[Grml] grml-quickconfig?

[Michael Schierl]

Hi,

when I use grml (the live cd), there are a few tasks that I do quite
often directly after boot. For example, loading keyboard layout
(always), configuring non-dhcp network (sometimes) or starting X or
running grml-info for looking something up (rarely).

Using cheatcodes for configuring it does not "help", since I have to
type the kernel name first, and sometimes I am not even there when it
boots (I give the CD to the friend/relative that has problems and tell
him that he should boot from it until I am back, and just press Return
when "an image of a huge keyboard" appears).

So, I'd like to write a script (grml-quickconfig) started at bootup on
console 1 that shows a nice screen (with highlighted letters) that
allows to do things like that by pressing a single key; the Return key
will exit it. Like:

Welcome to GRML.
Press one of the highlighted keys.
Press Return to exit this menu.

Configure keyboard language: [d]e [a]t [c]h
Configure your [n]etwork card.
Show [i]nformation
Start [x]

d: grml-lang de
a: grml-lang at
c: grml-lang ch
n: netcardconfig
i: grml-info
x: grml-x (asking for the windowmanager)

Windowmanager would be (taken from the completion menu):

[d]wm
[e]vilwm
[f]luxbox
f[v]wm
fvwm[2]
fvwm-[c]rystal
ion[3]
[j]wm
pe[k]wm
[p]wm3
[r]atpoison
[t]wm
w[9]wm
[w]indowlab
w[m]i
wm[i]i
wm-[n]g

I guess even for people that type really fast this is an improvement (if
not, it requires a single keystroke to get out) - and even better for
those that cannot type that fast (typing »su grml -c 'grml-x fluxbox'«
is a bit more than typing »xf«).

The main question now is if something like that would be included into
grml and if yes, what other things to add to it (there are still some
keys "free").

Michael

PS: Recently I tried the "soundtest" script (I wanted to test if a sound
card is supported by Linux) and unfortunately it worked... Unfortunately
because it got me into a discussion about bad pronunciation of English.
I don't want to say that my English pronunciation is much better, but if
any native English speaker could re-record the sample file, it would be
great. In the meantime, I'm going to use the emacspeak intro sound for
such tests...