Anaconda/Features/WarnTaintedHardware

= Warn users if installing on unsupported hardware =

Summary
If the kernel detects unsupported hardware, warn users when starting the installer.

Owner

 * Name: Chris Lumens

Current status

 * Targeted release: Fedora 15
 * Last updated: 2010-12-02
 * Percentage of completion: 100%

Detailed Description
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=623140

Bug #600509 introduced TAINT_HARDWARE_UNSUPPORTED in the kernel. The flag detects hardware that Red Hat does not officially support.

The flag can be set during the kernel boot and possibly during module load when the kernel detects hardware that Red Hat is known not to support. The flag value can be read from /proc/sys/kernel/taint.

If the flag is set anaconda should display a window with the following information:

Unsupported hardware detected. This hardware (or a combination thereof) is not supported by Red Hat. For more information on supported hardware, please refer to http://www.redhat.com/hardware.

Scope
Add a check early on in anaconda (loader, preferably though this doesn't help the livecd case) for the tainted flag, and show a warning if present.

Test Plan
Perform an install with nothing special hardware-wise. Note the lack of early warning dialog. Perform an install with unsupported hardware (see bug report for details). Note the early warning dialog that does not prevent you from installing.

User Experience
If tainted hardware is present, the user will see a warning dialog telling them their hardware is unsupported. This warning will appear on interactive installs as well as kickstart installs. Installation will not halt, however.

Dependencies
None.

Contingency Plan
It would take longer to come up with a contingency plan than it would to add this feature.

Documentation
None besides the above bug report.

Release Notes
None required.