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Popular ideas Here are the latest commented ideas about Ubuntu.

Make it easier to put multiple .iso images on a siggle USB flash device easily  
Written by Andrej84 the 23 Apr 12 at 16:57. Related project: Live CD installer. New
Ubuntu Alternate/Server installer cannot be copied simply to a USB flash device then install it. The installer failes when it tries to detect the "CD-ROM".
Without external tools more installer (except desktop CD what contains Casper) cannot be put on a same USB flash device.
7
votes
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Solution #1: Modify CD detect script in initrd
Written by Andrej84 the 23 Apr 12 at 16:57.
I suggest to modify the CD detect script in initrd, it has no effect on the existing install methods, but with this modification the user will be able to put more installer to the same USB device and after booting from the USB device he can choose in grub2 menu the one what he want to install.


i suggest to add the following inside the initrd (install/initrd.gz) to file var/lib/dpkg/info/cdrom-detect.postinst right after the installer logs that it's searching for the installation media:


if db_get cdrom-detect/custom-usb && [ "$RET" = true ] && db_get cdrom-detect/uuid && db_get cdrom-detect/fs && db_get cdrom-detect/path; then
log "Trying to mount directory on custom USB drive"
device=$(db_get cdrom-detect/uuid; echo "/dev/disk/by-uuid/$RET")
fs=$(db_get cdrom-detect/fs; echo "$RET")
log "File system: $fs"
path=$(db_get cdrom-detect/path; echo "$RET")
log "Path to be mounted: $path"
mkdir /media/custom_USB
if mount -t $fs -o ro,exec $device /media/custom_USB && mount --bind /media/custom_USB/$path /cdrom 2>/dev/null; then
log "Mount of the directory on custom USB drive succeeded."
if [ -e /cdrom/.disk/info ]; then
log "CD-ROM mount suceeded: directory on custom USB drive"
mounted=1
db_set cdrom-detect/cdrom_device $device
db_set cdrom-detect/cdrom_fs $fs
break
else
log "CD-ROM mount failed: directory on custom USB drive"
umount /cdrom 2>/dev/null || true
umount /media/custom_USB 2>/dev/null || true
rmdir /media/custom_USB
fi
else
log "Mount of the directory on custom USB drive failed."
fi
fi


In this case the installer will mount that directory what contains the content of the unpacked ISO if the kernel got the neccessary parameters from grub2.

Example for the grub2 config entry:
menuentry "Ubuntu 10.04.4 Alternate 64-bit"
linux /boot/ubuntu/ubuntu-10.04.4-alternate-amd64/install/vmlinuz root=UUID=2338807b-3bb0-4372-b00d-a4b59dcc6d25 file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed cdrom-detect/custom-usb=true cdrom-detect/uuid=2338807b-3bb0-4372-b00d-a4b59dcc6d25 cdrom-detect/fs=ext2 cdrom-detect/path=boot/ubuntu/ubuntu-10.04.4-alternate-amd64 quiet --
initrd /boot/ubuntu/ubuntu-10.04.4-alternate-amd64/install/initrd.gz



cdrom-detect/custom-usb should be true.
cdrom-detect/uuid should be the UUID of the partition what contains the unpacked ISO.
cdrom-detect/fs should be the file system type of the partition what contains the unpacked ISO.
cdrom-detect/path should be relative path (from the USB flash device) what contains the unpacked ISO.


The advantages of this method:
- User will be able to choose the installer what he wants to start from a single USB flash drive (or external HDD)
- It doesn't affect the existing installation methods
- no other software is needed in initrd (like awk what has other dependecies)
- The installer is portable, only grub2 config needs to be rewritten if the user re-format the USB device or copy the installer to another device
- it increases the installer by less than 1 kB


I don't see any disadvantage for this method.


Before this post I already uploaded this idea to Hungarian Ubuntu blog, you can see the formatted codes there: http://ubuntu.hu/node/29874
4
votes
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Solution #2: Add Mutisystem to USC
Written by mitcoes the 24 Apr 12 at 11:52.
Multisystem is a Ubuntu software - it does not work well at any other distro even debian - that you can install via PPA.

It allows you to make multi ISO USBs pendrives, and it is faster than CD/DVDs installations and cheaper if you like to test several distros.

I think that to put it at the default USC packages first and after that even at the CD/DVD iso, it would be great.

Even better if you put a /boot default partition with the Xubuntu* ISO inside and an entry at the GRUB2 menu, in order to reinstall the system if there are any great problem, keeping /home and making it fast as hell.

* I say Xubuntu because it is compatible with ATI, Unity, gnome Shell and Cinnamon have issues with ati proprietary drivers, and Kubuntu is no longer a Canonical sponsored product.

See the 3 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 15 May 12 at 07:09) >>

Alternate CD - options  
Written by i.raynov the 22 Nov 08 at 08:51. Global category: Installation. New
Hi,

My English is not so good, so excuse me I will try to explain simple.

Example:

I can't use Ubuntu 8.10 because xorg 7.4 is not supported by ATI and when I installed my system freeze. I read that is possible to downgrade to 7.3.

1. So I think that will be good opportunity to have a choice when you install from alternate cd what version to use.

And that will be very good for people like me who are not developers only users. Because you can read articles from Ubuntu forums before choosing upgrade and avoid the frustration from bugs like this.

2. You can choose - version of kernel as well.

I think that is easy to do, but I am not developer - What you think about that?

-5
votes
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #15858
Written by i.raynov the 22 Nov 08 at 08:51.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #15858 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!

See the 1 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 22 Nov 08 at 15:12) >>

Allow specifying your own Apt repository during installation  
Written by jsereno the 22 Sep 08 at 05:11. Related project: Live CD installer. New
During the installation process from the Live or Alternate disc, the installer queries the Apt repository. In the case of the Alternate installer, you are prompted for an optional proxy for the installer to use to get to the official Apt repository.

It would be good to be able to specify an optional alternate location to access the Apt repository, eg: a local portable hard-drive, or your own personal server on your local network with a mirror of the official repository, without having to wait until installation has finished before you can reconfigure your setup to use your preferred local repository.

In the Live installer, it could simply be a text box somewhere to enter in an optional repository URI, eg: file://media/disk/myrepo/ubuntu or http://mirror.mydomain.com/ubuntu and in the Alternate installer, you could ask it when the proxy question is asked in an expanded dialog box.

If the URI specified fails or is left blank, then the installer proceeds using the default "factory" repository as currently employed by Ubuntu.

If the URI provided is successful, then the /etc/apt/sources.list file could be automatically populated by default with the URI specified during installation instead of the usual one.

Assumptions:
- The user has an up-to-date local repository.
- The user has all the required sub-sections present in that repository, ie: hardy, hardy-updates, hardy-security, hardy-proposed, hardy-backports, hardy-partner.

Pros:
- Saves a little time installing, especially for those with slow Internet access.
- Saves a little time reconfiguring for a local repository after installation because it's now done for you.
- Streamlines updates upon first boot - go straight to the Update Manager, knowing that all the updates will come from your selected URI.

[....]
11
votes
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #13528
Written by jsereno the 22 Sep 08 at 05:11.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #13528 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!

See the 3 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 28 Sep 08 at 14:23) >>

Add an explanation of the keys to use during instalation  
Written by Autiwa the 7 Aug 08 at 16:26. Related project: Live CD installer. New
In the alternate CD (especially DVD in facts), we can choose in a pannel to install or not things like lamp server, ubuntu-desktop, mail server and others.

I used this .iso by booting in the hard disk, and I didn't understood that I must use "space" key to select an option. No sentence specified this function, so I pressed "enter" button, and the installation had continued. And my system was installed without a graphic interface (I had to reinstall my system because my internet connection use wifi...
5
votes
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #11945
Written by Autiwa the 7 Aug 08 at 16:26.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #11945 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!

See the 2 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 26 Aug 08 at 23:40) >>