Developers of the Opensuse introduced installer Agama 13, designed to replace the classic SUSE and Opensuse installation interface, featuring a user interface from the internal components of YAST. AGAMA supports the use of various frontends, such as a frontend for managing installation through a Web interface. The installer’s components’ code is distributed under the license GPLV2 and written in Ruby, Rust, and JavaScript/typescript.
To test the new installer, a live-assembly has been formed for architectures x86_64, PPC64le, S390X, and ARM64. The assemblies are available for the installation of an alpha version of Opensuse Leap 16, continuously updated assemblies Opensuse Tumbleweed and Opensuse Slowroll, as well as the Microos editors based on containers. The installer will be delivered as part of Opensuse 16 (alpha version available) and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16 (beta release expected in May).
AGAMA’s development goals include eliminating existing restrictions on the graphic interface, expanding the possibilities of using YAST functionality in other applications, moving away from binding to one programming language, and stimulating the creation of alternative settings by community members. Functions provided by the installer include choosing the initial set of applications, setting up network connection, language, keyboard, time zone, and localization parameters, preparing storage devices, creating partitions, and adding users to the system.
For installation of packages, hardware checks, disk partitioning, and other necessary functions, Yast libraries are still utilized, with service layers implemented on top to abstract access to the libraries through a unified communication protocol based on HTTP. The installer utilizes a multiprocessing architecture, allowing the user interface to remain unblocked during other operations.
The base interface for managing the installation is built using Web technologies. The Web interface is written in JavaScript using the React framework and