Arch Linux

Toad39

Member

Registered: 2020-07-06

Posts: 60

[Solved] Graphical Installer

Hello,

I recently stumbled on a third-party ArchLinux install guide (supposedly from a long time ago, using grub 0.6) that showcased a graphical installer. Because they provided links to the official archlinux install guide and media, it makes me seem that there used to be a graphical installer. This is backed up by an Internet Archive of the archlinux install guide from 2011. I have two questions about this:

• Why did archlinux originally have a graphical installation method? I thought that archlinux was targeted at advanced GNU/Linux users, but why would said advanced user want to use a graphical installation guide?

• Why did the ArchLinux team make the decision to discontinue/delete the installation guide?

Thank you for your time.

Last edited by Toad39 (2020-11-01 21:09:58)

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 12,926

Re: [Solved] Graphical Installer

It was a ncurses-based tool for CLI environments called AIF that automated some steps but left plenty of room for executing shell commands outside of it.
Many people don't consider that a graphical installer.

AIF had issues and the number of people maintaining it dwindled fast until sometime in 2011 / 2012 there was no one left.
Arch devs switched to arch-install-scripts which are still in use today.

If you want details , check https://lists.archlinux.org/pipermail/arch-dev-public/ archives for that time period.

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2020-10-31 19:21:43)

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

Toad39

Member

Registered: 2020-07-06

Posts: 60

Re: [Solved] Graphical Installer

Oh, ok.