New firstboot

Summary

This feature proposes new initial setup application with better integration to the NewUI anaconda and to Gnome Initial Experience.

Owner

Name: Martin Sivák

Email: msivak@redhat.com

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora 19
Last updated: 2013-05-09
Percentage of completion: 95% (the welcome screen is missing and the licence screen hasn't been decided to be there or not yet)

Detailed Description

Since the Anaconda installer moved to the NewUI Hub and Spoke concept, we can reuse much of it's architecture and screens in the after reboot configuration utility -- initial-setup. So the idea behind the firstboot replacement is that we will have a new app that will use the same Hub and Spoke model and the same API as Anaconda.

This will give us the possibility of letting the user configure his system either during the package extraction or after reboot (important for OEMs). It will also allow other teams (power management, security team, IPA) to prepare their own screens for Anaconda and initial-setup and so further enhancing the user experience.

Anaconda, initial-setup and Gnome Inital Experience will communicate to ensure the screens are not shown multiple times. So for example the root password setup or user creation process will be done only in one place, depending on the installed system.

The old Firstboot will still stay as a fallback in case somebody still has his old Firstboot plugins he needs to use.

Benefit to Fedora

See the detailed description..
Better UI consistency between the installer and initial-setup
Possible 3rd party plugins to login to network domains, set the power or security profile
User configuration will be shown on one place only

Scope

new initial-setup application based on the Anaconda NewUI classes
communication (config file) between all the relevant parties (initial-setup, Anaconda, GIE)
plugin system for other teams (will be also behind the Anaconda - initial-setup screen sharing)

How To Test

install the initial-setup and all it's dependencies
enable initial-setup-* systemd services (the package should do that for you)
reboot the machine

User Experience

initial-setup process will match the installer look and feel and will possibly contain more setup screens/tools as a result plugins written with cooperation with other teams

Dependencies

the user creation process and final timezone setting were usually done in Firstboot

Contingency Plan

the old Firstboot already has the needed screens and those can be left enabled
Gnome environment is going to ship new Gnome specific tool for user creation

Documentation

We are currently writing the development guide

Release Notes

There is a new initial-setup application that replaces the old firstboot. It integrates better with the installer introduced in F18 and with the new Gnome user creation.

Comments and Discussion

Regarding Adam's question about the state, here are some very rough screenshots of Firstboot showing the three main screens: main Hub, Date+Time and Password. The screens are active and working (but I can't show you that in screenshots). --Msivak (talk) 14:32, 30 January 2013 (UTC)