Comment 2 for bug 315647

This isn't intended for OEM system builders to be able to fall back on or
debug - it's intended for end users who get stuck with a bad situation.

I've got two example cases, 1 of which happened to Dell already.

1) You create your OEM install image, and it's deployed across a wealth of
platforms and validated. Later down the road a new variable gets introduced
to the hardware - lets say a monitor with a bad EDID. You verify that it
works for the prototype stock of this monitor, but some of these monitors
with the bad EDID get shipped to customers. What's better for the customer?
Something that falls back to VESA and lets them recover and follow
directions given to them from support where to grab an updated driver, or a
root shell?

2) A desktop is shipped to a customer with an NVIDIA graphics card. Because
it's being shipped with an NVIDIA graphics card, the OEM preinstalls the
NVIDIA driver for the customer. Later down the road, they want to switch it
to an AMD graphics card. They make the swap, and install the appropriate
driver. Their system is working fine. A hard drive goes bad, and after
replacing it they are required to use their recovery disks to restore to
factory state. Well since the recovery disks would reinstall the NVIDIA
graphics driver, they wouldn't be able to boot into X to fix their driver
problem, but would be instead stuck at a root shell.

On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 17:40, Loye Young <email address hidden> wrote:

> This is a very bad idea, and should NOT be implemented.
>
> OEM config SHOULD degrade to a command line if it does not complete
> correctly. In fact, the "bulletproofX" would make make it harder to
> debug and correct problems. If the system doesn't complete configuration
> of the system, the right way to debug and fix problems is from the
> command line, because the X display itself will obfuscate issues and
> interfere with the results of various debugging procedures. Worse, the
> changes made to the system by bulletproofX would introduce new problems
> to the final configuration, creating defects that may not be apparent
> until the customer begins using the system.
>
> "you get thrown into a root shell with no idea what's going on."
> Respectfully, if you don't know what's going on from the command line, you
> should be using the regular desktop installation CD instead. OEM config
> should NOT be used by anyone who does not understand how to engineer the box
> and fix things from the command line.
>
> If you are an OEM or system builder but don't have sufficient resources
> to engineer your product so that you can efficiently, the Canonical team
> provides such services. IYCC also provides backend technical service to
> OEMs, ODMs, and system builders. We are doing just that for Feral-
> Penguin of Australia. See http://www.feral-penguin.com.au.
>
> Happy Trails,
>
> Loye Young
> Isaac & Young Computer Company
> Laredo, Texas
> http://archive.iycc.net
>
> --
> OEM config should have bulletproof X support
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/315647
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
> Installer Team, which is subscribed to oem-config in ubuntu.
>

--
Mario Limonciello
<email address hidden>