Improving the Fedora boot experience

[Denys Vlasenko]

On 03/11/2013 08:49 PM, Michael Cronenworth wrote:
> On 03/11/2013 02:41 PM, Björn Persson wrote:
>> Yes, why not display the Grub menu?
> 
> Because it's the year 2013. Not 1999.
> 
>> Whether any text is displayed or not, there still needs to be a long
>> enough pause that the user has time to press a key. Not displaying any
>> text at all would make it harder to understand that the time to press
>> that key is now. Many people won't even understand that they have an
>> opportunity to press a key.
> 
> Does any other computing device you own prompt you for a boot menu? Your
> mobile phone? Your TV (which likely has embedded Linux)? Your car?

My computer is not a mobile phone or car.
I much prefer it to *not* become mobile phone-like cripple.

> Why is that? Could it be because a boot menu is not necessary for normal
> operation? A normal user doesn't need to wonder "Hey what kernel do I
> need to boot today?" every time their system boots.

...until something breaks.
*Then* suddenly you discover that you _do_ need a way to see all
this stuff (and more).

> If you are a developing developer and need to boot a different kernel or
> change kernel parameters then you know how to get into the boot menu --
> on-screen prompts or no on-screen prompts.
> 
> There is a time when developers need to distance themselves from
> user-interfaces and realize they are not the only user of the
> user-interface. This is one of those times.

Intentionally dumbing down the system so that even idiots can use it
will result in *only* idiots using it.

If you don't want to see boot menu, there is a way to switch it off.
This behavior can be made much easier to enable,
if necessary - along the lines of "Don't ask me again" checkboxes.