new Release Criterion proposal: kernel+initrd boot

[Petr Schindler]

On Út, 2012-04-10 at 10:49 -0700, Adam Williamson wrote:
> On Fri, 2012-04-06 at 09:49 -0400, Kamil Paral wrote:
> > Recently we found out that we don't have any criterion for PXE boot. Also F17 anaconda separated its root image from initrd.img, adding new ways where things can break. In the QA meeting we decided that new criterion is required [1]. Relevant bugs are:
> > https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=805166
> > https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=790348
> > https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=810513
> > 
> > The new proposed criterion is this:
> > ====
> > The installer must be able to boot using kernel+initrd pair (some boot arguments might be needed), e.g. booting a VM or from PXE. Fetching the installer's root image must work using the same access protocols as are required for fetching package sources in currently active milestone. Installer must work correctly even if the remote location doesn't contain a full installable tree including package repository, but just the root image and files relevant to it.
> > ====
> > 
> > I propose to add it to the Alpha milestone.
> > 
> > It covers several things:
> > 1. booting over PXE
> > 2. remote installer fetching
> > 3. partial repositories (missing package repository)
> > 
> > I deliberately re-used the the definition of protocols from another criterion related to "package source fetching options", because it is tightly related. This makes sure that PXE booting works since Alpha, but the number of supported protocols increases just gradually as we reach Beta and Final.
> > 
> > The last sentence could be split to a separate milestone (and worded a bit differently), because we might not require it really since Alpha. OTOH this is more succinct, and I have a vested interest in having this in Alpha anyway (because of our automated test suite).
> > 
> > Better wording (and translating into proper English) is welcome.
> > 
> > Thoughts?
> 
> Wording...how about:
> 
> It must be possible to install by booting the installation kernel
> directly, including via PXE, and correctly specifying a remote source
> for the installer itself, using whichever protocols are required to work
> for package retrieval at the current phase (Alpha, Beta, Final). This
> must work if the remote source is not a complete repository but contains
> only the files necessary for the installer itself to run
> 
> I like the basic idea of the criterion. I'm still not really sold on
> what phase we should be applying it to, though PXE and virt-install
> together are obviously fairly good arguments for alpha or beta...

+1