Vain Imaginations of Fedora Bootup

[Jeff Pitman]

As a laptop user and a power user, I have a need that current offerings 
leave a lot to be desired for.  I am pretty certain I am not alone in 
this need, so I'd like to share what would be the greatest interactive 
experience with Fedora we've yet to see.

Instead of writing a tome about it, I'll lay it out real simple like:

1. Identify bare minimum services for GDM to fully function as soon as 
possible. (tty, etc.) [Bill mentioned this for FC4 target]

2. Identify bare minimum services for actual login to fully function. 
(network, postfix/sendmail, etc.)

3. Modify GDM to not display the username/password box until #2 is 
ready.

4. Integrate RHGB functionality into GDM so that progress can be 
displayed to the user prior to #2 becoming available. 

5. Integrate NetworkManager functionality into GDM so as to facilitate 
proper start of essential services for #2.

6. NetworkManager integrated into GDM should provide menus to select 
certain roaming profiles.  Most profiles should be auto-detected.  
(wireless, eth, openvpn tun, vpnc cisco client, openswan vpn, etc., 
etc. should all be included.)

7. Services that need to identify with a particular network profile 
should be delayed until network roaming profile is in place.

8. Extra helper services can be delayed until the very end to startup 
after #3 is displaying on the screen.  There could even be an ongoing 
startup process while the user is logging into the desktop.

9. XDMCP portion of GDM needs to delay binding to sockets until after 
NetworkManager is done configuring the current roaming profile.

10. Services that are in Error during GDM can use a minimalistic 
sub-window strategically located so that the user can see problem 
services.  Possibly usage of osd_cat found in xosd would be an 
excellent candidate.  Or, possibly, the mechanism used in amarok and 
others to display an OSD type sub-window.  This would be able to carry 
through after even GDM is closed and X window is starting up with the 
user's login.

11. xfs may need to restart to rebind to appropriate interfaces after 
NetworkManager is done.  Other services may need the same.

Anyhow, these are just a few of things that came acrossed my head over 
the last couple of days.

Comments?

thanks,
-- 
-jeff