Hi!
I don’t understand much of Haiku’s structure, but isn’t it possible to create an ISO or something with closed-source (Be) components, replacing them with open-source (Haiku) components when available? I mean, the Be kernel with all of the Be kits and drivers, except if there is an already completed Haiku kit to replace it (same for drivers).
Or is Haiku too dependant on NewOS’s kernel to even allow this?
I suppose you could get a PE distro and replace it with Haiku components, but that’s not the end goal for us.
We have HD booting now - but there is still a long way to go before there will be an ISO to use.
In the meantime, you can download nightly builds of our OS components, etc off the Haiku Build Factory site and use them with an existing BeOS install.
I only mentioned it because I know what it’s like to work on something for months and not releasing anything “usable” by the end-user, and have all that bitching about it and so on… maybe an effort towards a “pre-release” would make people fell much more confident about Haiku. 
i’d like to see someone make a release… it should be possible to do and it would be better than all of these pe based releases that don’t really add anything other than a few bebits downloads.
i'd like to see someone make a release.. it should be possible to do and it would be better than all of these pe based releases that don't really add anything other than a few bebits downloads.
It would at least encourage people to start testing things such as the prefs, app replacements, drivers, etc.
I’d specifically like to see someone put together a distro when the network kit is usable enough…
An BeOS 5 PE with updated Haiku parts as an ISO image would be great for people wanting to test Haiku using a virtual machine such as Virtual PC.
I do not relly see that building an ISO image would be the best solution.
Since the work is done in different kit’s, and as far as I understand the developers of the kit’s is developing these to work on R5/Bone Kernel until the NewOS kernel is usable. Right?
Then when kit’s is mature enough for testing simply release a binary build with a simple install and uninstall script to replace the native BeOS R5/bone kit’s. (As far as I know this is already done with BFS driver etc. )
Making an ISO image is a lot of job, and with on kit redy for some public preview/testing making a new ISO image every time feel like a lot of unneccesery work and not to mention the load of bandwith usage.
Anyone explain why we need an ISO image? ??
I think an ISO would go a long way towards encouraging beta-testers en-masse, as well as keeping the testing platform more consistent.
As far as BONE goes, I think it’s actually plain R5 that’s targeted.
Kev
I think an ISO would go a long way towards encouraging beta-testers en-masse
I’d sure as hell get into testing it if it were available.
Maybe we can work with the BeMAX guy? (Or that new distro whose name escapes me…)
Kev
I think an ISO would go a long way towards encouraging beta-testers en-masse, as well as keeping the testing platform more consistent. ...... Kev
Agreed, either an ISO is necessary or a script that will automatically convert a virgin pe install into the latest testing version of haiku will be necessary to get people really excited about testing haiku, until it is going to be kept to the few people who know how to use cvs.
BeMAX guy?
Well the Max distro, imho, is bloated. I found it ran slower than my BeOS Pro install under VPC (and on a normal PC) - so we wouldn’t want people to use Haiku and say it’s slow.
If you have an existing BeOS install, I make a Beta Pack each month, which is a BeOS SoftwareValet package with the latest binary builds of the Applications / Preferences.
I know this isn’t all of Haiku, but it’s certainly part of it.
Dont say no to an ISO image
Its one the best way to distribute and spread HAIKU…
I have been waiting for a long time to get my hands on it, so that i can download it and distribute it with my friends and all those interested in it.
You guys don’t have to worry so much about an ISO. I know that this is, in fact, one of THE goals of Haiku… To distribute it freely and make it just as easy to install as BeOS (ie: burn a cd, and boot it). The BeOS installers have always been great, and I have seen this discussion more than once on the mailing lists. I really don’t think it’ll be a problem once there is a full, stable, release that is truly suited for users, and probably even before then.
Okay, if you’re that opposed to early distros (I can see where you’re coming from in wanting to make a good first impression, though)… That easy-install beta pack sounds great! Is there a link to it somewhere on the site?
Kev
You guys don't have to worry so much about an ISO. I know that this is, in fact, one of THE goals of Haiku... To distribute it freely and make it just as easy to install as BeOS (ie: burn a cd, and boot it). The BeOS installers have always been great, and I have seen this discussion more than once on the mailing lists. I really don't think it'll be a problem once there is a full, stable, release that is truly suited for users, and probably even before then.
thumbs up
As soon as that first ISO or Cue/Bin is out, I’ll be installing it. 
I don’t think a distro is worthwhile now - there is not much finished enough for general user testing. So OK, in a couple of months the media kit may be able to be a drop in R5 replacement, and BFS, the translation kit, and the print server can already be replaced, but that’s about it. The Net kit is making good progress, but will still be a few months before they want hoardes of users downloading it (now they’d just get millions of bug reports about it being unstable).
The app server, input server, interface kit etc are never going to be released as R5 replacements, we’ll be hanging around until the new kernel is usable before we can see them in action.
The netserver at the build factory is unstable? No wonder CVS is KDLing me lately…
Kev
Well Waldemar says it is still completely un-thread-safe, so will be unstable under high load. I read that as meaning “test it if you want, but we’re really not ready for general user testing yet”