Re: New ISO builder

[Matthew Dillon <dillon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    There have been several updates to the ISO builder since my first 
    announcement.  I have adjusted the mkisofs options to retain proper
    permissions on files in /dev, added a README, an rc.conf, and an
    example HD fstab.  So the CD will not start things like cron and sendmail
    now.

    Once I get this reasonably stable (and it's basically there now, except
    for some weirdness with fstat() failing during one of my tests), I am
    going to go back to the IPC work.

    The idea with /usr/src/nrelease is to start producing the 'new' release
    infrastructure that we discussed a month or two ago.  My goal is
    basically to create an infrastructure that for all intents and purposes
    looks like a fully installed system, but is entirely based on the CD (does
    not require a hard drive), and then to hook the 'boot into installer'
    option into the boot menu and have it set a variable that triggers
    the installer during the RC sequence.

    The advantages of this are:

	* The CD can be used both to install new DFly systems and as an
	  emergency recovery CD.  It has everything except ports.  e.g. it
	  has all the manual pages.

	* People who just want a shell prompt to play with DFly can boot
	  the CD and play with it without installing it onto their HD.

	* The installer can depend on there being a fully functioning system,
	  which means that the installer (when written :-)) can be run from
	  the CD or from a previously installed normal HD-booted system.

	* We do away with sysinstall.

    I would also like to see an augmented boot menu for other situations.
    For example, a boot menu option that causes the CD to boot normally but
    to automatically run 'dhclient' on any existing network interfaces,
    and to configure a random root password for remote access,
    and another option that causes the CD to boot normally but then access
    further boot/configuration info from the network to support automated
    installations with minimal (or no) user intervention for people with
    larger networks.

    Jeroen has been dealing with the release stuff to date and is interested
    in the new framework.  I am hoping he will shift his efforts entirely
    over to the new framework and both help coordinate the work and do a
    good chunk of it!

					    -Matt