SUSE Linux

Chapter 9. Alternative Installations

In Chapter 1, I discussed how to install SUSE Linux in some detail. At one end of the scale, you can do the job with almost no thought whatsoever by booting off the installation DVD and repeatedly clicking Next until you end up with a working system. At the other end of the scale, there are a number of more complex scenarios you may need to deal with, and it is these that I discuss in this chapter.

You’ll see how to configure a dual-boot system to retain the option of booting into Windows. You’ll learn how to set up an installation server to facilitate installation over the network instead of from local disk media. You’ll discover how to automate installations entirely by preparing a control file that captures the decisions that you would normally make manually during an installation. Finally, I’ll show you how to use Xen (a “paravirtualization” technology) to install and run multiple operating systems—simultaneously—on one machine.

Configure a Dual-Boot System

Some of us Linux enthusiasts would like to imagine that users migrating to a Linux desktop actually throw their Windows installations away, with looks of rapture like someone newly converted to The Faith turning away from their erstwhile sinful existence. In reality, few of us can leave our Windows systems behind completely. You probably still need some applications that run only on Windows—that program your friend gave you for doing your VAT returns, and the cross-stitch design program ...