Project:Installer/Old

The (now deprecated) Gentoo Installer project aimed to create an widely extensible install engine that allowed for a diverse set of attended and unattended install options. All functionality existed in the back-end, exposed through a stable API. Planned front ends included text, gtk2, fully automated, and web-based interfaces. The project was abandoned in 2009 when the Gentoo Release Engineering team profoundly changed the way releases are done, automating and simplifying the process in many ways, making distinct LiveCD releases obsolete.

The source code for the old installer can be found here: https://gitweb.gentoo.org/proj/

2009-01-13: GLI officially deprecated
A few months ago the Gentoo Release Engineering team changed the way that releases are done to simplify, automate, and provide more current release media on a more regular basis. One of the consequences of this is that the LiveCDs are no longer being released. This leaves the installer with no place or function. The installer developers have all moved on to other projects, leaving GLI in an unmaintained state. We can no longer offer support for the 2008.0-r1 LiveCDs for and, though we expect it to work for those that use it. During this project's five year existence, it has been both a pride for Gentoo and a source of controversy. The Gentoo Handbook is still the official installation method for Gentoo. For those still seeking to do automated Gentoo installs, please see the Quickstart project.

2008-07-07: GLI 0.6.6 released
The Gentoo Linux Installer team has released version 0.6.6 of the installer on the 2008.0-r1 LiveCDs for and. The improvements in this release are intended to improve the stability and simplicity of the installation (yes, we know, at the expense of customizability). For more details, please see the full release announcement. You can get the latest LiveCD from your local mirror or BitTorrent.

2007-05-07: GLI 0.5 released
Update: We are aware of networkless issues on the livecd. A -r1 release is in the works to fix this issue. Please avoid trying networkless installations using the livecd for the time being.

Along with the release of Gentoo Linux 2007.0, the Gentoo Linux Installer team is announcing version 0.5[.4] of GLI. This release marks the first step in a larger overhaul of how the installer works. Whereas before it was automated, it is now interactive and does the installation as you progress through the front-ends. For automated installations, see the Quickstart project mentioned in the release announcement. You can get the latest LiveCD from your local mirror or BitTorrent.

For more information see the full release announcement.

2006-08-30: GLI 0.4 released
The Gentoo Linux Installer team would like to announce version 0.4 of the installer, which coincides with the 2006.1 release. New in this release is improved partitioning support and a networkless install mode, as well as a stable LiveCD. You can get the latest LiveCD from your local mirror or BitTorrent.

For more information see the full release announcement.

2006-02-28: GLI 0.3 released
The Gentoo Linux Installer team would like to announce version 0.3 of the installer. This release incorporates numerous changes and improvements, and for the first time will be an official part of the 2006.0 Gentoo release.

For more information see the full release announcement.

2005-11-21: GLI 0.2 released
The installer team is proud to announce the release of version 0.2 of the Gentoo Linux Installer. There have been many improvements over the 0.1 ("alpha") release, including many new features and many annoying bugs squished.

As always, you can get the LiveCD from the mirrors under /experimental.

For more information see the full release announcement.

2005-08-08: GLI 0.1 released
We are happy to announce GLI 0.1 (a.k.a. "the alpha") along with a real LiveCD (usable X environment with goodies) as opposed to the normal minimal or universal "LiveCD". It is currently available from the mirrors under /experimental.

For more information see the full release announcement.

Resources

 * UML class diagram
 * Use case
 * Code map
 * Initial design specifications
 * Old road map
 * Frequently Asked Questions
 * Screenshots

Meeting logs and summaries
Summaries of each meeting called will be available here, along with raw logs for public viewing:

Contributing
In the usual spirit of Gentoo, our development is very open and we invite you to watch/idle/lurk or even participate. You can join our mailing list by sending an email to, or find us on Freenode at.