Install Wizard feature request

[ispyisail]

Hi all

I would like to see an "Install Wizard". While Gargoyle is very simple for users with a good understand of networks, it is still not simple for the average PC user.

This is my suggestion (Based single port Atheros device)

1. The router should be pre configures as an wireless AP
   
   The user then boots the Gargoyle router which tries to connect the the DHCP server (wired). If it detects that the DHCP server and Gargoyle are on the same subnet it changes the Gargoyle router subnet.
   
   The user then connects to the Gargoyle routers wirelessly
   
   The user then opens his web browser and is then auto redirected to the Gargoyle setup wizard.
   
   The Wizard checks for and internet connections If one is not detected it asks the user to do something.
   
   Next the wizard asks for all PC's that required internet access to be turned on and be connected wirelessly to obtain a fixed IP address
   
   Then the wizard the askes what data limits should be put on clients etc

Or something like this, I'm sure I havent thought of everything

Thanks

[DoesItMatter]

I don't think this would be too hard to configure at all.

Actually - for what you are asking, the easiest thing to do would
be to code some script or simple program to auto-generate configs.

I would think it could go something like this:

1) Flash new build of firmware to router

2) Once it's rebooted and configured with password / timezone
do a backup of the firmware settings so its a fresh clean config

3) Load up the 'Configuration Program' and have it read the
clean config file, then make any changes you want and save it

4) Go back into Gargoyle and load up the modified config file

5) Reboot Gargoyle and you are all setup!

I believe the backup config is usually tar/gzip?
Since those are public domain, should be able to get that code
easily enough, and then its just a matter of a simple gui to edit
all the different config files and options

What I am not sure of, is if there is a way to program so that
if Eric adds any new options/features/settings, the configuration
program will recognize those new settings and show them,
or if the configuration program will need to be updated as well.

----------------------

Edit: Damnit... now you got me thinking about this!
I'm a Windows guy mainly. I will see if I can load up some type
of C++ compiler and have a go at this. I'll try and keep it
basic C++ and not too much GUI stuff so that it should be easily
ported for the linux / mac people... or maybe not - I suppose
that they could always use WINE or something

[Eric]

I'm not inclined to make an "install wizard" that pops up when the user first logs in beyond the password switch / timezone setting currently available. A lot of settings are very optional, and this is going to annoy people that already know what they want to do, and confuse people who are uncertain what some of the options are.

However, if DoesItMatter wants to work on something like this as a companion tool, that might be very interesting. I'm very curious what you come up with.

[DoesItMatter]

I have not forgotten about this - just been busy.

I just recently flashed 1.3.5 and 1.2.5 on a WRT54G-TM

I made fresh backups of the configs after flashing and have
multiple copies stored.

Wanted to wait for a new firmware update before trying this out.

I will work on this over next couple of weeks and see what I can
come up with, then offer some sample tests.

Looks like it shouldn't matter at all if on 1.2.x or 1.3.x for
configuration, as I only saw 1 or 2 files different, but I am not
even planning on touching those for this 'wizard' thing.

Just want to see if I can get most of the basic stuff accessible.

The whole trick I'm trying to accomplish is to be able to read
the .tar.gz formatted file in memory, and re-write it back to
the same file, without changing any structures/format.

That way the user shouldn't have to do all the unpacking manually.

I am actually planning on using the Python language to accomplish
this as it seems to have .tar.gz file access built in, and I figured I
may as well try to learn another language!