Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification Chapter Three Linux Installation and Usage

Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification

Chapter Three

Linux Installation and Usage

ObjectivesObjectives

• Install Linux Red Hat 7.2 using good practices

• Outline the structure of the Linux interface

• Enter basic shell commands and find command documentation

• Properly shut down the Linux operating system

Installing LinuxInstalling Linux

• Installation methods– Installation from an FTP server across the

network– Installation from an HTTP Web server across the

network– Installation from an NFS server across the

network– Installation from packages located on the hard

disk

Creating Boot DisksCreating Boot Disks

• Boot disk– Bootable floppy disk that can be used to start a

Linux system or initiate a Linux installation

• Rawrite– Windows utility that can be used to create

installation boot disks

Creating Boot DisksCreating Boot Disks

• boot.img– Used to create a floppy disk for a CD-ROM or

hard disk installation

• bootnet.img– Used to create a floppy disk for an installation

from a server across the network

• pcmcia.img– Used to create a floppy disk for an installation on

portable laptop computers

Starting the InstallationStarting the Installation

Figure 3-1: Beginning a Red Hat installation

Starting the InstallationStarting the Installation

• By far, the largest problem during installation is initiating a graphical installation

• Framebuffers– Abstract representations of video adapter card

hardware that programs may use instead of directly communicating with the video adapter card hardware

Choosing the Language, Choosing the Language, Keyboard, and MouseKeyboard, and Mouse

Figure 3-2: Selecting an installation language


Figure 3-3: Verifying keyboard configuration


Figure 3-4: Verifying mouse configuration


Figure 3-5: Welcome screen

Providing Installation OptionsProviding Installation Options

Figure 3-6: Choosing installation options

Partitioning the Hard DiskPartitioning the Hard Disk

Figure 3-7: Choosing a partitioning method


• Virtual memory– Also known as swap memory– Consists of an area on the hard disk that can be

used to store information that would normally reside in physical memory, if the physical memory is being used excessively


Table 3-1: Common Linux filesystems and sizes


• Each of the filesystems described in Table 3-1 may be of different types– The most common types used today are:

• Ext2

• Ext3

• Vfat

• REISER


• Journaling filesystem– Keeps track of the information written to the hard

drive in a journal

• Disk Druid– Easy-to-use graphical partitioning program– Using Disk Druid, you can delete existing

partitions, create and edit new ones, or even create a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)


Figure 3-8: Disk Druid


Figure 3-9: Adding a partition


Figure 3-10: Formatting partitions


Figure 3-11: The fdisk utility

Configuring the Boot LoaderConfiguring the Boot Loader

• Boot loader– Program started by the BIOS ROM after POST, which

loads the Linux kernel into memory from a hard disk partition inside the computer but can also boot other operating systems if they exist on the hard drive

• There are two available boot loaders that one may choose during the Red Hat Linux installation:– LInux LOader (LILO)

– GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB)


• Large Block Addressing 32-bit (LBA32)– Parameter that may be specified that enables

Large Block Addressing in a boot loader– Required only if a large hard disk that is not fully

supported by the system BIOS is used


Figure 3-12: Configuring the boot loader

Configuring the Network and Configuring the Network and FirewallFirewall

Figure 3-13: Configuring the network

Configuring the Network and Configuring the Network and FirewallFirewall

Figure 3-14: Configuring a firewall

Choosing a System Language and Choosing a System Language and Time ZoneTime Zone

Figure 3-15: Configuring a language support

Choosing a System Language and Choosing a System Language and Time ZoneTime Zone

Figure 3-16: Selecting a time zone

Creating User Accounts and Creating User Accounts and Configuring AuthenticationConfiguring Authentication

Figure 3-17: Configuring the root password


Figure 3-18: Configuring a regular user account


Figure 3-19: Configuring the type of authentication

Selecting PackagesSelecting Packages

Figure 3-20: Selecting packages to install

Selecting PackagesSelecting Packages

Figure 3-21: Refining individual package selection

Configuring the Video HardwareConfiguring the Video Hardware

Figure 3-22: Verifying video hardware

Installing Packages and Creating Installing Packages and Creating Boot DisksBoot Disks

Figure 3-23: Copying packages to the hard disk

Installing Packages and Creating Installing Packages and Creating Boot DisksBoot Disks

Figure 3-24: Creating a boot disk

Selecting Monitor and X Windows Selecting Monitor and X Windows SettingsSettings

Figure 3-25: Choosing a monitor


Figure 3-26: Configuring X Windows


Figure 3-27: Completing the installation

Shells, Terminals, and the KernelShells, Terminals, and the Kernel

• Terminal– Channel that allows a certain user to log in and

communicate with the kernel via a user interface

• Shell– User interface that accepts input from the user and

passes the input to the kernel for processing

– Shell used by default in Linux is the BASH Shell (Bourne Again Shell)


Figure 3-28: Shells, terminals, and the kernel


Figure 3-29: The gdm (GNOME Display Manager)


Table 3-2: Common Linux terminals


Figure 3-30: A GNOME terminal


Figure 3-31: A KDE terminal

Basic Shell CommandsBasic Shell Commands

• Commands– Indicate name of the program to execute and are case

sensitive

• Options– Specific letters starting with a dash “-” and appearing

after command name to alter way the command works

• Arguments– Specify the parameters that the command works upon,

which are not predetermined by the person who developed the command

Basic Shell CommandsBasic Shell Commands

Table 3-3: Some Common Linux commands

Shell MetacharactersShell Metacharacters

• Metacharacters– Key combinations that have special meaning in

the Linux OS– One of the most commonly used metacharacters

is the $ character

Shell MetacharactersShell Metacharacters

Table 3-4: Common BASH Shell metacharacters

Getting Command HelpGetting Command Help

• Most distributions of Linux contain more than 1000 different Linux commands in common configurations

• Manual pages– Commonly referred to as man pages– The most common set of local command syntax

documentation, available by typing the man command-line utility


Table 3-5: Manual page section numbers


• Info pages– Set of local, easy-to-read command syntax

documentation available by typing the info command-line utility

• Today, both the info pages and the manual pages are used to find documentation because manual pages have been used to find documentation in Linux since its inception

Shutting Down the Linux SystemShutting Down the Linux System

Table 3-6: Commands to halt and reboot the Linux operating system

Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

• Most software information can be specified at the time of installation– However, the network configuration and package

selection should be carefully planned before installation

• CD-ROM-based installation is the easiest, most common method for installing Linux and seldom requires the creation of an installation boot disk

Chapter SummaryChapter Summary

• A typical Linux installation prompts the user for information such as language, boot loader, hard disk partitions, network configuration, firewall configuration, time zone, user accounts, authentication, and package selection

• Users must log into a terminal and receive a shell before being able to interact with the Linux system and kernel

• Regardless of the type of terminal that you use, you are able to enter commands, options, and arguments at a shell prompt to perform system tasks, obtain help, or shut down the Linux system

Documents

Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification Chapter Three Linux Installation and Usage