Re: Is there a way to install DragonFly via network (w/o CD) ?

[esmith <esmith@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Matthew Dillon wrote:
> :1) installer starts, and user selects pxeboot server ( or some other name )
> :2) installer broadcasts for dhcp servers, installer refuses to continue until other 
> :dhcp servers are shut  off
> :3) installer requests that all computers that desire to be pxebooted be shut off now, 
> :...
>
>     Yow.  That is wayyy too complex.  The only two situations that we really
>     have are (1) typical user whos LAN does not normally PXEBoot anything or
>     (2) kick-ass sysop who knows what he is doing.
>
>     Besides, the worst that happens is that someone's client will boot up
>     into DragonFly.  Unless they login as the installer their hard disk will
>     be left alone.

Yes, it is more complex but it is safer. I agree with you that those are the two most 
common situations right now but, this could become a popular process after we make it 
as easy as following an ms-"wizard". I would like options like this to be safely 
available to all people who are less than "kick-ass sysops" but more than a two 
computer home-lan.

I think that the worst situation that might occur is a normal user, who doesn't want 
to lan-boot, will have their IP lease expire and then receive a new IP, and lease, 
from our lan-boot dhcp server. This new IP lease will expire who knows when? This 
could then leave the user scratching their head wondering why they suddenly can't 
"see" the internet any longer, or other subtle problems like IP address collision 
where software continues to work but will perform poorly with little or no reported 
errors. If it's reasonable, when writing code I usually go out of my way to avoid 
potential problems like this but, you might be right that this degree of safety is 
unwarranted.