Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS To Retire Their Old Debian Installer To Focus On Subiquity

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS To Retire Their Old Debian Installer To Focus On Subiquity

Introduced back in Ubuntu Server 17.10 and improved upon since has been "Subiquity" as a new Ubuntu Server install option rather than their classic installer derived from Debian. But with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, they will be dropping that Debian Installer based option and focusing solely on their modern "Subiquity" server installer option...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-20.04-Server-Install

[kobblestown]

If by old Debian installer they mean the text based installer that you can run from a kernel and initrd image, I say - fuck that! That's the only installer that I've been using the last 10 years. It's simple yet it offers more than any other Ubuntu installer there was. I can run it over the serial console of a virtual machine so I don't even need en emulated graphics card in the VM. Can any other installer do that?

[Jaxad0127]

I can run it over the serial console of a virtual machine so I don't even need en emulated graphics card in the VM. Can any other installer do that?

ArchLinux's installer. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Working_with_the_serial_console#Installing_Arch_Li nux_using_the_serial_console

[kpedersen]

Yep, just like the FreeBSD and OpenBSD installer; newbies keep complaining saying that "it looks old". But honestly text based installers are so useful for people who do more than browse Facebook on their hardware!

[timofonic]

What advantages does it have over the new Debian installer?

[tweak42]

If by old Debian installer they mean the text based installer that you can run from a kernel and initrd image, I say - fuck that! That's the only installer that I've been using the last 10 years. It's simple yet it offers more than any other Ubuntu installer there was. I can run it over the serial console of a virtual machine so I don't even need en emulated graphics card in the VM. Can any other installer do that?

A quick search found this bug report. I don't have any idea what it's current usability, but at the very least Canonical have considered that feature for Subiquity.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/subiquity/+bug/1770962

[uwgandalf]

for an end-user the debian-installer is perhaps a bit archaic, but it works.

As datacenter automater / developer, I can really say that the debian-installer is the worst thing among all distros. The old-school-ness of how it works is unbelievable -- and I mean that in a very negative way.

It's a culmination of patches by many different people who just want something to work in many different files. The disk preparation / installation / grub phase is detriment by it. The installer lacks a clear design and interfaces (not talking about UI) between components are not defined. Further the graphical user interface is leading the flow of the program. So if you want to automate, you actually automate by prefilling dialogs.

Nobody is actually maintaining it in a manner that it becomes better everytime, instead it becomes complexer everytime.

/update, for example take my patch for raid on nvme devices:

https://launchpadlibrarian.net/370697541/pc-mdadm-nvme.diff

That one-liner fix cost me 2 afternoons -- and in all fairness, I just added to the pile of complexity, by not refactoring the shit out of that file. There were tons of copy-pastes, sections which were not consistent. But nobody really dares to refactor, because it's such a crucial thing.

[andrebrait]

Why is everyone talking about end-users as if they are everyday desktop users?

The installer is for the server variant of Ubuntu.

[schmidtbag]

I too like the Debian installer. It's easy and competent. The graphical version functions almost identically, except you get to use a mouse.
I don't totally understand why Canonical feels the need to ditch it, but, I'm not opposed to change so long as the new one isn't lacking anything significant.

ArchLinux's installer. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Working_with_the_serial_console#Installing_Arch_Li nux_using_the_serial_console

As an long-term Arch user, I have to say, that is not a viable solution for Ubuntu.

[Zgembo]

I just hope the won't ditch text-only netboot installer, 'cause it's the only installation way that makes sense at data-centre or lab in 2019 and beyond. I don't really remember when was the last time I used CDs/DVDs or USB images to install Ubuntu/Debian thanks to this little awesome guy.