Making it easier to install VMs on XCP

Installing a linux VM on XCP requires the following steps:

1. Clone a template
2. Add a CDROM or a VIF
3. Tweak some VM.other_config:parameters (e.g. to include the exact URL of an install repo)
4. Answer the VM installer's questions

Ideally we would have

• Fewer steps (more sensible defaults)
• More tolerance to user error (e.g. if the network URL isn't perfect, use a heuristic to find the install files)

Ideas for improvement

1. Add a VIF to our default templates to the main management network. This would make network installation easier.
2. If no network install URL is provided, fall back to a known good one
   1. Even better would be to use a tool like Debian netselect to choose a good one
3. If a network install URL is provided but it slightly wrong (typical failure would be to point at a subdirectory by mistake), attempt to auto-correct it
4. If a CDROM is attached, attempt to detect the install files and work out what kind of system it is (debianlike or rhlike)
5. Allow the user to request an auto-install via an answerfile or preseed file
   1. Even better would be to serve-up default answerfiles from the system

Measuring the improvements

1. Count the number of characters you need to type to install a particular guest type (eg Debian 6.0). Lower is better.