| The Linux installation procedure performs two tasks: Gathers information Installs Linux
To install correctly, the Linux installation procedure needs the following information: Local information: The language the user prefers to use. The local time zone. Hardware information: Linux communicates with the computer hardwareto display information on the monitor, to send documents to the printer, to store data in a file on the hard disk, to send information via the modem, etc. To communicate correctly, Linux needs to know which hardware is installed, including the type of monitor, type of modem, type of printer, and so on. Where to install Linux: Is Linux to be installed on the entire hard disk or only part of it? Is Linux sharing the hard disk with another operating system? Is this a new installation or is it replacing a previous Linux installation? The options for installing Linux are discussed in Chapter 3. Accounts: Linux requires users to have accounts before they can use the computer. The necessary accounts are created during installation. Accounts are discussed in Chapter 8. Software: Which software packages to install. Most distributions come with hundreds or thousands of packages. Not all the packages need to be, or even should be, installed. Network settings: To communicate across a network, Linux needs to know what type of network and network connection is to be used. Networks are discussed in detail in Chapter 16.
Any Linux distribution needs this information to install Linux. In olden days, the person installing Linux needed to provide the information. Thus, the person needed to be knowledgeable, especially about the hardware. Over time, many Linux distributions have developed installation procedures to make the installation process much easier. The installation procedure can obtain much of the information needed by probing the computer hardware and settings. The three distributions (Fedora, Mandrake, SuSE) discussed in this book provide installation procedures that are quite easy to follow. The three distributions take different approaches to collecting information. Fedora: The installer steps through each bit of information needed, asking questions if it needs toa screen for the keyboard, a screen for the mouse, etc. SuSE: Begins by probing the computer, gathering information, and making estimates for all the settings. It shows the estimated settings in a screen. You can accept or change the settings. Mandrake: Asks questions one by one like Fedora. However, at the end of the questions, a screen is displayed showing the settings, similar to the SuSE screen, giving you the opportunity to change any settings.
After the information is collected, the software is installed. Installation consists of the following: Fedora and Mandrake copy all the software packages at once. SuSE installs a basic system, reboots, and then uses the basic system to install the remaining software. The Linux installation may take an hour or more, depending on the distribution and the amount of software installed. It's okay to let the installation wait in the middle of installation, but if you stop the process, for instance by shutting off your computer, you will have to start over from the beginning. The following pages describe the installation procedures for Fedora, Mandrake, and SuSE in detail. |
