Summary

In previous chapters, we found that the installation of Red Hat Linux can be an involved process. Anaconda, the Red Hat installation program, can require considerable user input. In this chapter, you learned how to install Red Hat Linux automatically, using Kickstart. With an appropriate Kickstart file, you can insert a floppy and a CD into a PC and then type a simple command, and the installation proceeds automatically.

To demonstrate how to configure a Kickstart file, we examined the comps .xml file, which organizes Red Hat Linux packages into several groups.

Then we examined the default Kickstart configuration for a computer, which is saved in the /root directory in anaconda-ks.cfg . This file, with some modifications, allows Kickstart to create the same configuration on another computer.

The Kickstart Configurator provides a GUI interface for creating a custom Kickstart file. While creating a basic configuration saves you time, you may need to add a few more commands to the resulting file in a text editor.

Once you re satisfied with your Kickstart file, you can save it to ks.cfg on a Red Hat Linux installation boot floppy. You can use the first Red Hat Linux installation CD or a driver floppy for required drivers. If ks.cfg is properly configured, a simple command starts the installation. Unless you need to insert a separate driver floppy, you should be able to leave the computer. Red Hat Linux is installed automatically.

In the next chapter , we ll begin our journey through the nitty-gritty of Linux, the command-line interface. We ll examine the basic commands required to navigate around and administer Linux in the chapters that follow.