Guide to Linux Installation and Administration, 2e1 Chapter 2 Planning Your System

Guide to Linux Installation and Administration, 2e 1

Chapter 2

Planning Your System


Objectives

In this chapter, you will:

• Discuss hardware issues related to installing Linux

• Collect hardware and network information needed to install

• Organize a hard disk efficiently for a Linux installation


Preparing to Install Linux

• You can purchase computers with Linux pre-installed or install it yourself

• To install Linux, you must plan your installation

• Gather information about your hardware so you can answer questions during the installation process

Valued Gateway Client:

Valued Gateway Client:


Understanding Computer Hardware

• Components of a computer are called devices in Linux

• To function correctly Linux must be configured to use all of the devices on your computer system

• Memory and hard disk space are measured in bytes, typically in megabytes or gigabytes


Storing Information

• There are two types of electronic computer memory: – Random access memory (RAM)

– Read-only memory (ROM)

• The Basic Input/Output System, or BIOS, provides instructions to the operating system for using the devices

• The hard disk is a magnetic storage space for data, such as the operating system and data files


Computer Storage Components


Communicating with Devices

• Many computer devices communicate with the microprocessor and software programs via interrupt requests

• An interrupt request, or IRQ, is a numbered signal that a device sends to the operating system to request service

• The device and the CPU can communicate data and status information between them using two methods:– Direct memory access– Port-mapped input/output


Hard Disk Devices

• The hard disk communicates with the microprocessor using an electronic interface that controls how data is sent and received

• An interrupt request, or IRQ, is a numbered signal that a device sends to the operating system to request service

• Two interfaces are used for hard disks in PCs:– IDE (integrated drive electronics)

– SCSI (small computer systems interface)


IDE Interfaces


SCSI Devices


Supported Linux Hardware

• The Free software community creates software to support hardware products based on technical information provided by the manufacturer

• The software used to support a hardware device in Linux is usually called a driver, or device driver

• Before starting a Linux installation, check on the Web site of a Linux vendor what hardware is supported


Understanding Networking

• Linux systems are connected to networks to communicate and share resources with other users

• Computer systems use networking protocols• A protocol is an organized pattern of signals or

words• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

allows a computer to obtain networking information dynamically from a network server at the time the computer is turned on

• Linux provides access to a printer or an Internet connection for many networked computers


IP Networking

• Internet Protocol (IP) is a networking protocol used to send packets of information across a network connection

• Each computer on the network must be assigned an identifying number, called an IP address


IP Networking

• Several special IP addresses are associated with setting up Linux networking so that packets can be passed around the network

• These IP addresses include:– Network mask

– Network address

– Broadcast address

– Gateway address


Domain Names and Hostnames

• A name assigned to a collection of computers is called a domain name

• Computers involved in networking are called hosts

• The hostname is a single word used to name a computer

• The hostname is combined with the domain name to create a fully qualified domain name (FQDN)


Top-Level Domains


Domain Name Service (DNS)

• The Domain Name Service (DNS): network service that maps human-readable domain names and hostnames to IP addresses of specific networks/computers

• A DNS server is the computer that actually performs this conversion

• You must provide the IP address of a DNS server as you configure Linux networking


Creating a Shared System

• You can use Linux on the same computer as another operating system by setting up a dual-boot system

• Boot manager lets you select an operating system when you boot the computer

• Two popular boot managers are GRUB and LILO (Linux Loader)

• You can store multiple operating systems on a single hard disk or on separate hard disks


Creating a Shared System

• To use multiple operating systems on a single hard disk, decide how much space you need for each operating system

• Determine the amount of hard disk space used on a Windows XP system

• Each Linux distribution offers different standard installation options


Typical Linux Installation Options


Graphical Systems

• Installation programs automatically detect video settings

• The graphical environment in Linux is provided by the X Window System

• Software from the XFree86 Project adds the X Window System to Linux


Monitors and the Graphical System

• Configure Linux with the correct information about your monitor capabilities

• Linux automated graphical configuration calculates monitor resolution and blocks any signals that the monitor cannot handle

• Multisync monitors accept data in a range of frequencies


Creating a System Inventory

• The Linux installation program may automatically detect all of your hardware

• To help the installation proceed smoothly, you should understand your hardware

• Hardware information is useful to update configurations for the boot manager, the graphical system, or other parts of the Linux operating system


Useful Hardware Information for Installing Linux


Information Needed to Set Up Linux Networking


Finding the Manuals

• Computer systems include printed manuals for whole system or for each component

• To find online manuals, visit the Web site for the manufacturer of the component, and search under Products, Technical Support


Typical Linux Installation Options


Popular Linux Distributions


Reviewing BIOS Settings

• Find the following information as you review your BIOS settings:– Amount of RAM on the system– Hard disk interface type and size of each hard

disk– Serial ports available on the system and the

IRQ used by each one– IRQ numbers– SCSI card make and model


BIOS Configuration Menus


Studying Microsoft Windows

• Device information in Windows is available from the Windows Control Panel

• To find details about your networking configuration, use the Network Connections item within the Windows Control Panel


Local Area Connection Properties Dialog Box in Window XP


Asking Networking Questions

• To get most of the networking information, ask the authority who originally set up the network connection

• You can select a hostname for your Linux installation


Preparing Your Hard Disk

• A partition is a distinct area of a hard disk that has been prepared to store a particular type of data

• Before a partition can hold information, it must be formatted with a particular file system type

• File system: the arrangement of information on a device such as a hard disk

• Linux uses one of two default file system types: ext2 or ext3


Partitions and File Systems on a Hard Disk


Booting the System

• Master Boot Record (MBR)– small area on the first hard disk partition– contains a program to decide how to start an

operating system• Control passes from the BIOS to the program in

the MBR when a computer is first booted• The boot record is a small area on each

partition that contains a boot manager program to launch the operating system on that partition


MBR and Boot Records


Hard Disk Geometry

• A hard disk is composed of multiple flat platters that hold magnetic data

• Each concentric circle on a platter is called a track

• A sector is a unit of data storage on a hard disk

• All of the tracks at the same position on each platter are called a cylinder


Hard Disk Geometry


Hard Disk Geometry


Swap Partitions

• Virtual memory is a special area of the hard disk that the operating system treats as if it were RAM

• The swap partition is the designated area used as virtual memory by the Linux kernel

• Using a separate partition controlled by the Linux kernel allows the virtual memory feature to work very quickly


Preparing a Shared Hard Disk

• Use FIPS or PartitionMagic to create a dual-boot system running Linux and Windows (two partitions)

• Defragmenting is a procedure that arranges each file on your hard disk so that all parts of the file are next to each other

• During the Linux installation configure the resulting free space on the hard disk into the Linux partition and Linux swap partition


Optimizing a Hard Disk


Summary• Components of a computer are called devices in

Linux• Linux must be configured to use all the devices on

your computer system to function correctly• Before Linux installation find information about your

hardware and network settings• Hard disks are composed of platters, tracks, and

sectors• You can use Linux on the same computer as another

operating system by setting up a dual-boot system


Summary

• The BIOS controls the boot process by passing control to the MBR, which may contain a Linux boot manager or may pass control on to the boot record of the active partition

• To create a dual-boot system, you must prepare the hard disk before you start to install Linux

• Create partitions for the Linux file system and swap partition using a utility such as FIPS or PartitionMagic

Documents

Guide to Linux Installation and Administration, 2e1 Chapter 2 Planning Your System