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Unit 1: Installing Linux

1.2 The Installation Notes

Different types of installation methods are available. You can select any one from them.

z z CD-ROM: If you have a CD-ROM drive and the Red Hat Linux CD-ROMs, you can use this
method. You will need a boot diskette or a bootable CD-ROM. A PCMCIA driver diskette
may also be used.
z z Hard Drive: If you have copied the Red Hat Linux ISO images to a local hard drive, you
can use this method. You will need a boot diskette. A PCMCIA driver diskette may also
be used.
z z NFS Image: If you are installing from an NFS server using ISO images or a mirror image
of Red Hat Linux, you can use this method. You will need a network driver diskette. A
PCMCIA driver diskette may also be used. Please note that NFS installations may also be
performed in GUI mode.

z z FTP: If you are installing directly from an FTP server, use this method. You will need a
network driver diskette. A PCMCIA driver diskette may also be used.

z z HTTP: If you are installing directly from an HTTP (Web) server, use this method. You will
need a network driver diskette. A PCMCIA driver diskette may also be used.

1.2.1 Installing Red Hat Linux

There is quite a variety of Linux distributions from which to choose from. Each distribution offers
the same base Linux kernel and system tools, but differ on installation method and bundled
applications. Each distribution has its own advantages as well as disadvantages, so it is wise
to spend a bit of time researching which features are available in a given distribution before
deciding on one.

The installation of a Linux system requires a little more up-front research than does a Windows
installation. As many Linux device drivers are created through community-based reverse-
engineering, rather than by those devices’ manufacturers, it’s important to check a number of
hardware compatibility lists prior to commencing the installation. This will help you ensure that
drivers exist for the devices on your server.
Linux support can take many forms, the most popular being Web-based lists and forums.
This approach truly represents the spirit of community in the open source world, where user
experience is relied upon to provide solutions to Linux issues. All commercial Linux distributors
provide some level of paid support, though the support period may vary widely from one
distributor to another.
Linux systems can be installed with a full complement of graphical tools, or as a minimal text-
based system. The installers follow suit, providing options to complete an installation from a
graphical environment, or from a purely text-based environment.
Unlike Windows systems, the desktop environment is not inextricably bound to the operating
system kernel code. Instead, the X Windows and desktop management systems are distinct systems
that run in their own space. This feature of Linux allows for the creation of a fully operational,
text-based system, which boasts a very small installation code base. However, most users will opt
for a graphical system based on X Windows and any of a number of desktop managers.

1.2.2 Creating a Boot Disk

In order to install Linux, we must begin by booting the Linux kernel. This is accomplished in
exactly the same manner as if you wanted to reload MS-DOS: we need a boot disk. But most
distributions come only with a CD-ROM, and even if we had a running Linux system, the

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