AGAMA installer ... USELESS

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I have just tried to install OpenSUSE Leap 16.0 using the new installer. I found
it was not possible … without a working mouse. Without this, the installer
has very(!) low accessibility/usability.

Using just the keyboard, it was not possible to know(!) where the “focus” was
due to there being no visible indicator at various points on screen. Attempting
the install using the tab, arrow & return keys, and the space bar was an
exercise in outright frustrating futility.

Is there a tutorial online, preferably downloadable pdf, that shows the
mouseless amongst us how this new installer can be used ?

[This comes to you from Debian Trixie 13.6, install not(!!) a problem.]
Stuart

2 Likes
2

Great informative title. Mouse/touchpad should work fine. Done dozens of installs and never had this happen. Which makes me wonder how you created the install USB? Please elaborate on that.

3

Hi @knurpht,

Thanks for such a swift reply.

Done for effect/attention seeking, out of frustration

Touchpad works just fine. The mouse is dead. It still illuminates but seems not to be sending signals to the laptop.

Likewise. Over the decades I have installed RH 6.0, Mandrake, Mandriva, OpenSUSE, Kubuntu, Fedora, and Debian. Never had any problems installing any of those. Mind you, that was with a working mouse. :grinning:

I created an install DVD+RW using Brasero as well as an install Flash Drive using Balena Etcher. Doesn’t matter which medium I use, I still cannot use the installer without a working mouse.

Stuart

4

Then why not use the touchpad?

5

@knurpht,

That is also a bit flaky. I think the touchpad’s rh button is jammed down.

I will now once again try to get Leap 16 installed. “… I may be some time.” :grin:

Stuart

6

What is an ‘rh button’?

7

@stuarte83 Hi, what type of mouse, wired USB, PS/2, wireless, bluetooth, other?

If you press ctrl+alt+F1 and log ionto the TTY and check if it’s visible etc

8

Agama is a web application running inside a (mildly customized) Firefox instance (which runs in a Wayland session), so everything that applies to Firefox concerning keyboard-only handling applies to Agama as well.

But you can also start Agama remotely from another machine in your network or with a prepared installation profile (very much like an old AutoYaST profile, but simpler to handle). Please refer to the Agama documentation, or watch one of the video tutorials on YouTube.

9

Seriously, don’t do that if you expect others to help.
Your frustration might trigger our mental middle finger.

3 Likes
10

Out of curiosity I fired up the Leap 16.0 and the Leap 16.1 network installer and the “mouse-less” interface via Tab+Arrow+Spacebar+Enter seems to work as intended, focus is highligted and I configured the settings for a basic install.
OK, it is somewhat cumbersome and the Agama interface is somewhat basic (especially for 16.0) even with a mouse but it looks to me like an emergency basic install can be done. Once the basic system is up and running you can complete the installation via zypper, Myrlyn etc.?

11

It would be no surprise to me that, if it is, then it would be interfering with mouse operation. If it is stuck, then try disabling the touchpad in the firmware.

How many rodents have you tried?

12

Agama doesn’t have a “second stage” of the installation by default; when it’s done installing packages etc. and reboots into the freshly installed system, it’s done.

Once you started your first graphical desktop, you can of course use Myrlyn or zypper to install more software or get rid of stuff that you don’t want.

13

Yes, of course. Since AGAMA is rather awkward without a mouse, the logic I suggest is “configure the bare minimum, reboot and finish setup on the live system”.

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Or use profiles… :wink: