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This release of Red Hat Linux features a graphical, mouse-based installation
program, but you can also install Red Hat Linux using a text mode, keyboard-based
installation program. This chapter briefly explains how to use the text
mode installation program. Here are some recommendations:
If you are new to Linux installations, read Chapter 4 first. The main focus of the chapter is the
graphical installation process, but most of the concepts apply to the
text mode installation as well. After reading that chapter, the section called Things You Should Know will give you more in-depth
information regarding the aspects of installing Red Hat Linux that do not
apply to the graphical installation process.
Additionally, the An Introduction to Disk
Partitions appendix in the Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide
may be helpful to you, since it discusses disk partition resizing.
If you plan to install Red Hat Linux on a disk where another
operating system is currently installed, this knowledge will be
crucial.
If you plan to install over a network (via NFS, FTP, or HTTP), you
must make a network boot disk.
Appendix D
explains how to do this.
If you have never used the text mode installation program, or need
a refresher on its user interface, read the next sections.
To begin installation without further delay, turn to
the section called Starting the Installation Program.
Before attempting to install Red Hat Linux, you should collect information about
your system. This information will help prevent any surprises during the
installation. You can find most of this information in the
documentation that came with your system, or from the system's vendor or
manufacturer.
The most recent list of supported hardware can be found at
http://hardware.redhat.com. You should check your hardware
against this list before proceeding.
 | Note |
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| | You can perform a text mode installation of Red Hat Linux 7.1 by
following the instructions in this chapter. However, if you are
installing from a CD-ROM, you might prefer to use the graphical
installation mode, which is easy to use and provides a flexible,
custom-class installation mode. For more information on graphical
installations, turn to Chapter 4.
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You should have a basic understanding of the hardware installed in your
computer, including the following:
Hard drive(s) — specifically, the number, size, and
type. If you have more than one, it is helpful to know which one
is first, second, and so on. It is also good to know if your
drives are IDE or SCSI. If you have IDE drives, you should
check your computer's BIOS to see if you are accessing them in
linear mode. Please refer to your computer's documentation for
the proper key sequence to access the BIOS. Note that your
computer's BIOS may refer to linear mode by other names, such as
"large disk mode." Again, your computer's documentation should
be consulted for clarification.
Memory — the amount of RAM installed in your computer.
CD-ROM — most importantly, the unit's interface type (IDE,
SCSI, or other interface) and, for non-IDE, non-SCSI CD-ROMs,
the make and model number. IDE CD-ROMs (also known as ATAPI)
are the most common type of CD-ROM in recently manufactured,
PC-compatible computers.
SCSI adapter (if one is present) — the adapter's make and model
number.
Network card (if one is present) — the card's make and model
number.
Mouse — the mouse's type (serial, PS/2, or bus mouse), protocol
(Microsoft, Logitech, MouseMan, etc.), and number of buttons;
also, for serial mice, the serial port it is connected to.
On many newer systems, the installation program is able to
automatically identify most hardware. However, it is a good idea to
collect this information anyway, just to be sure.
If you will be installing the X Window System, you should also be
familiar with the following:
Your video card — the card's make and model number (or the
video chipset it uses) and the amount of video RAM it has. (Most
PCI-based cards are auto-detected by the installation program.)
Your monitor — the unit's make and model number, along with
allowable ranges for horizontal and vertical refresh rates. (Newer
models may be auto-detected by the installation program.)
If you are connected to a network, be sure you know the following:
IP address — usually represented as a set of four numbers
separated by dots, such as 10.0.2.15.
Netmask — another set of four numbers separated by dots; an
example netmask would be 255.255.248.0.
Gateway IP address — another set of four dot-separated
numbers; for example, 10.0.2.254.
One or more name server IP addresses — one or more sets of
dot-separated numbers; for example, 10.0.2.1
might be the address of a name server.
Domain name — the name your organization uses; for example,
Red Hat has a domain name of redhat.com.
Hostname — the name assigned to your individual system; for
example, a computer might be named pooh.
| Note |
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| | The information provided here is as an example only! Do
not use it when you install Red Hat Linux! If you do
not know the proper values for your network, ask your network
administrator.
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