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

Chapter 8:Installing Linux

The Complete Guide To Linux System Administration

The Complete Guide to Linux System Administration 2

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


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


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


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





• 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




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


Supported Linux Hardware (continued)

• http//hardware.RedHat.com– Comprehensive site for exploring Linux hardware

compatibility– Applies to all Linux distributions


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


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





• Top-level domain name– Last word of domain name

• Domain name system (DNS) – Network service – Maps domain names and host names to IP

addresses


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


Creating a Shared System (continued)

• Basic options– Store each operating system on separate hard

disk– Store multiple operating systems on single hard

disk


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


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


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


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


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


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


Hard Disk Geometry (continued)


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


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


• Install Red Hat Software’s Fedora Linux– Procedure applicable to virtually all versions of

Linux

Installing Linux


Linux Distributions

• Linux distributions very similar to each other technically

• Fedora Linux– Based on Red Hat Linux– Stable long-term participant in Linux market


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


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


Installation Source Options

• CD-ROM• Hard disk• Network installation


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


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 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 Installation Process (continued)

• Choosing what to install– Decide which of many components to install– Installation type determines which Linux software

is installed– Software package―single 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



• 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




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


Reviewing the Kickstart Configuration File

• File /root/anaconda-ks.cfg– Created during installation– Open with editor


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


Using the Graphical Configuration Tool (continued)


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


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


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

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

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