Score:1)
Look at the screenshots of the Windows dialogs: the small fonts are perfectly clear and sharp. Look at the last screenshot, of the Debian GUI installer: the fonts look all smeary or out of focus or something. That's not something I can watch all day long. For a desktop system, cosmetics do matter after all.
For servers, of course, it's completely different, so while waiting for insightful comments on how to improve the fonts, I will go back to my text based Debian installer on my (noisy) new Dell server...
drivers that make it more then a toy (Score:1)
(Last Journal: Sunday October 28, @11:25AM)
just tried and failed (Score:1)
(Last Journal: Sunday October 28, @11:25AM)
I RTFA (Score:3, Insightful)
(http://smirkingchimp.com/)
- Migrating to Debian for users who have no idea how to burn an ISO
and/or how to configure their BIOS for CD boot.
really the people we want to invite to the party?
For those who think that this is a new concept. (Score:1)
It was not too complicated to install a loopback filesystem in a file on a FAT partition. If I remember correctly, I did this as a Linux newbie around the mid to late '90's.
This does bring up one of my favorite pet peeves. I started with linux in 1995. I was a DOS user with no idea of the complexity of linux. All that I knew was that I hated Win95 because it was more restrictive than DOS. Without actually understanding what I was doing, I was able to read a set of instructions and manually install an early version of Slackware. It worked and got me going down the Linux road.
It absolutely gripes my ass that "so called" computer whiz kids, who wouldnt know a command line if it bit them, say that linux cannot do this or linux cannot do that. What they really are saying is that they are too lazy to learn some simple task that Microsoft is presently handling for them.
Seriously though; modern linux distro's are easier and quicker to install than any 32 bit version of windows. I welcome a web based, loopback filesystem, installation program. It is the only way some people are going to learn that they are being duped by a company selling them nothing but false promises.
Doen't run on Wine... (Score:2)
Wait for the Cease & Desist (Score:1)
I dont think parody will be an excuse this time.
It's not for noobs! (Score:1)
I _am_ lazy, but I'm running Debian on various machines for 7 years!
hasta-la-vista-microsoft.com (Score:1)
Like in the Arni movie
Spellcheque... (Score:1)
(http://www.geocities...tor/CVS_blowout1.htm)
How will people take this seriously if basic, ignorant spelling mistakes like that slip in at the installer stage???? I know several people who would instantly hit Cancel and never look at Linux again. Silly, silly people.
And now it's time for Zatoichi! (Score:1)
Zatoichi is the windows virus, which installs a GNU/Linux distribution and
spreads itself. It was proposed two years ago.
Now, with "goodbye-microsoft", implementing Zatoichi is a piece of cake ^_^
Re:questions (Score:5, Informative)
(http://jedidiah.stuff.gen.nz/wp/ | Last Journal: Wednesday April 04 2007, @02:51PM)
It is, at least, quite different from a CD install in that your Windows install (presuming this works the same as the Ubuntu version) remains untouched (aside from getting a new directory and a couple of extra files) with no risk of data loss via repartioning etc. Certainly an interesting idea.
Re:questions (Score:4, Informative)
(http://kitenet.net/)
d-i does allow optional resizing of the windows partition and setting up a dual-boot system. It does not scan windows for settings or the like.
Oh BTW, while it's slashdotted, you can see it at http://www.mirrordot.org/stories/f592f4a8f9a66105d 885ff7a49228380/index.html [mirrordot.org]
Re:questions (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.slashdot.org/ | Last Journal: Monday July 02, @07:37PM)
Mirrors are our friends (Score:2)
Re:questions (Score:2, Informative)
2. No
You only avoided the need for burning a CD, but not the d-i. That's why the Ubuntu one is much easier to use.
Re: Windows .ISO burner (Score:3, Informative)
(http://www.howtobeinvisible.com/ | Last Journal: Thursday October 04, @07:42AM)
Here is a link to the ISO Burner Power Toy for Windows XP. This will allow you to record a CD or DVD
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.ht
Re: Windows .ISO burner (Score:5, Funny)
That's the problem with Windows. Until they get that stuff sorted, it will never be ready for the desktop.
Re:http://goodbye-microsoft.com (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.hiveminds.org/)
Re:Debian + Beryl? (Score:2)
Re:Ubuntu+Windows not hard at all. (Score:4, Informative)
(Last Journal: Monday December 22 2003, @01:52PM)
WHY they can't simply distribute a mission critical tool like this along with the OS I have no idea.
Re:Ubuntu+Windows not hard at all. (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://www.workorspoon.com/)
I forget the current Slashdot stance: do we want Windows to do everything out of the box, or do we want to chastise them for doing anything out of the box because that drives away competition? I mean, if they're going to be chastised for including a web browser (an absolute essential for everyone these days), but then complain that they don't include burning software (still only needed by a subset of everyone) isn't that a little hypocritical? If they did include burning software, wouldn't that drive Roxio and Nero out of business like IE did Netscape?
Re:On the other hand... (Score:1)
(http://www3.hmc.edu/~afield)
Heck, it's even nicer for those of us who do - why waste a cd if you don't have to?