guide to linux installation and administration, 2e1 chapter 3 installing linux

Guide to Linux Installation and Administration, 2e 1

Chapter 3

Installing Linux


Objectives

In this chapter, you will:

• Install a popular distribution of Linux

• Start using a new Linux system

• Troubleshoot problems with a Linux distribution


Understanding Installation Issues

• Many Linux distributions are available

• The installation program for each distribution is different

• During the installation process you should answer technical questions


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


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


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


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

system’s hard disk where Linux will be installed

• Define what software to install and configure• Answer questions posed by the installation

program


Installation Source Options

• The most common installation sources are:– CD-ROM

– Hard disk

– Floppy disk

– Network installation


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


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


The Rawwritewin Program


The Installation Process

• The installation process includes several steps:– Answering initial questions

– Preparing hard disk partitions

– Choosing installation options

– Configuring the boot manager


Answering Initial Questions

• Choose a keyboard layout and a language for the installation

• Answer about:– Mouse

– Time zone

– Video card

– Other details


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


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


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


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


Typical Subdirectory Mount Points


Example Mount Points for a Multiple-Partition Installation


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


Choosing What to Install

• Installation programs provide multiple installation types such as: – Server

– Graphical Workstation

– Software Development Station

• Installation options define applications to be installed with the basic operating system


Levels of Categorization for Linux Files and Packages


Selecting an Installation Type in Red Hat Linux


Package Groups in Red Hat Linux


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


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


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


A Text-Mode Login Screen


The Gnome Desktop Interface


Red Hat Network Service


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


The System Won’t 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


The System Won’t Boot

• After Linux is installed, the system won’t boot, because there are likely causes:– One boot manager is installed on the active

partition but another boot manager installed on 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


The Graphical Interface Doesn’t 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


A Device or Part of MemoryIsn’t 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 mem=512M

• You can combine multiple parameters on a single line separated by spaces


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


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


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

guide to linux installation and administration, 2e1 chapter 3 installing linux

Documents

linux slide

linux cdrom

linux files

linux distribution slide

linux market slide

installation process

installation program

installation issues