Bug 656237

Summary:	No package options in text mode install + nm_controlled interfaces yet no nm
Product:	Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	Reporter:	Alan Fitton <ajf>
Component:	anaconda	Assignee:	Anaconda Maintenance Team <anaconda-maint-list>
Status:	CLOSED NOTABUG	QA Contact:	Release Test Team <release-test-team-automation>
Severity:	medium	Docs Contact:
Priority:	low
Version:	6.0
Target Milestone:	rc
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	Unspecified
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Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Bug Fix
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Last Closed:	2010-11-23 14:47:07 UTC	Type:	---
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oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
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Description Alan Fitton 2010-11-23 10:10:32 UTC

Description of problem:

The text mode installer for RHEL6 no longer gives you the choice of package profiles, or any choice at all regarding packages. You just get minimal by default, why? This is a problem in itself IMO, you should be able to choose what packages you want even in a text mode install. Text mode is usually the default in virtual guests.

I know I could have done a VNC install, maybe there's even some options I can pass to anaconda, but this seems to be unnecessary hassle. Myself and I think most others don't want a minimal install. This was easily possible in a RHEL4 or 5 text mode install! 

What makes this worse is that this default minimal installation configures NetworkManager controlled interfaces, but there's no NetworkManager installed. So you end up with a minimal system, and broken by default networking. I know to change NM_CONTROLLED to no, but this may not be so obvious to users.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

RHEL6 GA

How reproducible:

Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Boot into text mode installer
2. Install and reboot
3. 
  
Actual results:

No package options, inactive by default network interfaces.

Expected results:

Package choices, network interfaces which come up by default (or the choice of which do during install).

Additional info:

Comment 2 David Cantrell 2010-11-23 14:47:07 UTC

Text mode has been simplified in anaconda because maintained two separate user interfaces for the installer with the same functionality has become impossible.  Screens started to diverge significantly, resulting in unnecessary duplication of effort and complications for documentation and support.  See here for more information:

http://docs.redhat.com/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html-single/Migration_Planning_Guide/index.html#id2253060
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Features/NewTextUI

For more control over the installation in text mode, you will need to use kickstart.  Otherwise, you will need to use the graphical installer directly or by vnc to gain more options during an interactive installation.