Installing a Linux Distribution

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Installing a Linux Distribution
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Operating System Installation

• Before a computer can be used, and Operating
  system should be present
• Operating system allows a user to interact with
  an utilize a systems resources
• An OS is a compilation of many programs
• Operating System is normally local to a device.
  Exceptions always exist
• Terminal servers
• Live CDs
• Boot Discs
• Different Methods for OS installation exist

3
Install methods

• Bootable CD/DVD
• Over the Network
• PXEBoot
• Kickstarting vs Interactive mode
• Imaging
• Live CDs and DVDs

4
Selecting a Distro

• Determine
• The type of user, users experience level
• The purpose of the machine
• What sort of hardware the machine has
• What sort of software you will use
• Selection Tools
• http//www.tuxs.org/chooser/
• http//polishlinux.org/choose/quiz/
• http//distrowatch.com/

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PXE boot process

• Required components
• Hardware supporting PXEboot
• DHCP server (for address assignment)
• TFTP server (for transferring initial boot files,
  one block at a time via UDP)
• Process
• Get IP address, boot loader info from DHCP
• Get boot loader (pxelinux.0), read config file(s)
• Get kernel image and ram disk image
• Start Installaller

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Our Environment

• The network cards in the Dells in our lab dont
  support PXEBoot
• Boot from a CentOS boot disc, start networking
• Connect to file server via http for access to
  install files

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Anaconda

• RedHat/Fedora installer
• Can Be run in both Text and Graphical modes
• Additional consoles
• No X Alt Function key
• Within X Alt Ctrl Function key
• Can be used to troubleshoot installation

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Anaconda Process

• Users will typically see
• Media check
• install language
• Keyboard config
• Install type
• Disk partitioning
• Boot loader configuration
• Network configuration
• Firewall and security configuration
• System language
• Time zone
• Root password
• Package customization (and minimal / everything)

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Disk Partitioning

• Dividing a single hard drive into multiple
  logical drives
• Reasons for partitioning
• Isolating data (protect from corruption)
• Limiting data growth, protecting important
  partitions
• Partition types
• Primary partitions (4 max)
• Logical partitions
• Swap partitions
• Foreign volumes

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Common Partitions

• Physical disks (a.k.a device names)
• /dev/hda, /dev/hdb
• /dev/sda
• Partition names
• /dev/hda1, /dev/hda2
• /dev/sda1
• Logical partition names (a.k.a filesystems)
• / where everything goes
• /boot where boot files go
• swap your virtual memory

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Logical Volume Management (LVM)

• Higher level view more abstraction
• Gives sysadmins more flexibility in allocating
  storage
• Resize partitions, extend partitions to new
  physical disks
• Software RAID configurations
• Terminology Volume Groups contain Logical
  Volumes
• No Bootloaders!

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Logical Volume Management
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Homework

• Look at http//tldp.org
• Check out HOW-TOs
• Partitioning
• Logical Volume Management