Creating an install for an OS.
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santellan17585
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Creating an install for an OS.
I was wondering how to create an installer for my os, similar to the one used for Windows XP. Anyone know how?
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carbonBased
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With all due respect, if you've already written an OS, the installer should be trivial ( by comparison, at least ).
How would I go about it? Well, ideally I'd make a business transaction with PartitionMagic in order to use their technology for partition sizing/management (a la the BeOS installer).
Failing that, however, I'd make sure my fdisk-ish program was rock solid. I'd make sure my HD format util was rock solid.
The install app, in my opinion, should boot directly off a disk or CD (as such, you may actually just use a self-contained version of your OS) and allow the user a choice of what partition to use, and/or allow the user to create new partitions.
Some form of simple packaging system should then be used to build a set of packages that the user can decide to install, or not to install **
Once the drive is formatted, the packages are unpacked onto the new driver.
In my opinion, the tricky part is what I've **'d above. You could use an existing dependancy based system like rpm, or make your own. Or you could simply use .zip files.
For simplicity, I would probably just use .zip files with an embedded manifest-like file (similar to a jar). The manifest would describe what is contained in the .zip file (short description and long description, etc) which would be used to generate the package listing presented to the user.
--Jeff
How would I go about it? Well, ideally I'd make a business transaction with PartitionMagic in order to use their technology for partition sizing/management (a la the BeOS installer).
Failing that, however, I'd make sure my fdisk-ish program was rock solid. I'd make sure my HD format util was rock solid.
The install app, in my opinion, should boot directly off a disk or CD (as such, you may actually just use a self-contained version of your OS) and allow the user a choice of what partition to use, and/or allow the user to create new partitions.
Some form of simple packaging system should then be used to build a set of packages that the user can decide to install, or not to install **
Once the drive is formatted, the packages are unpacked onto the new driver.
In my opinion, the tricky part is what I've **'d above. You could use an existing dependancy based system like rpm, or make your own. Or you could simply use .zip files.
For simplicity, I would probably just use .zip files with an embedded manifest-like file (similar to a jar). The manifest would describe what is contained in the .zip file (short description and long description, etc) which would be used to generate the package listing presented to the user.
--Jeff
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rexlunae
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Re: Creating an install for an OS.
I wouldn't use the Windows installer as a model. It's so complex and inflexible, has a terrible partitioning tool, requires multiple reboots, and worst of all, it installs Windows on your computer.santellan17585 wrote:I was wondering how to create an installer for my os, similar to the one used for Windows XP. Anyone know how?
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matthias
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Re: Creating an install for an OS.
_0_ I like your speechrexlunae wrote: It's so complex and inflexible, has a terrible partitioning tool, requires multiple reboots, and worst of all, it installs Windows on your computer.
anyway, you should take a look to the installer of the testing distribution of debian, aka etch.
It's really simple, flexible, has a great partititoning tool, requires only one reboot, and best of all, it installs linux on your computer.
The source of my problems is in the source.