Re: network installer uses HTTP instead of FTP to load base2_2.tgz

[Ron Flory <ron.flory@adtran.com>]

Petr Cech wrote:
> 
> On Tue, Jun 06, 2000 at 10:28:23AM -0500 , Ron Flory wrote:
> > hi-
> >
> >  I'm not sure if this is the correct place to send this message.  I'm
> > not new to Linux, but I am new to Debian.
> >
> >  While doing network installs (m68k arch at the moment), the installer
> > asks where it may find the base2_2.tgz.  The installer seems to only
> > know how to perform http transfers, and will not permit non-anonymous
> 
> hugh. base can be installed from local cdrom, can be split on several
> diskettes, from mounted fiilesystem, NFS or via http

 Thanks for the hint, but this is not an install problem for me;  I'm
documenting the install process for a Debian installation guide.  As
such I must try all the available installation methods, and explain
'typical' operation of each.

 For the case of this discussion imagine that we are performing a
network install on more than one machine, and we do NOT have a Debian CD
available.  We DO have a network connection to a local mirror of the
Debian directory structure which contains all the necessary files for
our arch.  Since we have a network connection and the installer is able
to access the network, it would be silly to force the user to manually
split the base2_2.tgz file into small enough chunks to fit on floppies. 
It would also be silly to force the user to burn his own CD just to
install Debian via the network.

 I do have an issue with inconstant means of downloading necessary files
during an install.  http is simply a bad choice for dozens of reasons. 
Forcing the user to provide http accessible file instead of simply
accessing the base2_2.tgz file via anonymous and/or non-anonymous FTP is
curiously over-restrictive. Why?

> >  * the user cannot install from a local Debian mirror or cdrom image
> >    contained in a normal user directory.
> 
> You have Debian mirror in your home dir? Hmm. You can always put it 
> in you user WW dir :)

 Again, I know how to work around the issue for myself, however I can
easily imagine many users at home, or at school who would do this.  Not
every newbie will know how to make the softlinks between the http dir
and their ftp area.  I just don't see why the installer goes out of its
way to be so darn restrictive.

> IIRC apt is configured to use HTTP by default for package download.

 OK, but it does not allow the user to specify FTP as an alternate
protocol, so far as I have been able to determine.

 This should be a trivial behavior to support.  Why the restriction?

 peace-

ron