Feature #11111

Be more careful when documenting the BIOS

Added by sajolida 2016-02-12 15:55:17 . Updated 2018-08-17 16:44:44 .

Status:
Confirmed
Priority:
Low
Assignee:
Category:
Installation
Target version:
Start date:
2016-02-12
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Feature Branch:
Type of work:
End-user documentation
Blueprint:

Starter:
Affected tool:
Installation Assistant
Deliverable for:

Description

The BIOS might be one of the most scary thing to get into in your computer if you’ve never seen it before. The current instructions on /install/inc/steps/not_at_all.inline/ could be adjusted to take this more into account. For example by:

  • Taking into account that people might end up in the BIOS while trying out keys to get to the Boot Menu. If this occurs we should recommend them to restart and try other keys.
  • Explaining first what both the BIOS and Boot Menu are and make it clear that we’re looking for the Boot Menu and not the BIOS as it’s much more complicated to deal with. Maybe adding screenshots for BIOS would help here.
  • Making it clear that the BIOS is something complicated and that people with no experience might as well stop here and ask for external help. But that if they are ready to spend time fiddling with it they might make it and learn useful stuff though the interface is very clunky.
  • Maybe moving the BIOS documentation a little bit more out of the way. Maybe in another toggle.
  • Explaining better to write down any changes, for example saying:
If you do end up having to modify the BIOS, be sure to note down the original settings you change, so you can reset them afterwards if this is needed to boot normally.
  • Mention the usual BIOS option to revert to factory defaults. Maybe:
Most BIOSes have an option to restore factory defaults too, in which case you may also then need to correct the date and time.

Subtasks

Related issues

Related to Tails - Bug #10649: Have a video to explain how to start Tails (and use the boot menu key) Resolved 2015-11-24

History

#1 Updated by sajolida 2016-02-12 15:55:24

  • related to Bug #10649: Have a video to explain how to start Tails (and use the boot menu key) added

#2 Updated by sajolida 2016-02-12 16:02:30

  • Subject changed from Mention the possibility of ending up in the BIOS while looking for the Boot Menu to Be more careful when documenting the BIOS
  • Description updated

#3 Updated by sajolida 2016-02-13 14:22:43

  • Description updated

#4 Updated by sajolida 2016-04-01 10:47:42

  • Assignee deleted (sajolida)

#5 Updated by Anonymous 2018-01-16 16:02:52

I have the feeling that most of these issues have been addressed in the second version of the installation assistant..

sajolida wrote:

> * Taking into account that people might end up in the BIOS while trying out keys to get to the Boot Menu. If this occurs we should recommend them to restart and try other keys.

We now advertise some keys explictly in the “Tails does not start at all” section on https://tails.boum.org/install/win/usb/index.en.html

> * Explaining first what both the BIOS and Boot Menu are and make it clear that we’re looking for the Boot Menu and not the BIOS as it’s much more complicated to deal with. Maybe adding screenshots for BIOS would help here.

We now explain the boot menu in the “Tails does not start at all” section on https://tails.boum.org/install/win/usb/index.en.html and only later on we talk about the BIOS.

> * Making it clear that the BIOS is something complicated and that people with no experience might as well stop here and ask for external help. But that if they are ready to spend time fiddling with it they might make it and learn useful stuff though the interface is very clunky.

I think this is partly addressed, except for the proposed step 4 which is unclear and does not tell users what or why they should do that: “Try to upgrade the BIOS to the latest version provided by the manufacturer.”

> * Maybe moving the BIOS documentation a little bit more out of the way. Maybe in another toggle.

You did that.

> * Mention the usual BIOS option to revert to factory defaults. Maybe:

I think this was done too.

#6 Updated by Anonymous 2018-01-16 16:05:12

  • Assignee set to sajolida
  • QA Check set to Info Needed

All in all, i think this ticket can be closed.

As for phrase n°4 I want to propose to better explain: “Try to upgrade the BIOS to the latest version provided by the manufacturer.”
We should tell users why we recommend this, or drop the sentence (I doubt that the average user knows how to update their BIOS at all.)

What do you think?

#7 Updated by sajolida 2018-02-16 20:59:51

  • Assignee deleted (sajolida)
  • Priority changed from Normal to Low
  • QA Check deleted (Info Needed)

As I think I’ve heard you mention this several times already: there has been only one version of the installation assistant. I hasn’t changed much since we released it in 2015. In 2017 we only changed the download page.

This ticket was created after the first and only release and, after a quick look, it seems to me that most of it still applies.

But sure, it’s one of these cool ideas that might not become reality in a while. So I’m at least move it to “Low” priority and removing it from my plate.

#8 Updated by Anonymous 2018-08-17 16:44:44

Ack :)