On Mon, 5 Dec 2016 09:05:11 +0800
Robert Storey <robert.storey@???> wrote:

> It pains me to say this, but the installation program for Devuan
> Beta2 is seriously broken. And I say this not as some kind of troll,
> but rather as a Devuan enthusiast who has already been running Devuan
> as my main system for six months.
>
> The whole problem is getting networking set up either during or after
> the install.

This is a problem with many distros, and it would be cool if Devuan
could provide easy ways to bust through the catch-22s that difficult
hardware produces.

The biggest problem: One I don't think Devuan has, is those Free
Software or Bust fools who won't even provide proprietary drivers for
video and networking during installation. Which of course leaves the
user to find out exactly what driver is needed, find out where to get
it, put it there in the middle of the install (how?), and try again.
You can't expect that kind of patience from the vast majority of users.
They'll just switch to Ubuntu or whatever.

Wifi is always problematic. Always. NetworkManager, Wicd, and even the
wpa_* all seem to fail at just the wrong time. If I were Devuan, I'd
create a wifi module that:

1) Displays the wifi signals in signal strength order

2) Asks which you want, THAT YOU HAVE A PASSWORD FOR!!!

3) Ask for the password twice,verify they match

4) Ask for default router
    a) With very helpful prompts and help

5) Ask if they'd like default dns 8888 and 8844
    a) If not, suggest the default router

6) Run acquired passphrase through wpa_passphrase >> wpa_supplicant.conf

7) By hook or by crook, get a DHCP lease
    a) If necessary, put DHCP server on this computer

8) Verify lookup of devuan.org
    a) If not, run some intelligent diagnostic software

Absolutely nothing in the preceding requires GUI: Use CLI or at most
nCurses. If GUI, just use 1979 "rotating prompt" queries. Ugly, so
unhip, unbelievably graybeard, but they work and work well.

Bottom line: There's no reason to suppose a user will continue any
attempt in which he can't get networking working for the purpose of
installation, and way too many distros have this problem.

SteveT

Steve Litt
November 2016 featured book: Quit Joblessness: Start Your Own Business
http://www.troubleshooters.com/startbiz