Running Linux, Third Edition

Using the Red Hat Installer

The Red Hat installer is used in LinuxPPC 4.0 and 5.0, although new installers will be available in 5.0. The installer used in LinuxPPC 5.0 will work differently from the version described here.

To boot into the installer, double-click the BootX application. The BootX application may be called Boot LinuxPPC if you’re using a LinuxPPC 4.1 or 5.0 CD-ROM.

First, the installer asks if you are using a color monitor. Press the space bar to make the installer operate in color mode, which has a blue background with red and grey buttons. Press the space bar or Return key when you are done reading the Welcome to Powermac/Linux message. The next screen lets you tell the computer what kind of keyboard you’re using. The default is the U.S. keyboard. After selecting your keyboard type, the installer asks for the source of the installation files, which will probably be a CD-ROM.

Next, the installer automatically picks the partitions that will become root and swap. Formatting all of the partitions can take quite a while, but it is recommended when installing on a previously used hard disk.

You then choose which packages you want to install. The default installation is acceptable for most users. If you want to add more software, such as other servers, or want to pare down the installation, you can add or remove items to be installed at this screen. If you want the installer to install other packages, such as the bundled C compilers, use the arrow keys to move up and ...