Installing Linux

1
Chapter 3

• Installing Linux

2
Objectives

• In this chapter, you will
• Install a popular distribution of Linux
• Start using a new Linux system
• Troubleshoot problems with a Linux distribution

3
Understanding Installation Issues
Valued Gateway Client

• Many Linux distributions are available
• The installation program for each distribution is
  different
• During the installation process you should answer
  technical questions

4
Linux Distributions

• Vendors of commercial distributions offer
  documentation, technical support, additional
  software packages, or related services
• Each Linux distribution targets a certain type of
  user
• Linux vendors focus on creating products with the
  most recent versions of all software from the
  Internet

5
Linux Distributions

• There are differences in the installation program
  for each distribution
• The default configuration values and the default
  services on a Linux system vary by distribution
• Different vendors place configuration files in
  different locations
• There are differences in configuration utilities

6
Red Hat Linux

• Red Hat Linux was released in 1993
• Red Hat Linux is the most widely used
  distribution in the world
• Red Hat Linux has proved to be a stable,
  long-term participant in the Linux market

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An Overview of Linux Installation

• Linux installation is started from a floppy disk
  or Linux CD
• Define the source of the Linux files and the
  target partition
• A target hard disk partition is the location on
  the systems hard disk where Linux will be
  installed
• Define what software to install and configure
• Answer questions posed by the installation program

8
Installation Source Options

• The most common installation sources are
• CD-ROM
• Hard disk
• Floppy disk
• Network installation

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Options for Starting the Installation

• A boot disk is a floppy disk that can start up
  your computer and initialize the installation
  program
• A bootable CD-ROM drive is a drive that can
  launch an operating system directly from a CD-ROM
• A disk image is a single file that contains an
  exact copy of a floppy disk
• The first Linux CD-ROM contains a disk image of a
  boot disk

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Creating Floppy Disks to Start the Installation

• You can use either Windows or Linux to create
  disk images
• Use the rawwritewin program to create a boot disk
• Within the Write tab, enter the full path of the
  image file, and click the Write button

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The Rawwritewin Program
12
The Installation Process

• The installation process includes several steps
• Answering initial questions
• Preparing hard disk partitions
• Choosing installation options
• Configuring the boot manager

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Answering Initial Questions

• Choose a keyboard layout and a language for the
  installation
• Answer about
• Mouse
• Time zone
• Video card
• Other details

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Preparing Hard Disk Partitions

• The various components of Linux can be arranged
  on different hard disk partitions to make system
  administration tasks easier
• You can configure partitions within Linux
  installation program

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Preparing Hard Disk Partitions

• Set up both a swap partition and a data partition
  (ext2 or ext3 file system format)
• To configure partitions, use one of the options
• Edit the partition table
• Use a graphical interface
• Use the fdisk utility

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Hard Disk Specifications

• Hard disks in Linux are identified by device
  names
• The first hard disk that uses a IDE interface is
  identified as /dev/hda
• The first hard disk that uses a SCSI interface is
  identified as /dev/sda

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Deciding on Mount Points

• Linux defines a mount point for different file
  systems or storage devices
• A mount point is a subdirectory through which a
  set of data is accessed
• The beginning point for every Linux file system
  is called the root directory
• Linux does not use drive letters

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Typical Subdirectory Mount Points
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Example Mount Points for a Multiple-Partition
Installation
20
Choosing What to Install

• A software package is a single file that contains
  all the files needed to install and use an
  application
• Software packages are managed using the Red Hat
  Package Manager (rpm) format or the dpkg utility
  from the Debian distribution

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Choosing What to Install

• Installation programs provide multiple
  installation types such as
• Sever
• Graphical Workstation
• Software Development Station
• Installation options define applications to be
  installed with the basic operating system

22
Levels of Categorization for Linux Files and
Packages
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Selecting an Installation Type in Red Hat Linux
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Package Groups in Red Hat Linux
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Package Groups in Red Hat Linux
26
User Accounts

• The root account is the system administration
  account
• The root account is created automatically during
  installation
• To create a regular user account, choose a
  username and a password

27
Configuring the Boot Manager

• During the Linux installation you have the option
  of installing the Linux boot manager in one of
  several locations
• The Master Boot Record
• The boot sector of the active partition
• A floppy disk

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Starting Linux

• Start a Linux-based computer
• Login before you can use its resources
• Authentication, or logging in process of
  identifying yourself as a valid user with
  certain access rights
• The login screen can be in text mode or graphical
  mode

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A Text-Mode Login Screen
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The Gnome Desktop Interface
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Red Hat Network Service
32
Troubleshooting a New Installation

• Problems with installing Linux are usually
  related to incorrectly recognized hardware
• You can correct it by using boot parameters or by
  adjusting system configuration

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The System Wont Boot

• If the Linux installation program does not start,
  there are likely causes
• The boot disk is created incorrectly
• The BIOS is configured incorrectly
• The installation program is not able to detect a
  video card

34
The System Wont Boot

• After Linux is installed, the system wont boot,
  because there are likely causes
• One boot manager is installed on the active
  partition but another boot manager installed ion
  the MBR
• The system does not identify hardware
• A boot parameter is a piece of information about
  the hardware that you supply to the boot manager

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The Graphical Interface Doesnt Work

• The possible causes why the graphical interface
  does not work
• A wrong color depth or resolution
• The video hardware is not detected by the
  installation program

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A Device or Part of MemoryIsnt Available

• To fix the problem with the CD-ROM drive access,
  add a boot parameter linux cdrom/dev/hdc
• To fix the problem with the RAM access, add the
  following boot parameter with the amount of RAM
  linux mem512M
• You can combine multiple parameters on a single
  line separated by spaces

37
Testing Network Connections

• To test the network connection, use the ping
  command
• If no lines appear, networking is not configured
  or activated on your system
• To test your network adapter card configuration,
  use the ping command followed by an IP address
• You can run the net utility in Red Hat Linux to
  configure your networking card

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Summary

• Commercial Linux distributions such as SuSE
  Linux, Caldera OpenLinux, Red Hat Linux provide
  graphical installation programs
• Linux installations can be started by a boot
  disk, by a bootable CD-Rom, from files on a hard
  disk, or across a network connection
• During the Linux installation, a user defines the
  source of the Linux files and the target
  partition, chooses an installation type, and
  software to be installed
• You can install a dual-boot system via a boot
  manager program

39
Summary

• Linux accesses file systems via mount points
• You can configure different hard disk partitions
  within the Linux installation program
• Software packages are managed using special
  formats such as the Red Hat Package manager
• To start using a Linux system, you must login
• You can fix problems with Installing Linux by
  using boot parameters or adjusting system
  configurations