=== Parthenope -- Current Status and Improvements

Links: +
link:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QBWZyg2fdSmfs7xdZ1Jxg6-5I1iawoGweXVVk7tVlHk[BSDCan 2026 Presentation Slides]

Contact: Alfonso Sabato Siciliano <asiciliano@FreeBSD.org>

Parthenope is a modular, two-step installer for FreeBSD, written in Lua.

During this quarter, the project was presented at BSDCan 2026, showcasing its current status, recent improvements, and future directions.
The presentation also introduced several new ideas, mockups, and proof-of-concept implementations for future discussion and development, including an out-of-box experience and/or a post-installation configuration workflow.

Since the previous status report and the EuroBSDCon 2025 presentation, several core parts of the installer have been completely refactored or rewritten, including:

* The configuration file;
* The communication file used to exchange data between Step 1 and Step 2;
* The installer subsystems, including internationalization, multi-mode support, and related infrastructure;
* The Step 1 and Step 2 managers;
* The component framework, where installation screens are now managed and invoked by the Step 1 Manager;
* Multiple installer components and installation screens.

The Text User Interface (TUI) frontend is now close to feature-complete, bringing it close to supporting a complete FreeBSD installation.
The remaining major components and screens are the partition editor, ZFS configuration, boot configuration, and the network manager.

While it is not yet possible to fully install FreeBSD using Parthenope, development is progressing rapidly toward a functional release.
The next steps are:

* Complete the remaining TUI installer components and screens.
* Implement the Command Line Interface (CLI) frontend to improve accessibility.
* Develop the Web frontend to enable installation via a web browser.

Parthenope started as a personal project, but it continues to grow thanks to community ideas, feedback, and feature requests, which are always welcome.
