Chapter 8: Installing Linux The Complete Guide To Linux System Administration

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration2 Objectives Learn about the hardware components of your computer system Configure hard disk space to hold a new Linux installation Install Linux Automate installation of multiple systems

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration3 Reviewing Your Computer’s Hardware Install operating system yourself Plan your installation to: –Make effective use of hardware –Prevent problems from occurring during installation Before installing –Gather information about computer –Determine best way to organize Linux on computer

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration4 Understanding Computer Hardware Linux treats computer hardware as collection of devices Must be configured to use all devices on computer system Before installing Linux, gather information about computer system

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration5 Understanding Computer Hardware (continued) Common terms that describe computer hardware –Bit/Byte –Megabyte (MB)/Gigabyte (GB) –Random Access Memory (RAM) –Read-Only Memory (ROM) –Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) –CMOS RAM

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration6 Understanding Computer Hardware (continued)

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration7 Understanding Computer Hardware (continued) Common terms that describe computer hardware –Interrupt request (IRQ) –Direct memory access (DMA) channel –Port-mapped input/output (port-mapped I/O) –I/O port –Hexadecimal numbering –IDE –IDE controller –SCSI –USB

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration8 Understanding Computer Hardware (continued)

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration9 Supported Linux Hardware Linux works with thousands of different hardware devices Not all devices work with Linux –Newer hardware devices less likely to be supported Check on Web site of Linux vendor to see if hardware is supported

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration10 Supported Linux Hardware (continued) http//hardware.RedHat.com –Comprehensive site for exploring Linux hardware compatibility –Applies to all Linux distributions

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration11 Understanding Networking Networking protocols –Used by computer systems to communicate Protocol –Organized pattern of signals or words IP networking –Each computer must have unique IP address –All IP addresses on single network related

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration12 Understanding Networking (continued) Special IP addresses associated with setting up Linux networking –Network mask –Network address that identifies local network –Broadcast address –Gateway address Domain name –Assigned to organization –Used to identify collection of computers

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration13 Understanding Networking (continued)

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration14 Understanding Networking (continued) Top-level domain name –Last word of domain name Domain name system (DNS) –Network service –Maps domain names and host names to IP addresses

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration15 Creating a Shared System Dual-boot system –System with more than one operating system Live CD version of Linux –Boots from CD-ROM –Uses system memory (RAM) as storage –Never writes information to hard disk Boot manager –Select operating system each time computer booted

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration16 Creating a Shared System (continued) Basic options –Store each operating system on separate hard disk –Store multiple operating systems on single hard disk

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration17 Graphical Systems Current installation programs –Automatically detect what video card is installed –Configure it without any input from user Good idea to understand some video card concepts for those times when installation doesn’t go as smoothly as planned Very few standards exist

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration18 Creating a System Inventory Sources of information –Manuals –BIOS settings –Microsoft windows operating system Take advantage of device information Windows has discovered Find networking information –IP address gateway other information

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration19 Configuring Disk Space Must install Linux in dedicated partition on hard disk Each hard disk can have only four partitions –Called primary partitions –Numbered 1 through 4 Logical partitions –Exist within physical partition –Numbered beginning with 5

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration20 Configuring Disk Space (continued) Logical partitions –Some Linux distributions use logical partitions by default Active partition –Bootable partition –BIOS passes control to operating system stored on partition

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration21 Booting the System Master boot record (MBR) –Contains small program that decides how to start operating system Boot record –Small area that contains boot manager program to start operating system on partition Linux boot manager can be stored on either –MBR –Boot record of active partition

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration22 Hard Disk Geometry Hard disk composed of multiple flat platters that hold magnetic data Track –Concentric circle on platter Sector –Unit of data storage on hard disk –Contains 512 bytes Block –1024 bytes or two sectors

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration23 Hard Disk Geometry (continued)

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration24 Swap Partitions Should create separate partition used as swap partition –For more efficient operation –Normally from 64 MB to 1 GB in size Should be twice the size of RAM

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration25 Preparing a Shared Hard Disk Disk partitioning utility –Needed to create dual-boot system –Products FIPS Parted partition editor PartitionMagic QtParted Defragmenting –Necessary before installing Linux

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration26 Install Red Hat Software’s Fedora Linux –Procedure applicable to virtually all versions of Linux Installing Linux

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration27 Linux Distributions Linux distributions very similar to each other technically Fedora Linux –Based on Red Hat Linux –Stable long-term participant in Linux market

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration28 An Overview of Linux Installation Operating system initializes itself sufficiently to install itself on computer General procedure –User starts installation program –Installation program runs copy of Linux within the computer’s RAM –Installation program determines where files for installation are located

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration29 An Overview of Linux Installation (continued) General procedure –Installation program determines where Linux operating system should be installed –User answers questions –Program copies Linux software packages from installation source to target partition –Installation program configures system –User starts newly installed Linux operating system

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration30 Installation Source Options CD-ROM Hard disk Network installation

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration31 Options for Starting the Installation Pass control directly to Linux installation program located on: –Floppy disk –CD-ROM Boot disk –Removable disk that can start up computer and initialize installation program Bootable CD-ROM drive –Drive that can start operating system

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration32 Options for Starting the Installation (continued) Disk image –Single file –Contains exact copy of floppy disk –Create boot disk if CD boot does not work –Usually for older computers

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration33 The Installation Process Initial questions –How you will interact with installation program Preparing hard disk partitions –Edit partition table Deciding on mount points –Subdirectory through which set of data is accessed –Must specify mount point for new Linux file system –Create regular user account for non system administration work

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration34 The Installation Process (continued) Choosing what to install –Decide which of many components to install –Installation type determines which Linux software is installed –Software package―s ingle file that contains all files needed to install and use application –RPM―most popular data storage format for creating software packages –Packages grouped into functional categories –Fedora Linux provides three installation types plus custom installation option

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration35 The Installation Process (continued) User accounts –Specify password for root account –Create regular user account for non system administration work Configuring boot manager –Possible locations Master boot record Boot sector of partition on which Linux is being installed Floppy disk

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration36 The Installation Process (continued)

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration37 Kickstart Installations Kickstart –Method of automating installation selections –Used to reinstall system or install multiple identical systems –Relies on configuration file Contains all settings to complete installation

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration38 Reviewing the Kickstart Configuration File File /root/anaconda-ks.cfg –Created during installation –Open with editor

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration39 Using the Graphical Configuration Tool Create file –From scratch in text editor –Using graphical Kickstart configurator tool Helpful to be logged in as root Kickstart configurator –Tool to create Kickstart configuration file –Do not need to define every option in Kickstart configuration

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration40 Using the Graphical Configuration Tool (continued)

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration41 Summary Devices communicate with CPU using: –Interrupts –Direct memory access –Port-mapped I/O Linux supports thousands of hardware components (devices) Protocols define how devices and parts of operating system communicate with each other

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration42 Summary (continued) Compile detailed system inventory Dual-boot system –Use Linux on same computer as another operating system Linux installations are started by: –Boot disk –Bootable CD-ROM –Bootable DVD –Bootable USB device

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration43 Summary (continued) Attractive graphical installation programs standard in commercial versions of Linux Various components of Linux sometimes arranged on different hard disk partitions Kickstart method uses configuration file to hold all installation selections