Installation profiles are a great idea, it is insane that we have to carry out exactly the same hundred of so steps to get set up with the settings and plugins we always use.

Ideally, we should be able to specify ANY plugin when writing our profiles, along with whether or not we wanted it to be automatically activated. The installer would not need to be pre-programmed with specific routines for specific plugins, all it would need would be to read the profile XML file which would state each plugin's download URL and whether or not you wanted it to be automatically activated.

If a plugin has unusual requirements, such as needing to be installed somewhere other than the plugins folder, well, that particular plugin is not going to be suited, but 99% of plugins will be straightforward enough.

A more advanced version of the installer might also allow us to specify info that we have to submit every time, such as our Akismet API code.

Before the installation goes ahead, each entry in our profile should be displayed to us with tick boxes and delete buttons, allowing us to make specific changes for that specific installation.

For example, I almost always use the Sitemap generator, so, it is ticked but, this time, I don't need it, so, I untick that box to stop it being activated or press delete to entirely remove it from that specific installation process. No changes are made to the profile file itself.

@DD32 - I had a look at WP Quick Install a day or two ago and neither the 0.5 pre-beta release nor the nightly build seem to be working. The forum also seems to be fairly inactive, no posts within the last month. Your project has huge potential, it really is something that would be of genuine use to many, many people, but you should try to capitalize on the interest and get it moving while people are still excited by the concept, otherwise it will just become another StayPress, a burden around your neck.