InstallUpdatesWhenInstallingUbuntu

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Revision 1 as of 2009-05-26 15:55:25
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Revision 2 as of 2009-06-12 09:15:16
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Deletions are marked like this. Additions are marked like this.
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 * '''Launchpad Entry''': UbuntuSpec:foo
 * '''Created''':
 * '''Contributors''':
 * '''Packages affected''':
 * '''Launchpad Entry''': UbuntuSpec:foundations-karmic-install-updates-when-installing
 * '''Created''': 2009/06/11
 * '''Contributors''': EvanDandrea
 * '''Packages affected''': ubiquity
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This should provide an overview of the issue/functionality/change proposed here. Focus here on what will actually be DONE, summarising that so that other people don't have to read the whole spec. See also CategorySpec for examples. ubiquity will grow the ability to download updates while it copies files to the installation target.
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This section should include a paragraph describing the end-user impact of this change. It is meant to be included in the release notes of the first release in which it is implemented. (Not all of these will actually be included in the release notes, at the release manager's discretion; but writing them is a useful exercise.)

It is mandatory.
Updates will now be downloaded while you install Ubuntu, making them immediately available to install upon first login. This will not occur on 3G connections, and users wishing to avoid this feature can disable it when the installation begins.
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This should cover the _why_: why is this change being proposed, what justifies it, where we see this justified. There may be a number of important updates available after installation. However, these could amount to a rather large download, and since we're mostly IO bound during the installation it would make sense to try to start this download then, letting the user finish downloading or start installing the updates once they've rebooted into the new system.
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 * Mark installs Ubuntu 9.10 in March of 2010. As roughly five months have passed since the release, there are nearly 100MB of updates to download.
 * Bob installs Ubuntu 9.10 on a laptop with a 3G modem that he has configured in the live environment. As he pays per megabyte on his data plan, he does not want to download anything until he returns to an unrestricted connection.
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 * If the user has chosen to set up a 3G connection, they have done so using NetworkManager.
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You can have subsections that better describe specific parts of the issue.
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This section should describe a plan of action (the "how") to implement the changes discussed. Could include subsections like:

=== UI Changes ===

Should cover changes required to the UI, or specific UI that is required to implement this

=== Code Changes ===

Code changes should include an overview of what needs to change, and in some cases even the specific details.

=== Migration ===

Include:
 * data migration, if any
 * redirects from old URLs to new ones, if any
 * how users will be pointed to the new way of doing things, if necessary.
 * This will need to be preseedable, to allow OEMs like Dell who want to keep the installer from attempting to access the Internet.
 * The language pack download functionality that already exists will be merged into this feature.
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It's important that we are able to test new features, and demonstrate them to users. Use this section to describe a short plan that anybody can follow that demonstrates the feature is working. This can then be used during testing, and to show off after release. Please add an entry to http://testcases.qa.ubuntu.com/Coverage/NewFeatures for tracking test coverage.

This need not be added or completed until the specification is nearing beta.
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This should highlight any issues that should be addressed in further specifications, and not problems with the specification itself; since any specification with problems cannot be approved.

Summary

ubiquity will grow the ability to download updates while it copies files to the installation target.

Release Note

Updates will now be downloaded while you install Ubuntu, making them immediately available to install upon first login. This will not occur on 3G connections, and users wishing to avoid this feature can disable it when the installation begins.

Rationale

There may be a number of important updates available after installation. However, these could amount to a rather large download, and since we're mostly IO bound during the installation it would make sense to try to start this download then, letting the user finish downloading or start installing the updates once they've rebooted into the new system.

User stories

  • Mark installs Ubuntu 9.10 in March of 2010. As roughly five months have passed since the release, there are nearly 100MB of updates to download.
  • Bob installs Ubuntu 9.10 on a laptop with a 3G modem that he has configured in the live environment. As he pays per megabyte on his data plan, he does not want to download anything until he returns to an unrestricted connection.

Assumptions

  • If the user has chosen to set up a 3G connection, they have done so using NetworkManager.

Design

Implementation

  • This will need to be preseedable, to allow OEMs like Dell who want to keep the installer from attempting to access the Internet.
  • The language pack download functionality that already exists will be merged into this feature.

Test/Demo Plan

Unresolved issues

BoF agenda and discussion

Preseedable option for Dell.
Move the language pack download in this, moved earlier than 80%.
Actual language pack installing still happens later.
We don't want a progress meter because we don't want to make the user think they have to wait for the updates to finish downloading.
Put as a checkbox on the summary page or the advanced page instead of having a cancel button?
 - AU problem.
GEOIP would let us select a good timezone point and a good local mirror, somewhat limiting the AU problem, though we'd still want to let them disable this download somehow.
Offer a checkbox that's checked by default and says "Download updates while installing" that sits just below the install progress.
You would have to act quickly if you wanted to uncheck the box.
 - We can wait a few seconds, or after partitioning to start.
We may want to explicitly not offer this option at all when on 3G.
 - PackageKit as an example.
 - Default the checkbox as off in this case?
 - Colin to talk to Michael
Fragmentation a problem?
 - "Let the filesystem sort it out"
 - We do lots of things at the same time, this is not an issue.
Measure how often people are using this?
 - Change user-agent.
Announce during milestone, doing this, what do you think?
Colin thinks it will need more than a preseed.
We disable update-notifier on the live cd.
Not start the download until we're at copying files.
Disable the checkbox if NM reports no network connection.
Use subprocess and send SIGTERM to it when done.

Use this section to take notes during the BoF; if you keep it in the approved spec, use it for summarising what was discussed and note any options that were rejected.


CategorySpec

InstallUpdatesWhenInstallingUbuntu (last edited 2010-06-01 17:17:20 by eth0)