Description of problem: I was installing from the f13 alpha x86_64 dvd using the install from hard disk technique. When I said I wanted to do a custom install, the first screen I get shows me model numbers for disks and asks which ones to use. I may be a geek, but even I am not geeky enough to have the model numbers of my disks memorized :-). There is no way the answer could possibly be anything other than "use all of them". This seems like a totally pointless screen to give users (and I seem to recall I got to another step where it asked me again for a slightly different reason, and again I had no idea). I could see maybe 0.0001% of the users might find it useful if it was changed to pre-select all the disks and the text was changed to say something like "If, by some unbelievable chance, you happen to be able to tell you want to completely hide one or more of these disks, then uncheck them now". Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): Don't know - whatever was shipped on the dvd. How reproducible: I imagine it will work the same every time. Steps to Reproduce: 1. see above. 2. 3. Actual results: Dumbfounded that I might be expected to know which disk is which from the model numbers. Expected results: Less stress on my poor brain. Additional info:
Note that if you choose "Basic Devices" on the initial filtering screen and only have one disk, you completely bypass this UI. Do you fall into this category, or did you select "Advanced" by default for fear that you might be missing something? Also there's plenty more information there to make decisions instead of just the model number. There's also manufacturer, size, etc.
I always select every option I see that looks like it will give me a choice of where to install, because I have a slew of different installs on this machine already for multi-booting, and I want to make absolutely sure it doesn't do anything helpful like wipe out the f12 x86_64 partition where I do all my work. I definitely have 2 disks (sometimes 3 if my usb drive is plugged in). I don't actually remember which option I picked on the first screen, but it may have been basic devices. I know I'm not doing in any raid or lvm stuff, so I welcomed the opportunity to not pick those choices - I'm pretty sure I picked basic devices. Both my hard drives are the same size, and manufacturer is no more help than model number :-). Now if they came with the pictures of the partition layouts, I could make a much better guess about which disk is which.
It's probably possible to add a tool tip or something listing partition/size/type of thing on that partition, but I purposefully don't want to dig too deep into those partitions. Digging down in there is the kind of probing that the filter UI shouldn't be doing, since the purpose is to help you decide exactly which disks you do and do not want probed. I'll target this for F14 since it will inevitably involve new strings that won't be able to be translated and is probably too invasive given how late in the process we're getting.
Adding more information is one thing, but it still seems like the default should have all the disks pre-selected and the text adjusted to make more sense for that default.
I selected basic devices, then later custom layout, during the f15 beta install I did last night, and the screen asking me about individual disks did not show up, so this report may now be moot.
This message is a reminder that Fedora 13 is nearing its end of life. Approximately 30 (thirty) days from now Fedora will stop maintaining and issuing updates for Fedora 13. It is Fedora's policy to close all bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora 'version' of '13'. Package Maintainer: If you wish for this bug to remain open because you plan to fix it in a currently maintained version, simply change the 'version' to a later Fedora version prior to Fedora 13's end of life. Bug Reporter: Thank you for reporting this issue and we are sorry that we may not be able to fix it before Fedora 13 is end of life. If you would still like to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it against a later version of Fedora please change the 'version' of this bug to the applicable version. If you are unable to change the version, please add a comment here and someone will do it for you. Although we aim to fix as many bugs as possible during every release's lifetime, sometimes those efforts are overtaken by events. Often a more recent Fedora release includes newer upstream software that fixes bugs or makes them obsolete. The process we are following is described here: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers/HouseKeeping
Fedora 13 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2011-06-25. Fedora 13 is no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug. If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version. Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.
This bug is back again in fedora 16. The screen disappeared for several installs, and was not there in the Alpha and Beta DVDs for fedora 16, but in the released version of the Fedora 16 DVD it re-appeared, and is still just as silly since I have no idea what is on a disk based on just the model number.
This is required due to the bootloader upgrade stuff in F16. Please see http://git.fedorahosted.org/git/?p=anaconda.git;a=commit;h=59fcb9b00009ed29fdc33eda3f5e4113966a35c7 which references bug 744088. For F17, we're hoping to have something completely different here.