Re: [9front] RFC: add a downloads.md page

[hiro <23hiro@gmail.com>]

the way it is right now it emphasizes there's something special about
our version of dd (linking to it is already too much detail).
this doesn't help explain *why* it would be possible to just dd a .iso
to a disk and have it be bootable without extra instructions.

for example somebody might wonder if they have to set their bios up in
a particular ISO on disk way.

the idea that you can just dd the ISO and there's magically already a
MBR is non-obvious but easily understandable by dropping the unique
word that explains the hack "isohybrid". most people, even the ones
who will never google this term will still be helped bec. they will at
least know there's a dedicated mechanism that makes this possible.

i hope this adds some info being phrased slightly differently and
obviously longer

On 8/20/20, Stanley Lieber <sl@stanleylieber.com> wrote:
> On August 19, 2020 7:12:59 PM EDT, hiro <23hiro@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> i don't have any problem adding the word, but this is a thin argument
>>
>>clarity is often subtle, so perhaps a thin argument should be enough.
>>otoh what's your argument to omit the mention? it's not like i went
>>into some distracting details...
>
> i don't have an argument against it, hiro. you seem to need to see it
> mentioned, and i have no reason to refuse you. but this was framed as if
> omitting it was a problem, so i was asking why it was a problem. i'm trying
> to follow your chain of logic so i understand it clearly. so far, we have:
> "it's subtle." my point was that i doubt the information is critical. we
> already say it works. if it doesn't work, knowing the magic word isn't going
> to make it work. i've typed a long paragraph here to answer your question as
> comprehensively as i can.
>
> i think we should also still provide a fuller explanation in the fqa section
> about bootable media.
>
> sl
>