Debconf dialog box is confusing

so the installation is made, but users dont know where as all is made secretly and blindly:

- when user understand " i dont check, so i'm installing", nothing happen (checking is required to continue)
- if the box is checked, user understand " i dont install" but installation is made

so continuing without installation is not possible.

On Fri, Jul 02, 2010 at 07:49:23AM -0000, dino99 wrote:
> the text is : Continue without installing GRUB ? (with the non selected
> checkbox)
>
> how people can understand that ?
> - most users will understand: if i check (= i answer 'yes') that mean " continue without installing grub"

But that's exactly what it means.

> but anyway this is not a question as users have only the choice to check
> it to be able to continue and finally install the package: so checking
> this single choice (LOL) is doing exactly the opposite of its supposed
> to do.

Users certainly have a real choice here; if you leave it unchecked then
it goes back and lets you select devices to install to again. Offering
this choice matters because it's possible that some other boot loader is
actually in place.

> Instead of this meaningless question, why not giving a clear choice:
>
> - install grub-pc: check this box

That would be bad since it is not always presented as a checkbox. That
depends on the debconf frontend in use.

  http://www.debian.org/doc/developers-reference/best-pkging-practices.html#s6.5.2.4

Hi Colin,

i've explained with details what is happening, and hoping you modify the wording to be less ambiguous and/or totaly wrong:

> most users will understand: if i check (= i answer 'yes') that mean " continue without installing grub"

> But that's exactly what it means.
 NO without = doing nothing,
 and if that box is checked i understand: "continue without installing", in fact the installation is done !!!!
So, again pay attention please.

> if you leave it unchecked then
> it goes back and lets you select devices to install to again:
AGAIN NO: the only choice is to check it to go ahead, if unchecked it goes nowhere and propose nothing

To resume, thats what i've experienced with this update , so applying on an existing grub installed both on sdb & sdc, and you cannot negate all the trouble caused by such sentence. Maybe your answer is true with an initial installation (i've not checked yet) but is wrong in case of updates.