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Idea #6351: first ask all questions - then install - don`t ask in the middle

Written by Theodore the 3 Apr 08 at 20:19. Category: Installation. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
This is concerning the graphical and the text based installer.

It`s a bad habit introduces by microsoft. Do not ask questions in the middle of the installation after you did already started to copy things.

(1) The user starts the installation.
(2) He is asked if he wants to install.
(3) Make as many hardware tests as you need.
(4) Now ask all needed questions.
(5) Install Ubuntu in one run. Tell the user he can no go away for perhaps X minutes.

Otherwise it`s annoying. Input answer, wait a bit, input answer, wait again over and over again. You can improve this!
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #6351
Written by Theodore the 3 Apr 08 at 20:19.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #6351 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!
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Solution #3: Add 'Remember my selection for future updates'
Written by lavinog the 1 May 09 at 16:56.
Usually during a kernel update I get the 'what should be done about menu.lst'
I choose the same option every time.
A checkbox could be added to remember the choice for future updates.
6
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Solution #4: Allow the process to continue uninterrupted, but still show pop-up messages
Written by sventer the 7 Jun 10 at 15:31.
So my suggestions are:
1. Design those messages so that, when they pop up, they (the messages) can continue to wait for the user's acknowledgement before disappearing again, but let the underlying upgrade process continue past that point without waiting for the user acknowledgement.

2. Similarly, to prevent a delay at the end the "calculating the changes" part of the "Setting new software channels" downloading, is it not possible to provide a check-box or other option, which would allow a user to specify that the upgrade should continue without having the user specifically click to "Start Upgrade".. again, the information in the pop-up windows is useful to see, but I would like to have the option to allow my upgrade to continue on and get done.. I can always come back later and review the details etc.

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Comments
Eldmannen wrote on the 3 Apr 08 at 20:37
Does the current installer ask you in the middle?
I never noticed...

Theodore wrote on the 3 Apr 08 at 21:01
The text installer does a lot.

zmjjmz wrote on the 3 Apr 08 at 21:49
The questions should be asked before.

mp3phish wrote on the 3 Apr 08 at 22:34
Agreed. The installer should ask all questions at the beginning, then install at once. At minimum, it should ask most questions first, then save any additional questions for the end. There should never be a question in the middle holding up the install.

That is the windows way, it shouldn't be the ubuntu way.

glotz wrote on the 3 Apr 08 at 23:58
Oh dear, it's been so long since my install I had all but forgotten this silliness! Thanks for reminding me! I really hate having to provide my box TLC all the way thru the installation...

A HUEG +1

flip314 wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 04:35
a related (but not duplicate) idea for update-manager/dist-upgrade is #5180

benimnetz wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 08:49
that would be really great.
ask all installation questions, then install.
after - when everything is installed and the computer is rebooted into ubuntu, ask for user region, name, login, etc. (like on the dell ubuntu machines)

fwolfste wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 10:08
Agreed.
But in the summary at the end the user should have the possibility to change things again (de/install optional packages etc). Could image my grandma installing it... since at the beginning it would say ("except for partitioning, other changes can be made at the end of installation") she would click "ok, install with default" and call me while it installs...

Theodore wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 14:10
benimnetz wrote:
>ask all installation questions, then install.
>after - when everything is installed and the computer is >rebooted into ubuntu, ask for user region, name, login, etc. >(like on the dell ubuntu machines)
Why not ask region, name, login also inside the installer?

fwolfste wrote:
>>But in the summary at the end the user should have the possibility to change things again
Sounds ok!

wolfwitch wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 14:42
I agree- this is really annoying, and should apply to the Update Manager too. I really hate it when I start an install or update, and walk away to do other things or even go to bed for the night, only to find out it stopped to ask a question after a few minutes and has been sitting there for hours.

maybeway36 wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 19:37
I would love to see this go upstream to Debian.

Wouter.de.Groot wrote on the 6 Apr 08 at 19:55
Ubiquity never bugs me for anything when it gets to the bit where it actually installs. The only dialog is the 'hey I'm done, wanna reboot?' one.

The only peeve I have is I need Sun Java, and unfortunately it is encumbered (the free ones aren't quite there, and besides it's for uni so I don't want to deviate from their reference platform). When installing the package it needs me to agree to a license: right in the middle of the overall process.
The thing is, update manager/synaptic/apt would need to know in advance of all packages that questions will be asked by them. I'm not sure this is very feasible.

All ranting aside: if users really are experiencing mid-install questions they should be moved to the very start/end.

byrd wrote on the 11 Apr 08 at 00:07
XP may do that but Vista is easily the easiest to install out of Vista/Leopard/Ubuntu (I've installed all 3 too many times :

SGusto wrote on the 17 Apr 08 at 13:58
Not sure but I think the Kanotix installer asks all the questions first.

Endolith wrote on the 25 Apr 08 at 03:41
Or ask at the end.

Iulian (Ubuntu developer) wrote on the 10 May 08 at 13:32
Plus one from me.

1ace wrote on the 28 Jul 08 at 17:41
another idea is to ask required questions at the beginning, then launch the install, and while the system is installing, ask for configuration questions, like the time/zone, username/login/password/etc.
it would speed up the installation, or at least give the illusion to the user it's faster

Predator106 wrote on the 15 Aug 08 at 01:01
Agreed, plus one, it bugs me so much how you set windows "off on it's mission" by clicking through a ton of dialogs, you go and do stuff, and find out for 20 minutes it has been sitting, asking you something useless in the middle of the installation, like what time zone you are located in. Upon clicking it, "hang on, about 20 more minutes remaining". How annoying is that!

baldurpet wrote on the 12 Jan 09 at 03:28
Plus one- you should be able to go away from the computer for x minutes while the whole OS is installed.

It's stupid to have to wait for a x/5 time, inputting data, waiting for a x/5 time, inputting data, waiting for... etc.

That just wastes time, and make you think that the installation process is over when it isn't. Scratch that, a BIG plus one!


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