Plan of Record for Fedora 22 Network Install Media

[Stephen Gallagher]

(Cross-posted to the WG mailing lists; please reply only to devel@)

== Overview ==

Today in #anaconda, we had a discussion of the plans for network install
media for Fedora 22. We acknowledged that the network install (and more
generally, unattended installation) story in Fedora 21 was somewhat
lacking. In particular, there was user confusion around how to deploy
Fedora Workstation in an unattended manner.

Some of the problems we faced in Fedora 21 were a result of not having
necessary plumbing in Anaconda (largely because we didn't even realize
this until well into Beta phase, at which point we just started breaking
out the duct tape and chewing gum). In particular, we needed a way for
individual Fedora editions to provide a mechanism for specifying
different defaults (such as automatic partitioning rules or the default
environment group that would be displayed in an attended install).
Without these things, while we could produce media with separate
graphical branding, we couldn't truly produce separate network installs
for Cloud, Server and Workstation. So we settled on producing only the
Server network install media.

== Output ==

In Fedora 22, we will be producing four network install ISOs:
 * Fedora Server
  - Server branding
  - Default environment group: Fedora Server
  - Auto-partitioning defaults: LVM on XFS (except /boot)
  - Responsible WG: Server WG
 * Fedora Workstation
  - Workstation branding
  - Default environment group: Fedora Workstation
  - Auto-partitioning defaults: LVM on EXT4
  - Responsible WG: Workstation WG
 * Fedora Cloud
  - Cloud branding
  - Default environment group: Fedora Cloud
  - Auto-partitioning defaults: TBD
  - Responsible WG: Cloud WG
 * Fedora "Generic" (name TBD)
  - Generic Fedora branding
  - Default environment group: minimal
  - Auto-partitioning defaults: TBD
  - Responsible WG: Base WG

In addition, there is ongoing discussion around media for bare-metal
Fedora Atomic installations. This has not been finalized, but will
likely result in an additional output.

While each of these network installs will be *capable* of also
installing any of the other products (though possibly not with the
expected auto-paritioning), we have agreed that QA testing will only be
performed on the intended environment group target for the branded
media. We will not advertise or make any special effort to support other
targets.


== Remaining work that needs to be done ==

Release engineering will need to modify their compose tools to produce
each of these install trees, as well as handling the necessary mirroring
functions.

The working groups responsible for each of these install media will be
responsible for performing the following tasks before the Alpha Freeze
(ideally well before, so we can run test composes and fix issues without
slipping):

 * Modify the appropriate fedora-productimg-$PRODUCT package to include
an anaconda extension model that will extend the InstallClass and set
the default environment group and optionally modify the
auto-partitioning functionality.
 * Review the contents of comps-f22.xml.in and the related kickstart
files in spin-kickstarts to ensure that the install media contains the
appropriate content.

For simplicity in understanding who to contact, it would be beneficial
if each of the responsible working groups would nominate an individual
to be the point of contact on these changes. I volunteer myself to
represent the Server WG in this capacity.


Given that we branch on February 10th enter Alpha Freeze on February
24th, I'd like to propose a soft deadline (a check-in) on February 9th
with a hard deadline on February 16th in order to have time to run at
least one test compose prior to Alpha Freeze.



== Acknowledgements ==

The cast of characters involved in this discussion were:
 * Stephen Gallagher (Server WG)
 * Dennis Gilmore (Release Engineering)
 * Brian C. Lane (Anaconda)
 * Ian McLeod (Project Atomic)
 * David Shea (Anaconda)
 * Adam Williamson (QA)