This is the BSD Installer project from [[SummerOfCode2005|SummerOfCode2005]]

===== Project Name =====
Integrate BSD Installer into the %%FreeBSD%% install CD's

===== Synopsis =====
Integrating the BSD Installer into the %%FreeBSD%% release building process.

===== Building from Perforce =====

  - Checkout the perforce tree
  - cd to the scripts directory
  - Copy the config.txt.eg to config.txt
  - Change the variables to be correct for your system:
    * PATCH_DIR is a directory where the patches are placed
    * SRC_DIR is the location of the source code for the version of %%FreeBSD%% you are currently running
    * BUILDNAME, CVSROOT and CHROOTDIR are to be set as for release(7)
  - Run 'sh build_patch.sh'. This will create a patch, a script and tarballs to be used with LOCAL_PATCHES and LOCAL_SCRIPT during release
    * The current release Makefile has extra changes. The first two chunks need to be removed or the new release Makefile needs to be intergrated.
  - The release/Makefile needs to be patched to export the -DBSDINSTALLER to the child script. There is a patch in the scripts directory for RELENG_6 for rev. 1.853.2.16
  - Run 'sh build_release.sh'. This will run 'make buildworld' in SRC_DIR from config.txt followed by 'cd release' and 'make release -DBSDINSTALLER ...'
    * This dosn't add any packages to the ISO image. The BSD Installer can install them if you add them later (eg. rerelease)

===== Bugs =====
  * Can only install to one drive, can't have / on ad0 and /usr on ad1
    * See also [[BSDInstaller/PrepareDisk]]

===== Releases =====
==== BETA 1 ====
  * Released 2005-07-29
  * Based on the older C backend
  * [[ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/SOC2005/bsdinstaller/6.0-BSDINSTALLER-BETA-1-i386.iso|ISO]]
  * Fixes since BETA 1 release
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81195|Fixed spelling in Distributions screen]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81232|Fix dhclient and Sendmail]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81274|Explain how to get to a shell]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81323|Save dmesg.boot to be viewed later]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81330|Install the source dists]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81331|Remove "Setup NetBoot Install Services"]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81383|Add a kernel without PREEMPTION for Qemu and Vmware]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=81440|Install the ports tree if asked to]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=82814|Install packages from /usr/packages]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=82892|Select package dependencies]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=82899|Stop a repeatable segmentation fault]]
    * The backend has been changed to use the newer Lua version after change 82899

==== BETA 2 ====
  * Released 2005-12-11
  * Based on the newer Lua backend
  * Fixes since BETA 2 release
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=88060|Multiple fixes (see description)]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=88142|Allow boot1 to be used rather than boot0]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=88143|Remove unused options from the Select Task menu]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=88144|Remove two references to /README that imply there are install instructions there]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=88438|Rename the bsd_lua -> bsdlua, libbsd_lua.so -> libbsdlua.so, libbsd_lualib.so -> libbsdlualib.so and install the header files]]

==== Snapshot 2006-05-12 ====
  * Released 2006-05-15
  * [[ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/snapshots/bsdinstaller/7.0-20060512-BSDINSTALLER-i386-disc1.iso|ISO]]
  * Fixes since snapshot 2006-05-12
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=97242|Rename the FreeBSD/DragonFly slice type to FreeBSD]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=97243|Rename "Ports tree" to "Ports collection"]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=97611|Start the first partition on a slice at offset 16]]
    * [[http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=97849|Replace "this disk" with the disk name, Change "formatted" -> "created", Change "primary partition" to "install partition"]]
  * This is a list of open questions/wants/problems with this release of the BSDInstaller on %%FreeBSD%%
    * Change partition editor to allow setting the start offset of a fdisk slice
    * Will it support %%PPPoE%%?
    * Add support for dangerously dedicated disks? - No
    * Will it support installing on multiple disks? - No
    * Add a dialog to explain slices and partitions
    * Does it support hotkeys bound to interface elements like sysinstall - Yes, eg. Esc is bound to back in many (all?) interfaces

==== Todo ====
  * Install to multiple disks
  * Create a scriptable backend for large scale installations
  * Install on GVinum, GMirror, etc
  * Update the building instructions to show how to install packages

===== Details =====
==== Parts ====
  * Lua - All installed form packages.
    * Lua 5.0 - The newer BSDInstaller backend is written in Lua. Lua is interpreted so will need to be on the install CD's
    * compat-5.1 - Required as the BSDInstaller uses it
    * posix - Used to call posix functions
    * luasocket - Used to send emails when a problem is encountered
  * BSDInstaller
    * libaura - Required for libdfui and frontend
    * libdfui - Required to communicate between backend and frontend
    * backend - The actual work is done by this to install %%FreeBSD%%. Not installed from a package
    * ncurses frontend - Provide interaction with the user

==== Installation locations ====
  * libaura -> /usr/local/lib/libaura3.so
  * libdfui -> /usr/local/lib/libdfui4.so
  * liblua -> /usr/local/lib/liblua.so
  * liblualib -> /usr/local/lib/liblualib.so
  * Lua -> /usr/local/bin/lua
  * lua modules -> /usr/local/lib/lib/lua/5.0/ and /usr/local/lib/share/lua/5.0/
  * BSDInstaller backend -> /usr/libexec/bsdinstaller/
  * ncurses frontend -> /usr/sbin/bsd_installer_ncurses

The Lua modules are all in the ports tree.
The Lua modules are:
  * app - devel/lua50-app
  * compat-5.1 - devel/lua50-compat51
  * dfui - devel/lua50-dfui
  * filename - devel/lua50-filename
  * luasocket - net/luasocket
  * posix - devel/lua50-posix
  * pty - devel/lua50-pty

Other parts:
  * libaura - devel/libaura
  * libdfui - devel/libdfui
  * ncurses front end - devel/dfuife_curses
  * Other frontends - Not yet

==== Virtual consoles ====
There are three virtual consoles:
  * ttyv0: The frontend
  * ttyv1: The backend
  * ttyv2: A standard login screen to login as root with no password.
To see the installation log change to console ttyv1. It is also written to /var/log/install.log on the installed disk.

==== Packages ====
Packages are only installable from the first CD.

===== Architecture =====
BSD Installer is split into three main parts:

  - A Frontend to display the menu to the user.
  - A Backend to tell the Frontend what to display.
  - A library to get the Frontend and Backend talking to each other.

The BSD Installer is installed from a minimal live CD. The front and back ends run from separate virtual consoles. This is to display any output from the backend to the console, eg. the results of newfs.

===== Links =====
  * [[http://www.bsdinstaller.org|The BSD Installer]]
  * [[http://cvs.bsdinstaller.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/|BSD Installer CVSweb]]
  * [[http://fubar.geek.nz/blog/|My Blog]]