Fedora 11
Installation Guide
Installing Fedora 11 on x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 architectures
Edition 1.0
Legal Notice
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Abstract
Provides documentation for the installation process.
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. Quick Start for Experts
- 2. New Users
- I. Before you begin
- 3. Steps to Get You Started
- 4. System Specifications List
- 5. Driver Media for Intel and AMD Systems
- II. The installation process
- 6. Beginning the Installation
- 7. Installing on Intel and AMD Systems
- 7.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface
- 7.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface
- 7.3. Starting the Installation Program
- 7.4. Selecting an Installation Method
- 7.5. Installing from DVD/CD-ROM
- 7.6. Installing from a Hard Drive
- 7.7. Performing a Network Installation
- 7.8. Installing via NFS
- 7.9. Installing via FTP or HTTP
- 7.10. Welcome to Fedora
- 7.11. Language Selection
- 7.12. Keyboard Configuration
- 7.13. Initializing the Hard Disk
- 7.14. Upgrading an Existing System
- 7.15. Network Configuration
- 7.16. Time Zone Configuration
- 7.17. Set the Root Password
- 7.18. Disk Partitioning Setup
- 7.19. Advanced Storage Options
- 7.20. Create Default Layout
- 7.21. Partitioning Your System
- 7.22. x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Configuration
- 7.23. Package Group Selection
- 7.24. Preparing to Install
- 7.25. Installing Packages
- 7.26. Installation Complete
- 8. Troubleshooting Installation on an Intel or AMD System
- 8.1. You are unable to boot Fedora
- 8.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation
- 8.3. Trouble During the Installation
- 8.4. Problems After Installation
- 8.4.1. Trouble With the Graphical GRUB Screen on an x86-based System?
- 8.4.2. Booting into a Graphical Environment
- 8.4.3. Problems with the X Window System (GUI)
- 8.4.4. Problems with the X Server Crashing and Non-Root Users
- 8.4.5. Problems When You Try to Log In
- 8.4.6. Is Your RAM Not Being Recognized?
- 8.4.7. Your Printer Does Not Work
- 8.4.8. Problems with Sound Configuration
- 8.4.9. Apache-based httpd service/Sendmail Hangs During Startup
- III. Advanced installation options
- 9. Boot Options
- 10. Installing Without Media
- 11. Setting Up an Installation Server
- 12. Installing Through VNC
- 13. Kickstart Installations
- 13.1. What are Kickstart Installations?
- 13.2. How Do You Perform a Kickstart Installation?
- 13.3. Creating the Kickstart File
- 13.4. Kickstart Options
- 13.5. Package Selection
- 13.6. Pre-installation Script
- 13.7. Post-installation Script
- 13.8. Making the Kickstart File Available
- 13.9. Making the Installation Tree Available
- 13.10. Starting a Kickstart Installation
- 14. Kickstart Configurator
- 14.1. Basic Configuration
- 14.2. Installation Method
- 14.3. Boot Loader Options
- 14.4. Partition Information
- 14.5. Network Configuration
- 14.6. Authentication
- 14.7. Firewall Configuration
- 14.8. Display Configuration
- 14.9. Package Selection
- 14.10. Pre-Installation Script
- 14.11. Post-Installation Script
- 14.12. Saving the File
- IV. After installation
- 15. Firstboot
- 16. Your Next Steps
- 17. Basic System Recovery
- 18. Upgrading Your Current System
- 19. Removing Fedora
- V. Technical appendixes
- A. An Introduction to Disk Partitions
- A.1. Hard Disk Basic Concepts
- A.1.1. It is Not What You Write, it is How You Write It
- A.1.2. Partitions: Turning One Drive Into Many
- A.1.3. Partitions within Partitions — An Overview of Extended Partitions
- A.1.4. Making Room For Fedora
- A.1.5. Partition Naming Scheme
- A.1.6. Disk Partitions and Other Operating Systems
- A.1.7. Disk Partitions and Mount Points
- A.1.8. How Many Partitions?
- B. ISCSI disks
- C. Disk Encryption Guide
- C.1. What is block device encryption?
- C.2. Encrypting block devices using dm-crypt/LUKS
- C.3. Creating Encrypted Block Devices in Anaconda
- C.4. Creating Encrypted Block Devices on the Installed System After Installation
- C.4.1. Create the block devices
- C.4.2. Optional: Fill the device with random data
- C.4.3. Format the device as a dm-crypt/LUKS encrypted device
- C.4.4. Create a mapping to allow access to the device's decrypted contents
- C.4.5. Create filesystems on the mapped device, or continue to build complex storage structures using the mapped device
- C.4.6. Add the mapping information to /etc/crypttab
- C.4.7. Add an entry to /etc/fstab
- C.5. Common Post-Installation Tasks
- D. Understanding LVM
- E. The GRUB Boot Loader
- F. Boot Process, Init, and Shutdown
- G. Other Technical Documentation
- H. Contributors and production methods
- I. Revision History
- Index
Preface
1. Document Conventions
This manual uses several conventions to highlight certain words and phrases and draw attention to specific pieces of information.
In PDF and paper editions, this manual uses typefaces drawn from the Liberation Fonts set. The Liberation Fonts set is also used in HTML editions if the set is installed on your system. If not, alternative but equivalent typefaces are displayed. Note: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and later includes the Liberation Fonts set by default.
1.1. Typographic Conventions
Four typographic conventions are used to call attention to specific words and phrases. These conventions, and the circumstances they apply to, are as follows.
Mono-spaced Bold
Used to highlight system input, including shell commands, file names and paths. Also used to highlight key caps and key-combinations. For example:
To see the contents of the filemy_next_bestselling_novelin your current working directory, enter thecat my_next_bestselling_novelcommand at the shell prompt and press Enter to execute the command.
The above includes a file name, a shell command and a key cap, all presented in Mono-spaced Bold and all distinguishable thanks to context.
Key-combinations can be distinguished from key caps by the hyphen connecting each part of a key-combination. For example:
Press Enter to execute the command.Press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to switch to the first virtual terminal. Press Ctrl+Alt+F7 to return to your X-Windows session.
The first sentence highlights the particular key cap to press. The second highlights two sets of three key caps, each set pressed simultaneously.
If source code is discussed, class names, methods, functions, variable names and returned values mentioned within a paragraph will be presented as above, in
Mono-spaced Bold. For example:
File-related classes includefilesystemfor file systems,filefor files, anddirfor directories. Each class has its own associated set of permissions.
Proportional Bold
This denotes words or phrases encountered on a system, including application names; dialogue box text; labelled buttons; check-box and radio button labels; menu titles and sub-menu titles. For example:
Choose from the main menu bar to launch Mouse Preferences. In the Buttons tab, click the Left-handed mouse check box and click to switch the primary mouse button from the left to the right (making the mouse suitable for use in the left hand).To insert a special character into a gedit file, choose from the main menu bar. Next, choose from the Character Map menu bar, type the name of the character in the Search field and click . The character you sought will be highlighted in the Character Table. Double-click this highlighted character to place it in the Text to copy field and then click the button. Now switch back to your document and choose from the gedit menu bar.
The above text includes application names; system-wide menu names and items; application-specific menu names; and buttons and text found within a GUI interface, all presented in Proportional Bold and all distinguishable by context.
Note the shorthand used to indicate traversal through a menu and its sub-menus. This is to avoid the difficult-to-follow 'Select from the sub-menu in the menu of the main menu bar' approach.
Mono-spaced Bold ItalicProportional Bold Italic
Whether Mono-spaced Bold or Proportional Bold, the addition of Italics indicates replaceable or variable text. Italics denotes text you do not input literally or displayed text that changes depending on circumstance. For example:
To connect to a remote machine using ssh, typesshat a shell prompt. If the remote machine isusername@domain.nameexample.comand your username on that machine is john, typessh john@example.com.Themount -o remountcommand remounts the named file system. For example, to remount thefile-system/homefile system, the command ismount -o remount /home.To see the version of a currently installed package, use therpm -qcommand. It will return a result as follows:package.package-version-release
Note the words in bold italics above — username, domain.name, file-system, package, version and release. Each word is a placeholder, either for text you enter when issuing a command or for text displayed by the system.
Aside from standard usage for presenting the title of a work, italics denotes the first use of a new and important term. For example:
When the Apache HTTP Server accepts requests, it dispatches child processes or threads to handle them. This group of child processes or threads is known as a server-pool. Under Apache HTTP Server 2.0, the responsibility for creating and maintaining these server-pools has been abstracted to a group of modules called Multi-Processing Modules (MPMs). Unlike other modules, only one module from the MPM group can be loaded by the Apache HTTP Server.
1.2. Pull-quote Conventions
Two, commonly multi-line, data types are set off visually from the surrounding text.
Output sent to a terminal is set in
Mono-spaced Roman and presented thus:
books Desktop documentation drafts mss photos stuff svn books_tests Desktop1 downloads images notes scripts svgs
Source-code listings are also set in
Mono-spaced Roman but are presented and highlighted as follows:
package org.jboss.book.jca.ex1;
import javax.naming.InitialContext;
public class ExClient
{
public static void main(String args[])
throws Exception
{
InitialContext iniCtx = new InitialContext();
Object ref = iniCtx.lookup("EchoBean");
EchoHome home = (EchoHome) ref;
Echo echo = home.create();
System.out.println("Created Echo");
System.out.println("Echo.echo('Hello') = " + echo.echo("Hello"));
}
}
1.3. Notes and Warnings
Finally, we use three visual styles to draw attention to information that might otherwise be overlooked.
Note
A Note is a tip or shortcut or alternative approach to the task at hand. Ignoring a note should have no negative consequences, but you might miss out on a trick that makes your life easier.
Important
Important boxes detail things that are easily missed: configuration changes that only apply to the current session, or services that need restarting before an update will apply. Ignoring Important boxes won't cause data loss but may cause irritation and frustration.
Warning
A Warning should not be ignored. Ignoring warnings will most likely cause data loss.
2. We Need Feedback!
If you find a typographical error in this manual, or if you have thought of a way to make this manual better, we would love to hear from you! Please submit a report in Bugzilla: http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/
against the product Fedora.
When submitting a bug report, be sure to mention the manual's identifier: Installation_Guide
If you have a suggestion for improving the documentation, try to be as specific as possible when describing it. If you have found an error, please include the section number and some of the surrounding text so we can find it easily.
Introduction
This guide covers installation of Fedora, a Linux distribution built on free and open source software. This manual helps you install Fedora on desktops, laptops, and servers. The installation system is easy to use even if you lack previous knowledge of Linux or computer networks. If you select default options, Fedora provides a complete desktop operating system, including productivity applications, Internet utilities, and desktop tools.
This document does not detail all of the features of the installation system.
1. Background
1.1. About Fedora
To find out more about Fedora, refer to http://fedoraproject.org/. To read other documentation on Fedora related topics, refer to http://docs.fedoraproject.org/.
1.2. Getting Additional Help
For information on additional help resources for Fedora, visit http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicate.
2. About This Document
2.1. Goals
This guide helps a reader:
- Understand how to locate the Fedora distribution online
- Create configuration data that allows a computer to boot Fedora
- Understand and interact with the Fedora installation program
- Complete basic post-installation configuration of a Fedora system
Other Sources of Documentation
This guide does not cover use of Fedora. To learn how to use an installed Fedora system, refer to http://docs.fedoraproject.org/ for other documentation.
2.2. Audience
This guide is intended for new and intermediate Fedora users. Advanced Fedora users with questions about detailed operation of expert installation features should consult the Anaconda development mailing list at http://www.redhat.com/archives/anaconda-devel-list/.
Chapter 1. Quick Start for Experts
This section offers a very brief overview of installation tasks for experienced readers who are eager to get started. Note that many explanatory notes and helpful hints appear in the following chapters of this guide. If an issue arises during the installation process, consult the appropriate chapters in the full guide for help.
Experts Only
This section is intended only for experts. Other readers may not be familiar with some of the terms in this section, and should move on to Chapter 2, New Users instead.
1.1. Overview
The installation procedure is fairly simple, and consists of only a few steps:
- Download files to make media or another bootable configuration.
- Prepare system for installation.
- Boot the computer and run the installation process.
- Reboot and perform post-installation configuration.
1.2. Download Files
Do any one of the following:
Verify your downloads
Downloads may fail for any number of reasons. Always verify the sha1sum of the downloaded files.
- Download the ISO image for a Live image. Create CD media from the ISO file using your preferred application. You may also use the livecd-tools package to write the image to other bootable media such as a USB flash disk. To install the distribution to your hard disk, use the shortcut on the desktop after you log in.
- Download the ISO images for the full distribution on CD or DVD. Create CD or DVD media from the ISO files using your preferred application, or put the images on a Windows FAT32 or Linux ext2/ext3 partition.
- Download the
boot.isoimage for a minimal boot CD or USB flash drive. Write the image to the approriate physical media to create bootable media. The boot media contains no packages but must be pointed at a hard disk or online repository to complete the installation. - Download the
netinst.isoimage for a reduced-size boot CD. Write the image to the appropriate physical media to create bootable media. - Download the
vmlinuzkernel file and theinitrd.imgramdisk image from the distribution'sisolinux/directory. Configure your operating system to boot the kernel and load the ramdisk image. For further information on installation without media, refer to Chapter 10, Installing Without Media.For information on setting up a network boot server from which you can install Fedora, refer to Chapter 11, Setting Up an Installation Server.
1.3. Prepare for Installation
Back up any user data you need to preserve.
Resizing Partitions
The installation program provides functions for resizing ext2, ext3, ext4, and NTFS formatted partitions. Refer to Section 7.21, “Partitioning Your System” for more information.
1.4. Install Fedora
Boot from the desired media, with any options appropriate for your hardware and installation mode. Refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options for more information about boot options. If you boot from the Live CD, select the "Install to Hard Disk" option from the desktop to run the installation program. If you boot from minimal media or a downloaded kernel, select a network or hard disk resource from which to install.
Proceed through all the steps of the installation program. The installation program does not change your system until you make a final confirmation to proceed. When installation is finished, reboot your system.
1.5. Perform Post-installation Steps
After the system reboots, it displays additional configuration options. Make appropriate changes to your system and proceed to the login prompt.
Chapter 2. New Users
This chapter explains how to get the files you need to install and run Fedora on your computer. Concepts in this chapter may be new, especially if this is your first free and open source operating system. If you have any trouble with this chapter, find help by visiting the Fedora Forums at http://www.fedoraforum.org/.
Download Links
To follow a Web-based guide to downloading, visit http://get.fedoraproject.org/. For guidance on which architecture to download, refer to Section 2.2, “Which Architecture Is My Computer?”.
2.1. How Do I Download Installation Files?
The Fedora Project distributes Fedora in many ways, mostly free of cost and downloaded over the Internet. The most common distribution method is CD and DVD media. There are several types of CD and DVD media available, including:
- A full set of the software on DVD media
- Live images you can use to try Fedora, and then install to your system if you so choose
- Reduced-size bootable CD and USB flash disk images you can use to install over an Internet connection
- Source code on DVD media
Most users want the Fedora Live image or the full set of installable software on DVD or CDs. The reduced bootable images are suitable for use with a fast Internet connection and install Fedora on one computer. Source code discs are not used for installing Fedora, but are resources for experienced users and software developers.
Downloading media
Users with a broadband Internet connection can download ISO images of CD and DVD media or images of USB flash disks. An ISO image is a copy of an entire disc in a format suitable for writing directly to a CD or DVD. A USB flash disk image is a copy of an entire disk in a format suitable for writing directly to a USB flash disk.
For more information on burning CDs and DVDs, refer to Section 2.4, “How Do I Make Fedora Media?”.
Fedora software is available for download at no cost in a variety of ways.
2.1.1. From a Mirror
To find the freely downloadable distributions of Fedora, look for a mirror. A mirror is a computer server open to the public for free downloads of software, including Fedora. Mirrors offer both free open source software and closed source software. To locate a mirror, visit http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/publiclist using a Web browser, and choose a server from the list. The web page lists mirrors by geographic location. Mirrors geographically closer to you are ideal for faster downloading speeds.
Mirrors publish Fedora software under a well-organized hierarchy of folders. For example, the Fedora 11 distribution normally appears in the directory
fedora/linux/releases/11/. This directory contains a folder for each architecture supported by that release of Fedora. CD and DVD media files appear inside that folder, in a folder called iso/. For example, you can find the file for the DVD distribution of Fedora 11 for x86_64 at fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/x86_64/iso/Fedora-11-x86_64-DVD.iso.
2.1.2. From BitTorrent
BitTorrent is a way to download information in cooperation with other computers. Each computer cooperating in the group downloads pieces of the information in a particular torrent from other peers in the group. Computers that have finished downloading all the data in a torrent remain in the swarm to seed, or provide data to other peers. If you download using BitTorrent, as a courtesy you should seed the torrent at least until you have uploaded the same amount of data you downloaded.
If your computer does not have software installed for BitTorrent, visit the BitTorrent home page at http://www.bittorrent.com/download/ to download it. BitTorrent client software is available for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and many other operating systems.
You do not need to find a special mirror for BitTorrent files. The BitTorrent protocol ensures that your computer participates in a nearby group. To download and use the Fedora BitTorrent files, visit http://torrent.fedoraproject.org/.
Minimal Boot Images
Minimal boot CD and USB flash disk images are not available through BitTorrent.
2.2. Which Architecture Is My Computer?
Releases are separated by architecture, or type of computer processor. Use the following table to determine the architecture of your computer according to the type of processor. Consult your manufacturer's documentation for details on your processor, if necessary.
| Processor manufacturer and model | Architecture type for Fedora |
|---|---|
| Intel (except Atom 230, Atom 330, Core 2 Duo, Centrino Core2 Duo, and recent vintage Xeon); AMD (except Athlon 64, Athlon x2, Sempron 64, and Opteron); VIA C3, C7 |
i386
|
| Intel Atom 230, Atom 330, Core 2 Duo, Centrino Core 2 Duo, and Xeon; AMD Athlon 64, Athlon x2, Sempron64, and Opteron; Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air |
x86_64
|
| Apple Macintosh G3, G4, G5, PowerBook, and other non-Intel models |
ppc
|
Table 2.1. Processor and architecture types
i386 Works for Most Windows Compatible Computers
If you are unsure what type of processor your computer uses, choose
i386.
The exception is if your computer is a non-Intel based Apple Macintosh. Refer to Table 2.1, “Processor and architecture types” for more information.
Intel Atom Processor Architectures Vary
The N and Z Series Atom processors are based on the
i386 architecture. The 230 and 330 Series Atom processors are based on thex86_64 architecture. Refer to http://ark.intel.com/cpugroup.aspx?familyID=29035 for more details.
2.3. Which Files Do I Download?
You have several options to download Fedora. Read the options below to decide the best one for you.
Each file available for download in a Fedora distribution includes the architecture type in the file name. For example, the file for the DVD distribution of Fedora 11 for x86_64 is named
Fedora-11-x86_64-DVD.iso. Refer to Section 2.2, “Which Architecture Is My Computer?” if you are unsure of your computer's architecture.
Full Distribution on DVD
If you have plenty of time, a fast Internet connection, and wish a broader choice of software on the install media, download the full DVD version. Once burned to DVD, the media is bootable and includes an installation program. The DVD version contains a mode to perform rescue operations on your Fedora system in an emergency. You can download the DVD version directly from a mirror, or via BitTorrent.Live Image
If you want to try Fedora before you install it on your computer, download the Live image version. If your computer supports booting from CD or USB, you can boot the operating system without making any changes to your hard disk. The Live image also provides anInstall to Hard Diskdesktop shortcut. If you decide you like what you see, and want to install it, simply activate the selection to copy Fedora to your hard disk. You can download the Live image directly from a mirror, or using BitTorrent.Minimal Boot Media
If you have a fast Internet connection but do not want to download the entire distribution, you can download a small boot image. Fedora offers images for a minimal boot environment on CD. Once you boot your system with the minimal media, you can install Fedora directly over the Internet. Although this method still involves downloading a significant amount of data over the Internet, it is almost always much less than the size of the full distribution media. Once you have finished installation, you can add or remove software to your system as desired.Download Size
Installing the default software for Fedora over the Internet requires more time than the Live image, but less time than the entire DVD distribution. Actual results depend on the software you select and network traffic conditions.
The following table explains where to find the desired files on a mirror site. Replace
arch with the architecture of the computer being installed.
| Media type | File locations |
|---|---|
| Full distribution on DVD |
fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/
|
| Live image |
fedora/linux/releases/11/Live/, fedora/linux/releases/11/Live/
|
| Minimal CD boot media |
fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/
|
Table 2.2. Locating files
2.4. How Do I Make Fedora Media?
A Fedora ISO file can be turned into either CD or DVD discs. You can turn Fedora Live ISO files into bootable USB media, as well as a CD or DVD.
2.4.1. Making CD or DVD Discs
To learn how to turn ISO images into CD or DVD media, refer to http://docs.fedoraproject.org/readme-burning-isos/.
2.4.2. Making USB Media
To make bootable USB media, use a Fedora Live image. Use either a Windows or Linux system to make the bootable USB media.
USB Image Writing is Nondestructive
Writing the Live image to the USB media is nondestructive. Any existing data on the media is not harmed.
It is always a good idea to back up important data before performing sensitive disk operations.
To begin, make sure there is sufficient free space available on the USB media. There is no need to repartition or reformat your media. It is always a good idea to back up important data before performing sensitive disk operations.
2.4.2.1. USB Image Creation from Windows
- Download a Live ISO file as explained in Section 2.3, “Which Files Do I Download?”.
- Download the Windows liveusb-creator program at http://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator.
- Follow the instructions given at the site and in the liveusb-creator program to create the bootable USB media.
2.4.2.2. USB Image Creation in Linux
USB media often comes in the form of flash devices sometimes called pen drives, thumb disks, or keys; or as an externally connected hard disk device. Almost all media of this type is formatted as a vfat file system. You can create bootable USB media on media formatted as ext2, ext3, or vfat.
ext4 and Btrfs
The GRUB bootloader does not support the ext4 or Btrfs file systems. You cannot create bootable USB media on media formatted as ext4 or Btrfs.
Unusual USB Media
In a few cases with oddly formatted or partitioned USB media, the image writing may fail.
- Download a Live ISO file as shown in Section 2.3, “Which Files Do I Download?”.
- Install the livecd-tools package on your system. For Fedora systems, use the following command:
su -c 'yum -y install livecd-tools'
- Plug in your USB media.
- Find the device name for your USB media. If the media has a volume name, look up the name in
/dev/disk/by-label, or use thefindfs:su -c 'findfs LABEL="
MyLabel"'If the media does not have a volume name, or you do not know it, consult the/var/log/messageslog for details:su -c 'less /var/log/messages'
- Use the
livecd-iso-to-diskcommand to write the ISO image to the media:su -c 'livecd-iso-to-disk
the_image.iso/dev/sdX1'ReplacesdX1with the device name for the partition on the USB media. Most flash drives and external hard disks use only one partition. If you have changed this behavior or have oddly partitioned media, you may need to consult other sources of help.
2.5. What If I Cannot Download Fedora?
If you do not have a fast Internet connection, or if you have a problem creating boot media, downloading may not be an option. Fedora DVD and CD distribution media is available from a number of online sources around the world at a minimal cost. Use your favorite Web search engine to locate a vendor, or refer to http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Distribution.
2.6. How Do I Start the Installation Program?
To start the installation program from minimal boot media, a Live image, or the distribution DVD, follow this procedure:
- Power off your computer system.
- Disconnect any external FireWire or USB disks that you do not need for installation. Refer to Section 7.18.1.3, “FireWire and USB Disks” for more information.
- Insert the media in your computer and turn it on.
You may need to press a specific key or combination of keys to boot from the media, or configure your system's Basic Input/Output System, or BIOS, to boot from the media. On most computers you must select the boot or BIOS option promptly after turning on the computer. Most Windows-compatible computer systems use a special key such as F1, F2, F12, or Del to start the BIOS configuration menu. On Apple computers, the C key boots the system from the DVD drive. On older Apple hardware you may need to press Cmd +Opt+Shift+Del to boot from DVD drive.
Configuring the BIOS
If you are not sure what capabilities your computer has, or how to configure the BIOS, consult the documentation provided by the manufacturer. Detailed information on hardware specifications and configuration is beyond the scope of this document.
Part I. Before you begin
This part of the Fedora Installation Guide covers decisions that you should make and resources that you should gather before installing Fedora, including:
- the decision whether to upgrade an existing installation of Fedora or install a new copy.
- hardware considerations, and hardware details that you may need during installation.
- preparing to install Fedora over a network.
- preparing driver media.
Table of Contents
- 3. Steps to Get You Started
- 4. System Specifications List
- 5. Driver Media for Intel and AMD Systems
Chapter 3. Steps to Get You Started
3.1. Upgrade or Install?
For information to help you determine whether to perform an upgrade or an installation refer to Chapter 18, Upgrading Your Current System.
3.2. Is Your Hardware Compatible?
Hardware compatibility is particularly important if you have an older system or a system that you built yourself. Fedora 11 should be compatible with most hardware in systems that were factory built within the last two years. However, hardware specifications change almost daily, so it is difficult to guarantee that your hardware is 100% compatible.
The most recent list of supported hardware can be found in the Release Notes for Fedora 11, available at http://docs.fedoraproject.org/release-notes .
3.3. Do You Have Enough Disk Space?
Nearly every modern-day operating system (OS) uses disk partitions, and Fedora is no exception. When you install Fedora, you may have to work with disk partitions. If you have not worked with disk partitions before (or need a quick review of the basic concepts), refer to Appendix A, An Introduction to Disk Partitions before proceeding.
The disk space used by Fedora must be separate from the disk space used by other OSes you may have installed on your system, such as Windows, OS/2, or even a different version of Linux. For x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 systems, at least two partitions (
/ and swap) must be dedicated to Fedora.
Before you start the installation process, you must
- have enough unpartitioned[1] disk space for the installation of Fedora, or
- have one or more partitions that may be deleted, thereby freeing up enough disk space to install Fedora.
To gain a better sense of how much space you really need, refer to the recommended partitioning sizes discussed in Section 7.21.4, “Recommended Partitioning Scheme”.
If you are not sure that you meet these conditions, or if you want to know how to create free disk space for your Fedora installation, refer to Appendix A, An Introduction to Disk Partitions.
3.4. Can You Install Using the CD-ROM or DVD?
There are several methods that can be used to install Fedora.
Installing from a CD-ROM or DVD requires that you have a Fedora 11 CD-ROM or DVD, and you have a DVD/CD-ROM drive on a system that supports booting from it.
Your BIOS may need to be changed to allow booting from your DVD/CD-ROM drive. For more information about changing your BIOS, refer to Section 7.3.1, “Booting the Installation Program on x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Systems”.
3.4.1. Alternative Boot Methods
- Boot DVD/CD-ROM
- If you can boot using the DVD/CD-ROM drive, you can create your own CD-ROM to boot the installation program. This may be useful, for example, if you are performing an installation over a network or from a hard drive. Refer to Section 3.4.2, “Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM” for further instructions.
- USB pen drive
- If you cannot boot from the DVD/CD-ROM drive, but you can boot using a USB device, such as a USB pen drive, the following alternative boot method is available:To boot using a USB pen drive, use the
ddcommand to copy thediskboot.imgimage file from the/images/directory on the DVD or CD-ROM #1. For example:dd if=diskboot.img of=/dev/sda
Your BIOS must support booting from a USB device in order for this boot method to work.
3.4.2. Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM
The
images/ directory on the installation DVD contains the boot.iso file. This file is an image of a disc that you can burn to a CD and use to boot the installation program. To use this boot CD, your computer must be able to boot from its CD-ROM drive, and its BIOS settings must be configured to do so.
Choose an option to burn a CD from an image
When you burn the
boot.iso image, make sure that you select the option to burn an image file to disc in your CD burning software. The exact wording of this option varies, depending on the software that you use, but should contain the word "image". Note that not all CD burning software includes this option. In particular, the CD burning software built into Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista does not offer this capability. There are many programs available that add this capability to Windows operating systems; Infrarecorder is a free and open-source example available from http://www.infrarecorder.org/.
3.5. Preparing for a Network Installation
Note
Make sure an installation CD (or any other type of CD) is not in your system's CD/DVD drive if you are performing a network-based installation. Having a CD in the drive may cause unexpected errors.
The Fedora installation media must be available for either a network installation (via NFS, FTP, or HTTP) or installation via local storage. Use the following steps if you are performing an NFS, FTP, or HTTP installation.
The NFS, FTP, or HTTP server to be used for installation over the network must be a separate machine which can provide the complete contents of the installation DVD-ROM or the installation CD-ROMs.
Note
The Fedora installation program has the ability to test the integrity of the installation media. It works with the CD / DVD, hard drive ISO, and NFS ISO installation methods. We recommend that you test all installation media before starting the installation process, and before reporting any installation-related bugs (many of the bugs reported are actually due to improperly-burned CDs). To use this test, type the following command at the
boot: prompt:
linux mediacheck
Note
In the following examples, the directory on the installation staging server that will contain the installation files will be specified as
/location/of/disk/space/publicly/available/directory. For example, /location/of/disk/space/var/isos. /publicly/available/directory/var/www/html/f11, for an HTTP install.
To copy the files from the installation DVD or CD-ROMs to a Linux machine which acts as an installation staging server, perform the following steps:
- Create an iso image from the installation disk(s) using the following command (for DVDs):
dd if=/dev/dvdof=/location/of/disk/space/f11.isowheredvdrefers to your DVD drive device.For instructions on how to prepare a network installation using CD-ROMs, refer to the instructions on theREADME-enfile indisk1.
3.5.1. Preparing for FTP and HTTP installation
Extract the files from the iso image of the installation DVD or the iso images of the installation CDs and place them in a directory that is shared over FTP or HTTP.
Next, make sure that the directory is shared via FTP or HTTP, and verify client access. You can check to see whether the directory is accessible from the server itself, and then from another machine on the same subnet that you will be installing to.
3.5.2. Preparing for an NFS install
For NFS installation it is not necessary to mount the iso image. It is sufficient to make the iso image itself available via NFS. You can do this by moving the iso image or images to the NFS exported directory:
- For DVD:
mv/location/of/disk/space/f11.iso/publicly/available/directory/ - For CDROMs:
mv/location/of/disk/space/f11-disk*.iso/publicly/available/directory/
Ensure that the
/publicly/available/directory/etc/exports.
To export to a specific system:
/publicly/available/directory client.ip.address(ro,no_root_squash)
To export to all systems use an entry such as:
/publicly/available/directory *(ro,no_root_squash)
Start the NFS daemon (on a Fedora system, use
/sbin/service nfs start). If NFS is already running, reload the configuration file (on a Fedora system use /sbin/service nfs reload).
3.6. Preparing for a Hard Drive Installation
Hard drive installations require the use of the ISO (or DVD/CD-ROM) images. An ISO image is a file containing an exact copy of a DVD/CD-ROM image. After placing the required ISO images (the binary Fedora DVD/CD-ROMs) in a directory, choose to install from the hard drive. You can then point the installation program at that directory to perform the installation.
To prepare your system for a hard drive installation, you must set the system up in one of the following ways:
- Using a set of CD-ROMs, or a DVD — Create ISO image files from each installation CD-ROM, or from the DVD. For each CD-ROM (once for the DVD), execute the following command on a Linux system:
dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/tmp/file-name.iso - Using ISO images — transfer these images to the system to be installed.Verifying that ISO images are intact before you attempt an installation, helps to avoid problems. To verify the ISO images are intact prior to performing an installation, use an
md5sumprogram (manymd5sumprograms are available for various operating systems). Anmd5sumprogram should be available on the same Linux machine as the ISO images.
Note
The Fedora installation program has the ability to test the integrity of the installation media. It works with the CD / DVD, hard drive ISO, and NFS ISO installation methods. We recommend that you test all installation media before starting the installation process, and before reporting any installation-related bugs (many of the bugs reported are actually due to improperly-burned CDs). To use this test, type the following command at the
boot: prompt:
linux mediacheck
Additionally, if a file called
updates.img exists in the location from which you install, it is used for updates to anaconda, the installation program. Refer to the file install-methods.txt in the anaconda RPM package for detailed information on the various ways to install Fedora, as well as how to apply the installation program updates.
[1] Unpartitioned disk space means that available disk space on the hard drive(s) you are installing to has not been divided into sections for data. When you partition a disk, each partition behaves like a separate disk drive.
Chapter 4. System Specifications List
The installation program automatically detects and installs your computer's hardware. Although you should make sure that your hardware meets the minimum requirements to install Fedora (refer to Section 3.2, “Is Your Hardware Compatible?”) you do not usually need to supply the installation program with any specific details about your system.
However, when performing certain types of installation, some specific details might be useful or even essential.
- If you plan to use a customized partition layout, record:
- The model numbers, sizes, types, and interfaces of the hard drives attached to the system. For example, Seagate ST3320613AS 320 GB on SATA0, Western Digital WD7500AAKS 750 GB on SATA1. This will allow you to identify specific hard drives during the partitioning process.
- If you are installing Fedora as an additional operating system on an existing system, record:
- The mount points of the existing partitions on the system. For example,
/bootonsda1,/onsda2, and/homeonsdb1. This will allow you to identify specific partitions during the partitioning process.
- If you plan to install from an image on a local hard drive:
- The hard drive and directory that holds the image – see Table 7.2, “Location of ISO images for different partition types” for examples.
- If you plan to install from a network location, or install on an iSCSI target:
- The make and model numbers of the network adapters on your system. For example, Netgear GA311. This will allow you to identify adapters when manually configuring the network.
- IP, DHCP, and BOOTP addresses
- Netmask
- Gateway IP address
- One or more name server IP addresses (DNS)
If any of these networking requirements or terms are unfamiliar to you, contact your network administrator for assistance. - If you plan to install from a network location:
- The location of the image on an FTP server, HTTP (web) server, or NFS server – see Section 7.9, “Installing via FTP or HTTP” and Section 7.8, “Installing via NFS” for examples.
- If you plan to install on an iSCSI target:
- The location of the iSCSI target. Depending on your network, you might also need a CHAP username and password, and perhaps a reverse CHAP username and password – see Section 7.19, “ Advanced Storage Options ”.
- If your computer is part of a domain:
- You should verify that the domain name will be supplied by the DHCP server. If not, you will need to input the domain name manually during installation.
Chapter 5. Driver Media for Intel® and AMD Systems
5.1. Why Do I Need Driver Media?
While the Fedora installation program is loading, a screen may appear asking you for driver media. The driver media screen is most often seen in the following scenarios:
- There is no driver available for a piece of hardware that is necessary for installation to proceed.
- If you run the installation program by entering
linux ddat the installation boot prompt.
5.2. So What Is Driver Media Anyway?
Driver media can add support for hardware that may or may not be supported by the installation program. Driver media could include a driver diskette or image produced by Red Hat, it could be a diskette or CD-ROM you make yourself from driver images found on the Internet, or it could be a diskette or CD-ROM that a hardware vendor includes with a piece of hardware.
Driver media is used if you need access to a particular device to install Fedora. Drivers can be used for non-standard, very new, or uncommon devices.
Note
If an unsupported device is not needed to install Fedora on your system, continue with the installation and add support for the new piece of hardware once the installation is complete.
5.3. How Do I Obtain Driver Media?
Driver images may be available from a hardware or software vendor's website. If you suspect that your system may require one of these drivers, you should create a driver diskette or CD-ROM before beginning your Fedora installation.
Note
It is also possible to use a driver image via a network file. Instead of using the
linux dd boot command, use the linux dd=url command, where url is replaced by an HTTP, FTP, or NFS address of the driver image to be used.
5.3.1. Creating a Driver Diskette from an Image File
To create a driver diskette from a driver diskette image using Linux:
- Insert a blank, formatted diskette into the first diskette drive.
- From the same directory containing the driver diskette image, such as
drvnet.imgdd if=as root.drvnet.imgof=/dev/fd0
Note
The installation program supports using an external flash drive as a way to add driver images during the installation process. The best way to do this is to mount the flash drive and copy the desired
driverdisk.img onto the flash drive. For example:
dd if=driverdisk.img of=/dev/sda
You are then prompted during the installation to select the partition and specify the file to be used.
5.4. Using a Driver Image During Installation
If you need to use a driver image, such as during a PCMCIA device or NFS installation, the installation program prompts you to insert the driver (as a diskette, CD-ROM, or file name) when it is needed.
For example, to specifically load a driver diskette that you have created, begin the installation process by booting from the Fedora DVD (or using boot media you have created). For x86-based systems, at the
boot: prompt, enter linux dd if using an x86 or x86-64 system. Refer to Section 7.3.1, “Booting the Installation Program on x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Systems” for details on booting the installation program.
The installation program asks you to insert the driver diskette. Once the driver diskette is read by the installation program, it can apply those drivers to hardware discovered on your system later in the installation process.
Part II. The installation process
This part of the Fedora Installation Guide details the installation process itself, from various methods of booting the installer up to the point where the computer must restart to finalize the installation. This part of the manual also includes a chapter on troubleshooting problems with the installation process.
Table of Contents
- 6. Beginning the Installation
- 7. Installing on Intel and AMD Systems
- 7.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface
- 7.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface
- 7.3. Starting the Installation Program
- 7.4. Selecting an Installation Method
- 7.5. Installing from DVD/CD-ROM
- 7.6. Installing from a Hard Drive
- 7.7. Performing a Network Installation
- 7.8. Installing via NFS
- 7.9. Installing via FTP or HTTP
- 7.10. Welcome to Fedora
- 7.11. Language Selection
- 7.12. Keyboard Configuration
- 7.13. Initializing the Hard Disk
- 7.14. Upgrading an Existing System
- 7.15. Network Configuration
- 7.16. Time Zone Configuration
- 7.17. Set the Root Password
- 7.18. Disk Partitioning Setup
- 7.19. Advanced Storage Options
- 7.20. Create Default Layout
- 7.21. Partitioning Your System
- 7.22. x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Configuration
- 7.23. Package Group Selection
- 7.24. Preparing to Install
- 7.25. Installing Packages
- 7.26. Installation Complete
- 8. Troubleshooting Installation on an Intel or AMD System
- 8.1. You are unable to boot Fedora
- 8.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation
- 8.3. Trouble During the Installation
- 8.4. Problems After Installation
- 8.4.1. Trouble With the Graphical GRUB Screen on an x86-based System?
- 8.4.2. Booting into a Graphical Environment
- 8.4.3. Problems with the X Window System (GUI)
- 8.4.4. Problems with the X Server Crashing and Non-Root Users
- 8.4.5. Problems When You Try to Log In
- 8.4.6. Is Your RAM Not Being Recognized?
- 8.4.7. Your Printer Does Not Work
- 8.4.8. Problems with Sound Configuration
- 8.4.9. Apache-based httpd service/Sendmail Hangs During Startup
Chapter 6. Beginning the Installation
Aborting the Installation
To abort the installation, either press Ctrl +Alt+Del or power off your computer with the power switch. You may abort the installation process without consequence at any time prior to selecting on the Write partitioning to disk screen. Fedora makes no permanent changes to your computer until that point. Please be aware that stopping the installation after partitioning has begun can leave your computer unusable.
6.1. The Boot Menu
The boot media displays a graphical boot menu with several options. If no key is hit within 60 seconds, the default boot option runs. To choose the default, either wait for the timer to run out or hit Enter on the keyboard. To select a different option than the default, use the arrow keys on your keyboard, and hit Enter when the correct option is highlighted. If you want to customize the boot options for a particular option, hit the Tab key.
Using Boot Options
For a listing and explanation of common boot options, refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options.
When using Fedora Live media, press any key during the initial boot countdown to bring up the Boot Options menu. The boot options include:
Boot
This option is the default. If you select this option, only the kernel and startup programs load into memory. This option takes less time to load. As you use programs, they are loaded from the disc, which takes more time. This mode can be used on machines with less total memory.Verify and Boot
This option lets you verify the disc before you run the Live CD environment. Refer to Section 6.3, “Verifying Media” for more information on the verification process.Memory Test
This option runs an exhaustive test on the memory on your system. For more information, refer to Section 9.6.1, “Loading the Memory (RAM) Testing Mode”.Boot from local drive
This option boots the system from the first installed disk. If you booted this disc accidentally, use this option to boot from the hard disk immediately without starting the installer.
If you boot the DVD, rescue CD, or minimal boot media, the boot menu options include:
Install or upgrade an existing system
This option is the default. Choose this option to install Fedora onto your computer system using the graphical installation program.Install system with basic video driver
This option allows you to install Fedora in graphical mode even if the installation program is unable to load the correct driver for your video card. If your screen appears distorted or goes blank when using the the Install or upgrade an existing system option, restart your computer and try this option instead.Rescue installed system
Choose this option to repair a problem with your installed Fedora system that prevents you from booting normally. Although Fedora is an exceptionally stable computing platform, it is still possible for occasional problems to occur that prevent booting. The rescue environment contains utility programs that allow you fix a wide variety of these problems.Boot from local drive
(as for Live CD)Memory Test
(as for Live CD)
6.2. Installing from a Different Source
All boot media except the distribution DVD present a menu that allows you to choose the installation source, such as the network or a hard disk. If you are booting the distribution DVD and do not want to install from the DVD, hit Tab at the boot menu. Add a space and the option
linux askmethod to the end of the line that appears below the menu.
You can install Fedora from the ISO images stored on hard disk, or from a network using NFS, FTP, or HTTP methods. Experienced users frequently use one of these methods because it is often faster to read data from a hard disk or network server than from a CD or DVD.
The following table summarizes the different boot methods and recommended installation methods to use with each:
| Boot method | Installation method |
|---|---|
| DVD | DVD, network, or hard disk |
| Minimal boot CD or USB, rescue CD | Network or hard disk |
| Live CD or USB | Install to Hard Disk application |
Table 6.1. Boot methods and installation methods
Section 7.4, “Selecting an Installation Method” contains detailed information about installing from alternate locations.
6.3. Verifying Media
The distribution DVD media and the Live CD media offer an option to verify the integrity of the media. Recording errors sometimes occur while producing CD or DVD media in home computer equipment. An error in the data for package chosen in the installation program can cause the installation to abort. To minimize the chances of data errors affecting the installation, verify the media before installing.
6.3.1. Verifying the Live CD
If you boot from the Live CD, choose Verify and Boot from the boot menu. The verification process runs automatically during the boot process, and if it succeeds, the Live CD continues loading. If the verification fails, create a new Live CD using the ISO image you downloaded earlier.
6.3.2. Verifying the DVD
If you boot from the Fedora distribution DVD, the option to verify the media appears after you choose to install Fedora. If the verification succeeds, the installation process proceeds normally. If the process fails, create a new DVD using the ISO image you downloaded earlier.
6.4. Booting from the Network using PXE
To boot with
PXE, you need a properly configured server, and a network interface in your computer that supports PXE. For information on how to configure a PXE server, refer to Chapter 11, Setting Up an Installation Server.
Configure the computer to boot from the network interface. This option is in the BIOS, and may be labeled
Network Boot or Boot Services. Once you properly configure PXE booting, the computer can boot the Fedora installation system without any other media.
To boot a computer from a PXE server:
- Ensure that the network cable is attached. The link indicator light on the network socket should be lit, even if the computer is not switched on.
- Switch on the computer.
- A menu screen appears. Press the number key that corresponds to the desired option.
PXE Troubleshooting
If your PC does not boot from the netboot server, ensure that the BIOS is configured to boot first from the correct network interface. Some BIOS systems specify the network interface as a possible boot device, but do not support the PXE standard. Refer to your hardware documentation for more information.
Multiple NICs and PXE installation
Some servers with multiple network interfaces may not assign eth0 to the first network interface as BIOS knows it, which can cause the installer to try using a different network interface than was used by PXE. To change this behavior, use the following in
pxelinux.cfg/* config files:
IPAPPEND 2
APPEND ksdevice=bootif
The configuration options above causes the installer to use the same network interface as BIOS and PXE use. You can also use the following option:
ksdevice=link
This option causes the installer to use the first network device it finds that is linked to a network switch.
6.5. Graphical and Text Interfaces
Fedora 11 supports graphical and text-based installations. However, the installer image must either fit in RAM or appear on local storage, such as the installation DVD or Live Media. Therefore, only systems with more than 192 MB of RAM or that boot from the installation DVD or Live Media can use the graphical installer. Systems with 192 MB RAM or less automatically scale back to using the text-based installer. Note that you must still have a minimum of 64 MB of RAM for installation to proceed in text mode. If you prefer to use the text-based installer, type
linux text at the boot: prompt.
If one of the following situations occurs, the installation program uses a text mode:
- The installation system fails to identify the display hardware on your computer
- Your computer has less than 192 MB of RAM
- You choose the text mode installation from the boot menu
The text screens provide most of the same functions as the standard screens, although disk partitioning is simplified, and bootloader configuration and package selection are handled automatically in text mode. If you choose to install Fedora in text mode, you can still configure your system to use a graphical interface after installation.
Graphical Interface Usage
Installing in text mode does not prevent you from using a graphical interface on your system once it is installed. If you have trouble configuring your system for graphical interface use, consult other sources for troubleshooting help as shown in Section 1.2, “Getting Additional Help”.
Installation requires at least 64 MB of RAM
If your system has less than 64 MB of RAM, installation will not continue.
Chapter 7. Installing on Intel® and AMD Systems
- 7.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface
- 7.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface
- 7.3. Starting the Installation Program
- 7.4. Selecting an Installation Method
- 7.5. Installing from DVD/CD-ROM
- 7.6. Installing from a Hard Drive
- 7.7. Performing a Network Installation
- 7.8. Installing via NFS
- 7.9. Installing via FTP or HTTP
- 7.10. Welcome to Fedora
- 7.11. Language Selection
- 7.12. Keyboard Configuration
- 7.13. Initializing the Hard Disk
- 7.14. Upgrading an Existing System
- 7.15. Network Configuration
- 7.16. Time Zone Configuration
- 7.17. Set the Root Password
- 7.18. Disk Partitioning Setup
- 7.19. Advanced Storage Options
- 7.20. Create Default Layout
- 7.21. Partitioning Your System
- 7.22. x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Configuration
- 7.23. Package Group Selection
- 7.24. Preparing to Install
- 7.25. Installing Packages
- 7.26. Installation Complete
This chapter explains how to perform a Fedora installation from the DVD/CD-ROM, using the graphical, mouse-based installation program. The following topics are discussed:
- Becoming familiar with the installation program's user interface
- Starting the installation program
- Selecting an installation method
- Configuration steps during the installation (language, keyboard, mouse, partitioning, etc.)
- Finishing the installation
7.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface
If you have used a graphical user interface (GUI) before, you are already familiar with this process; use your mouse to navigate the screens, click buttons, or enter text fields.
You can also navigate through the installation using the keyboard. The Tab key allows you to move around the screen, the Up and Down arrow keys to scroll through lists, + and - keys expand and collapse lists, while Space and Enter selects or removes from selection a highlighted item. You can also use the Alt+
X key command combination as a way of clicking on buttons or making other screen selections, where X is replaced with any underlined letter appearing within that screen.
Note
If you are using an x86, AMD64, or Intel® 64 system, and you do not wish to use the GUI installation program, the text mode installation program is also available. To start the text mode installation program, press the Esc key while the Fedora boot menu is displayed, then use the following command at the
boot: prompt:
linux text
Refer to Section 6.1, “The Boot Menu” for a description of the Fedora boot menu and to Section 7.2, “The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface” for a brief overview of text mode installation instructions.
It is highly recommended that installs be performed using the GUI installation program. The GUI installation program offers the full functionality of the Fedora installation program, including LVM configuration which is not available during a text mode installation.
Users who must use the text mode installation program can follow the GUI installation instructions and obtain all needed information.
7.1.1. A Note about Virtual Consoles
The Fedora installation program offers more than the dialog boxes of the installation process. Several kinds of diagnostic messages are available to you, as well as a way to enter commands from a shell prompt. The installation program displays these messages on five virtual consoles, among which you can switch using a single keystroke combination.
A virtual console is a shell prompt in a non-graphical environment, accessed from the physical machine, not remotely. Multiple virtual consoles can be accessed simultaneously.
These virtual consoles can be helpful if you encounter a problem while installing Fedora. Messages displayed on the installation or system consoles can help pinpoint a problem. Refer to Table 7.1, “Console, Keystrokes, and Contents” for a listing of the virtual consoles, keystrokes used to switch to them, and their contents.
Generally, there is no reason to leave the default console (virtual console #6) for graphical installations unless you are attempting to diagnose installation problems.
| console | keystrokes | contents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ctrl+alt+f1 | installation dialog |
| 2 | ctrl+alt+f2 | shell prompt |
| 3 | ctrl+alt+f3 | install log (messages from installation program) |
| 4 | ctrl+alt+f4 | system-related messages |
| 5 | ctrl+alt+f5 | other messages |
| 6 | ctrl+alt+f6 | graphical display |
Table 7.1. Console, Keystrokes, and Contents
7.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface
Note
Graphical installation remains the recommended method for installing Fedora. If you are installing Fedora on a system that lacks a graphical display, consider performing the installation over a VNC connection – see Chapter 12, Installing Through VNC.
If your system has a graphical display, but graphical installation fails, try booting with the
xdriver=vesa option – see Chapter 9, Boot Options
The Fedora text mode installation program uses a screen-based interface that includes most of the on-screen widgets commonly found on graphical user interfaces. Figure 7.1, “Installation Program Widgets as seen in Boot Loader Configuration”, and Figure 7.2, “Installation Program Widgets as seen in the partitioning screen”, illustrate the screens that appear during the installation process.
The cursor is used to select (and interact with) a particular widget. As the cursor is moved from widget to widget, it may cause the widget to change color, or the cursor itself may only appear positioned in or next to the widget.
Note
While text mode installations are not explicitly documented, those using the text mode installation program can easily follow the GUI installation instructions. However, because text mode presents you with a simpler, more streamlined insatallation process, certain options that are available in graphical mode are not also available in text mode. These differences are noted in the description of the installation process in this guide, and include:
Note also that manipulation of LVM (Logical Volume Management) disk volumes is only possible in graphical mode. In text mode it is only possible to view and accept the default LVM setup.
- customizing the partition layout.
- customizing the bootloader configuration.
- selecting packages during installation.
Note
Not every language supported in graphical installation mode is also supported in text mode. Specifically, languages written with a character set other than the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets are not available in text mode. If you choose a language written with a character set that is not supported in text mode, the installation program will present you with the English versions of the screens.
Installation Program Widgets as seen in Boot Loader Configuration
Figure 7.1. Installation Program Widgets as seen in Boot Loader Configuration
Legend
- Window — Windows (usually referred to as dialogs in this manual) appear on your screen throughout the installation process. At times, one window may overlay another; in these cases, you can only interact with the window on top. When you are finished in that window, it disappears, allowing you to continue working in the window underneath.
- Checkbox — Checkboxes allow you to select or deselect a feature. The box displays either an asterisk (selected) or a space (unselected). When the cursor is within a checkbox, press Space to select or deselect a feature.
- Text Input — Text input lines are regions where you can enter information required by the installation program. When the cursor rests on a text input line, you may enter and/or edit information on that line.
Installation Program Widgets as seen in the partitioning screen
Figure 7.2. Installation Program Widgets as seen in the partitioning screen
Legend
- Text Widget — Text widgets are regions of the screen for the display of text. At times, text widgets may also contain other widgets, such as checkboxes. If a text widget contains more information than can be displayed in the space reserved for it, a scroll bar appears; if you position the cursor within the text widget, you can then use the Up and Down arrow keys to scroll through all the information available. Your current position is shown on the scroll bar by a # character, which moves up and down the scroll bar as you scroll.
- Scroll Bar — Scroll bars appear on the side or bottom of a window to control which part of a list or document is currently in the window's frame. The scroll bar makes it easy to move to any part of a file.
- Button Widget — Button widgets are the primary method of interacting with the installation program. You progress through the windows of the installation program by navigating these buttons, using the Tab and Enter keys. Buttons can be selected when they are highlighted.
7.2.1. Using the Keyboard to Navigate
Navigation through the installation dialogs is performed through a simple set of keystrokes. To move the cursor, use the Left, Right, Up, and Down arrow keys. Use Tab, and Shift-Tab to cycle forward or backward through each widget on the screen. Along the bottom, most screens display a summary of available cursor positioning keys.
To "press" a button, position the cursor over the button (using Tab, for example) and press Space or Enter. To select an item from a list of items, move the cursor to the item you wish to select and press Enter. To select an item with a checkbox, move the cursor to the checkbox and press Space to select an item. To deselect, press Space a second time.
Pressing F12 accepts the current values and proceeds to the next dialog; it is equivalent to pressing the button.
Warning
Unless a dialog box is waiting for your input, do not press any keys during the installation process (doing so may result in unpredictable behavior).
7.3. Starting the Installation Program
To start, first make sure that you have all necessary resources for the installation. If you have already read through Chapter 3, Steps to Get You Started, and followed the instructions, you should be ready to start the installation process. When you have verified that you are ready to begin, boot the installation program using the Fedora DVD or CD-ROM #1 or any boot media that you have created.
Note
Occasionally, some hardware components require a driver diskette during the installation. A driver diskette adds support for hardware that is not otherwise supported by the installation program. Refer to Chapter 5, Driver Media for Intel and AMD Systems for more information.
7.3.1. Booting the Installation Program on x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 Systems
You can boot the installation program using any one of the following media (depending upon what your system can support):
- Fedora DVD/CD-ROM — Your machine supports a bootable DVD/CD-ROM drive and you have the Fedora CD-ROM set or DVD.
- Boot CD-ROM — Your machine supports a bootable CD-ROM drive and you want to perform network or hard drive installation.
- USB pen drive — Your machine supports booting from a USB device.
- PXE boot via network — Your machine supports booting from the network. This is an advanced installation path. Refer to Chapter 11, Setting Up an Installation Server for additional information on this method.
To create a boot CD-ROM or to prepare your USB pen drive for installation, refer to Section 3.4.2, “Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM”.
Insert the boot media and reboot the system. Your BIOS settings may need to be changed to allow you to boot from the CD-ROM or USB device.
Note
To change your BIOS settings on an x86, AMD64, or Intel® 64 system, watch the instructions provided on your display when your computer first boots. A line of text appears, telling you which key to press to enter the BIOS settings.
Once you have entered your BIOS setup program, find the section where you can alter your boot sequence. The default is often C, A or A, C (depending on whether you boot from your hard drive [C] or a diskette drive [A]). Change this sequence so that the CD-ROM is first in your boot order and that C or A (whichever is your typical boot default) is second. This instructs the computer to first look at the CD-ROM drive for bootable media; if it does not find bootable media on the CD-ROM drive, it then checks your hard drive or diskette drive.
Save your changes before exiting the BIOS. For more information, refer to the documentation that came with your system.
After a short delay, a screen containing the
boot: prompt should appear. The screen contains information on a variety of boot options. Each boot option also has one or more help screens associated with it. To access a help screen, press the appropriate function key as listed in the line at the bottom of the screen.
As you boot the installation program, be aware of two issues:
- Once the
boot:prompt appears, the installation program automatically begins if you take no action within the first minute. To disable this feature, press one of the help screen function keys. - If you press a help screen function key, there is a slight delay while the help screen is read from the boot media.
Normally, you only need to press Enter to boot. Be sure to watch the boot messages to review if the Linux kernel detects your hardware. If your hardware is properly detected, continue to the next section. If it does not properly detect your hardware, you may need to restart the installation and use one of the boot options provided in Chapter 9, Boot Options.
7.3.2. Additional Boot Options
While it is easiest to boot using a CD-ROM or DVD and perform a graphical installation, sometimes there are installation scenarios where booting in a different manner may be needed. This section discusses additional boot options available for Fedora.
To pass options to the boot loader on an x86, AMD64, or Intel® 64 system, use the instructions as provided in the boot loader option samples below.
Note
Refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options for additional boot options not covered in this section.
linux text- ISO images have an md5sum embedded in them. To test the checksum integrity of an ISO image, at the installation boot prompt, type:
linux mediacheckThe installation program prompts you to insert a CD or select an ISO image to test, and select to perform the checksum operation. This checksum operation can be performed on any Fedora CD and does not have to be performed in a specific order (for example, CD #1 does not have to be the first CD you verify). It is strongly recommended to perform this operation on any Fedora CD that was created from downloaded ISO images. This command works with the CD, DVD, hard drive ISO, and NFS ISO installation methods. - Also in the
images/directory is theboot.isofile. This file is an ISO image than can be used to boot the installation program. To use theboot.iso, your computer must be able to boot from its CD-ROM drive, and its BIOS settings must be configured to do so. You must then burn theboot.isofile onto a recordable/rewriteable CD-ROM. linux console=<device>For text mode installations, use:linux text console=<device>In the above command,<device>should be the device you are using (such as ttyS0 or ttyS1). For example,linux text console=ttyS0.Text mode installations using a serial terminal work best when the terminal supports UTF-8. Under UNIX and Linux, Kermit supports UTF-8. For Windows, Kermit '95 works well. Non-UTF-8 capable terminals works as long as only English is used during the installation process. An enhanced serial display can be used by passing theutf8command as a boot-time option to the installation program. For example:linux console=ttyS0 utf8
7.3.2.1. Kernel Options
Options can also be passed to the kernel. For example, to apply updates for the anaconda installation program from a floppy disk enter:
linux updates
For text mode installations, use:
linux text updates
This command will prompt you to insert a floppy diskette containing updates for anaconda. It is not needed if you are performing a network installation and have already placed the updates image contents in
rhupdates/ on the server.
After entering any options, press Enter to boot using those options.
If you need to specify boot options to identify your hardware, please write them down. The boot options are needed during the boot loader configuration portion of the installation (refer to Section 7.22, “x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Configuration” for more information).
For more information on kernel options refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options.
7.4. Selecting an Installation Method
What type of installation method do you wish to use? The following installation methods are available:
- DVD/CD-ROM
- If you have a DVD/CD-ROM drive and the Fedora CD-ROMs or DVD you can use this method. Refer to Section 7.5, “Installing from DVD/CD-ROM”, for DVD/CD-ROM installation instructions.
- Hard Drive
- If you have copied the Fedora ISO images to a local hard drive, you can use this method. You need a boot CD-ROM (use the
linux askmethodboot option). Refer to Section 7.6, “Installing from a Hard Drive”, for hard drive installation instructions. - NFS
- If you are installing from an NFS server using ISO images or a mirror image of Fedora, you can use this method. You need a boot CD-ROM (use the
linux askmethodboot option). Refer to Section 7.8, “Installing via NFS” for network installation instructions. Note that NFS installations may also be performed in GUI mode. - URL
- If you are installing directly from an HTTP (Web) server or FTP server, use this method. You need a boot CD-ROM (use the
linux askmethodboot option). Refer to Section 7.9, “Installing via FTP or HTTP”, for FTP and HTTP installation instructions.
If you booted the distribution DVD and did not use the alternate installation source option
askmethod, the next stage loads automatically from the DVD. Proceed to Section 7.10, “Welcome to Fedora”.
CD/DVD Activity
If you boot any Fedora installation media, the installation program loads its next stage from that disc. This happens regardless of which installation method you choose, unless you eject the disc before you proceed. The installation program still downloads package data from the source you choose.
7.5. Installing from DVD/CD-ROM
To install Fedora from a DVD/CD-ROM, place the DVD or CD #1 in your DVD/CD-ROM drive and boot your system from the DVD/CD-ROM. Even if you booted from alternative media, you can still install Fedora from CD or DVD media.
The installation program then probes your system and attempts to identify your CD-ROM drive. It starts by looking for an IDE (also known as an ATAPI) CD-ROM drive.
Note
To abort the installation process at this time, reboot your machine and then eject the boot media. You can safely cancel the installation at any point before the About to Install screen. Refer to Section 7.24, “Preparing to Install” for more information.
If your CD-ROM drive is not detected, and it is a SCSI CD-ROM, the installation program prompts you to choose a SCSI driver. Choose the driver that most closely resembles your adapter. You may specify options for the driver if necessary; however, most drivers detect your SCSI adapter automatically.
If the DVD/CD-ROM drive is found and the driver loaded, the installer will present you with the option to perform a media check on the DVD/CD-ROM. This will take some time, and you may opt to skip over this step. However, if you later encounter problems with the installer, you should reboot and perform the media check before calling for support. From the media check dialog, continue to the next stage of the installation process (refer to Section 7.10, “Welcome to Fedora”).
7.5.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found?
If you have an IDE (ATAPI) DVD/CD-ROM but the installation program fails to find it and asks you what type of DVD/CD-ROM drive you have, try the following boot command. Restart the installation, and at the
boot: prompt enter linux hdX=cdrom. Replace Xa— first IDE controller, masterb— first IDE controller, slavec— second IDE controller, masterd— second IDE controller, slave
If you have a third and/or fourth controller, continue assigning letters in alphabetical order, going from controller to controller, and master to slave.
7.6. Installing from a Hard Drive
The Select Partition screen applies only if you are installing from a disk partition (that is, if you selected in the Installation Method dialog). This dialog allows you to name the disk partition and directory from which you are installing Fedora.
The ISO files must be located on a hard drive that is either internal to the computer, or attached to the machine by USB. In addition the
install.img file from within the ISO files must be copied to a directory named images Use this option to install Fedora on computers that are without a network connection or CD/DVD drives.
To extract the
install.img from the ISO follow the procedure:
mount -t iso9660 /path/to/Fedora11.iso /mnt/point -o loop,rocp -pr /mnt/point/images /path/images/umount /mnt/point
Before you begin installation from a hard drive, check the partition type to ensure that Fedora can read it. To check a partition's file system under Windows, use the Disk Management tool. To check a partition's file system under Linux, use the
fdisk utility.
Cannot Install from LVM Partitions
You cannot use ISO files on partitions controlled by LVM (Logical Volume Management).
Selecting partition dialog for a hard drive installation.
Figure 7.3. Selecting Partition Dialog for Hard Drive Installation
Select the partition containing the ISO files from the list of available partitions. Internal IDE, SATA, SCSI, and USB drive device names begin with
/dev/sd. Each individual drive has its own letter, for example /dev/sda. Each partition on a drive is numbered, for example /dev/sda1.
Also specify the Directory holding images. Enter the full directory path from the drive that contains the ISO image files. The following table shows some examples of how to enter this information:
| Partition type | Volume | Original path to files | Directory to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| VFAT | D:\ | D:\Downloads\F11 | /Downloads/F11 |
| ext2, ext3, ext4 | /home | /home/user1/F11 | /user1/F11 |
Table 7.2. Location of ISO images for different partition types
If the ISO images are in the root (top-level) directory of a partition, enter a
/. If the ISO images are located in a subdirectory of a mounted partition, enter the name of the directory holding the ISO images within that partition. For example, if the partition on which the ISO images is normally mounted as /home/, and the images are in /home/new/, you would enter /new/.
Use a leading slash
An entry without a leading slash may cause the installation to fail.
Select to continue. Proceed with Section 7.10, “Welcome to Fedora”.
7.7. Performing a Network Installation
The installation program is network-aware and can use network settings for a number of functions. For instance, you can install Fedora from a network server using FTP, HTTP, or NFS protocols. You can also instruct the installation program to consult additional software repositories later in the process.
If you are performing a network installation, the Configure TCP/IP dialog appears. This dialog asks for your IP and other network addresses. You can choose to configure the IP address and Netmask of the device via DHCP or manually.
By default, the installation program uses DHCP to automatically provide network settings. If you use a cable or DSL modem, router, firewall, or other network hardware to communicate with the Internet, DHCP is a suitable option. If your network has no DHCP server, clear the check box labeled Use dynamic IP configuration (DHCP).
Enter the IP address you are using during installation and press Enter.
The installation program supports only the IPv4 protocol. Refer also to Section 7.15, “Network Configuration” for more information on configuring your network.
Configure the network device address(es) for installation.
Figure 7.4. TCP/IP Configuration
When the installation process completes, it will transfer these settings to your system.
You can install from a Web, FTP, or NFS server either on your local network or, if you are connected, on the Internet. You may install Fedora from your own private mirror, or use one of the public mirrors maintained by members of the community. To ensure that the connection is as fast and reliable as possible, use a server that is close to your own geographical location.
The Fedora Project maintains a list of Web and FTP public mirrors, sorted by region, at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mirrors. To determine the complete directory path for the installation files, add
/11/Fedora/architecture/os/ to the path shown on the web page. A correct mirror location for an i386 system resembles the URL http://mirror.example.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/i386/os.
- If you are installing via NFS, proceed to Section 7.8, “Installing via NFS”.
- If you are installing via Web or FTP, proceed to Section 7.9, “Installing via FTP or HTTP”.
7.8. Installing via NFS
The NFS dialog applies only if you are installing from an NFS server (if you selected in the Installation Method dialog).
Enter the domain name or IP address of your NFS server. For example, if you are installing from a host named
eastcoast in the domain example.com, enter eastcoast.example.com in the NFS Server field.
Next, enter the name of the exported directory. If you followed the setup described in Section 3.5, “Preparing for a Network Installation”, you would enter the directory
/export/directory/
If the NFS server is exporting a mirror of the Fedora installation tree, enter the directory which contains the root of the installation tree. You will enter an Installation Key later on in the process which will determine which subdirectories are used to install from. If everything was specified properly, a message appears indicating that the installation program for Fedora is running.
NFS setup dialog.
Figure 7.5. NFS Setup Dialog
If the NFS server is exporting the ISO images of the Fedora CD-ROMs, enter the directory which contains the ISO images.
Next, the Welcome dialog appears.
7.9. Installing via FTP or HTTP
The URL dialog applies only if you are installing from a FTP or HTTP server (if you selected in the Installation Method dialog). This dialog prompts you for information about the FTP or HTTP server from which you are installing Fedora.
Enter the name or IP address of the FTP or HTTP site you are installing from, and the name of the directory containing your architecture. For example, if the FTP or HTTP site contains the directory
/mirrors/Fedora/arch/, enter /mirrors/Fedora/arch/ (where arch is replaced with the architecture type of your system, such as i386). If everything was specified properly, a message box appears indicating that files are being retrieved from the server.
URL setup dialog.
Figure 7.6. URL Setup Dialog
Next, the Welcome dialog appears.
Note
You can save disk space by using the ISO images you have already copied to the server. To accomplish this, install Fedora using ISO images without copying them into a single tree by loopback mounting them. For each ISO image:
mkdir discX
mount -o loop Fedora11-discX.iso discX
Replace
X with the corresponding disc number.
7.10. Welcome to Fedora
The Welcome screen does not prompt you for any input.
Welcome to Fedora 11
Click on the button to continue.
7.11. Language Selection
Using your mouse, select a language to use for the installation (refer to Figure 7.7, “Language Selection”).
The language you select here will become the default language for the operating system once it is installed. Selecting the appropriate language also helps target your time zone configuration later in the installation. The installation program tries to define the appropriate time zone based on what you specify on this screen.
To add support for additional languages, customize the installation at the package selection stage. For more information, refer to Section 7.23.2.2, “Additional Language Support”.
Language selection screen.
Figure 7.7. Language Selection
Once you select the appropriate language, click to continue.
7.12. Keyboard Configuration
Using your mouse, select the correct layout type (for example, U.S. English) for the keyboard you would prefer to use for the installation and as the system default (refer to the figure below).
Once you have made your selection, click to continue.
Keyboard configuration screen
Figure 7.8. Keyboard Configuration
Note
To change your keyboard layout type after you have completed the installation, use the Keyboard Configuration Tool.
Type the
system-config-keyboard command in a shell prompt to launch the Keyboard Configuration Tool. If you are not root, it prompts you for the root password to continue.
7.13. Initializing the Hard Disk
If no readable partition tables are found on existing hard disks, the installation program asks to initialize the hard disk. This operation makes any existing data on the hard disk unreadable. If your system has a brand new hard disk with no operating system installed, or you have removed all partitions on the hard disk, answer Yes.
Warning screen – initializing hard drive.
Figure 7.9. Warning screen – initializing hard drive
Certain RAID systems or other nonstandard configurations may be unreadable to the installation program and the prompt to initialize the hard disk may appear. The installation program responds to the physical disk structures it is able to detect.
Detach Unneeded Disks
If you have a nonstandard disk configuration that can be detached during installation and detected and configured afterward, power off the system, detach it, and restart the installation.
7.14. Upgrading an Existing System
The installation system automatically detects any existing installation of Fedora. The upgrade process updates the existing system software with new versions, but does not remove any data from users' home directories. The existing partition structure on your hard drives does not change. Your system configuration changes only if a package upgrade demands it. Most package upgrades do not change system configuration, but rather install an additional configuration file for you to examine later.
7.14.1. Upgrade Examine
If your system contains a Fedora or Red Hat Linux installation, a dialog appears asking whether you want to upgrade that installation. To perform an upgrade of an existing system, choose the appropriate installation from the drop-down list and select .
The upgrade screen.
Figure 7.10. The upgrade screen
Manually Installed Software
Software you have installed manually on your existing Fedora or Red Hat Linux system may behave differently after an upgrade. You may need to manually reinstall or recompile this software after an upgrade to ensure it performs correctly on the updated system.
7.14.2. Upgrading Using the Installer
Installations are Recommended
In general, the Fedora Project recommends that you keep user data on a separate
/home partition and perform a fresh installation. For more information on partitions and how to set them up, refer to Section 7.18, “Disk Partitioning Setup”.
If you choose to upgrade your system using the installation program, any software not provided by Fedora that conflicts with Fedora software is overwritten. Before you begin an upgrade this way, make a list of your system's current packages for later reference:
rpm -qa --qf '%{NAME} %{VERSION}-%{RELEASE} %{ARCH}\n' > ~/old-pkglist.txt
After installation, consult this list to discover which packages you may need to rebuild or retrieve from non-Fedora software repositories.
Next, make a backup of any system configuration data:
su -c 'tar czf /tmp/etc-`date +%F`.tar.gz /etc' su -c 'mv /tmp/etc-*.tar.gz /home'
Make a complete backup of any important data before performing an upgrade. Important data may include the contents of your entire
/home directory as well as content from services such as an Apache, FTP, or SQL server, or a source code management system. Although upgrades are not destructive, if you perform one improperly there is a small possibility of data loss.
Storing Backups
Note that the above examples store backup materials in a
/home directory. If your /home directory is not a separate partition, you should not follow these examples verbatim! Store your backups on another device such as CD or DVD discs or an external hard disk.
For more information on completing the upgrade process later, refer to Section 16.2, “Finishing an Upgrade”.
7.14.3. Upgrading Boot Loader Configuration
Your completed Fedora installation must be registered in the
boot loader to boot properly. A boot loader is software on your machine that locates and starts the operating system. Refer to Section 7.22, “x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Configuration” for more information about boot loaders.
If the existing boot loader was installed by a Linux distribution, the installation system can modify it to load the new Fedora system. To update the existing Linux boot loader, select Update boot loader configuration. This is the default behavior when you upgrade an existing Fedora or Red Hat Linux installation.
GRUB is the standard boot loader for Fedora. If your machine uses another boot loader, such as BootMagic™, System Commander™, or the loader installed by Microsoft Windows, then the Fedora installation system cannot update it. In this case, select Skip boot loader updating. When the installation process completes, refer to the documentation for your product for assistance.
Install a new boot loader as part of an upgrade process only if you are certain you want to replace the existing boot loader. If you install a new boot loader, you may not be able to boot other operating systems on the same machine until you have configured the new boot loader. Select Create new boot loader configuration to remove the existing boot loader and install GRUB.
After you make your selection, click to continue.
7.15. Network Configuration
Fedora contains support for both IPv4 and IPv6. However, by default, the installation program configures network interfaces on your computer for IPv4, and to use DHCP via NetworkManager. Currently NetworkManager does not support IPv6. If your network only supports IPv6 you should use system-config-network after installation to configure your network interfaces.
Setup prompts you to supply a host name and domain name for this computer, in the format
hostname.domainname. Many networks have a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) service that automatically supplies connected systems with a domain name, leaving the user to enter a hostname.
Setting the hostname
Figure 7.11. Setting the hostname
To set up a network that is behind an Internet firewall or router, you may want to use
hostname.localdomainValid Hostnames
You may give your system any name provided that the full hostname is unique. The hostname may include letters, numbers and hyphens.
On some networks, the DHCP provider also provides the name of the computer, or hostname. The complete hostname includes both the name of the machine and the name of the domain of which it is a member, such as
machine1.example.commachine1example.com
If your Fedora system is connected directly to the Internet, you must pay attention to additional considerations to avoid service interruptions or risk action by your upstream service provider. A full discussion of these issues is beyond the scope of this document.
Modem Configuration
The installation program does not configure modems. Configure these devices after installation with the Network utility. The settings for your modem are specific to your particular Internet Service Provider (ISP).
7.15.1. Manual configuration
Installations that require certain advanced configurations cannot succeed without network connectivity during the installation process, for example, installations on systems with ISCSI drives. In situations where successful installation depends upon correct network settings, the installation program will present you with a dialog that allows you to confirm these details.
Manual network configuration
Figure 7.12. Manual network configuration
If your network does not have DHCP enabled, or if you need to override the DHCP settings, select the network interface that you plan to use from the Interfaces menu. Clear the checkbox for Use dynamic IP configuration (DHCP). You can now enter an IPv4 address and netmask for this system in the form
address / netmask, along with the gateway address and nameserver address for your network.
Click OK to accept these settings and continue.
7.16. Time Zone Configuration
Specify a time zone even if you plan to use NTP (Network Time Protocol) to maintain the accuracy of the system clock.
Set your time zone by selecting the city closest to your computer's physical location. Click on the map to zoom in to a particular geographical region of the world.
Specify a time zone even if you plan to use NTP (Network Time Protocol) to maintain the accuracy of the system clock.
From here there are two ways for you to select your time zone:
- Using your mouse, click on the interactive map to select a specific city (represented by a yellow dot). A red X appears indicating your selection.
- You can also scroll through the list at the bottom of the screen to select your time zone. Using your mouse, click on a location to highlight your selection.
Time zone configuration screen.
Figure 7.13. Configuring the Time Zone
If Fedora is the only operating system on your computer, select System clock uses UTC. The system clock is a piece of hardware on your computer system. Fedora uses the timezone setting to determine the offset between the local time and UTC on the system clock. This behavior is standard for UNIX-like operating systems.
Windows and the System Clock
Do not enable the System clock uses UTC option if your machine also runs Microsoft Windows. Microsoft operating systems change the BIOS clock to match local time rather than UTC. This may cause unexpected behavior under Fedora.
Note
To change your time zone configuration after you have completed the installation, use the Time and Date Properties Tool.
Type the
system-config-date command in a shell prompt to launch the Time and Date Properties Tool. If you are not root, it prompts you for the root password to continue.
To run the Time and Date Properties Tool as a text-based application, use the command
timeconfig.
Select to proceed.
7.17. Set the Root Password
Setting up a root account and password is one of the most important steps during your installation. Your root account is similar to the administrator account used on Microsoft Windows machines. The root account is used to install packages, upgrade RPMs, and perform most system maintenance. Logging in as root gives you complete control over your system.
Note
The root user (also known as the superuser) has complete access to the entire system; for this reason, logging in as the root user is best done only to perform system maintenance or administration.
Setting your root password.
Figure 7.14. Root Password
Use the root account only for system administration. Create a non-root account for your general use and
su - to root when you need to fix something quickly. These basic rules minimize the chances of a typo or an incorrect command doing damage to your system.
Note
To become root, type
su - at the shell prompt in a terminal window and then press Enter. Then, enter the root password and press Enter.
The installation program prompts you to set a root password[2] for your system. You cannot proceed to the next stage of the installation process without entering a root password.
The root password must be at least six characters long; the password you type is not echoed to the screen. You must enter the password twice; if the two passwords do not match, the installation program asks you to enter them again.
You should make the root password something you can remember, but not something that is easy for someone else to guess. Your name, your phone number, qwerty, password, root, 123456, and anteater are all examples of bad passwords. Good passwords mix numerals with upper and lower case letters and do not contain dictionary words: Aard387vark or 420BMttNT, for example. Remember that the password is case-sensitive. If you write down your password, keep it in a secure place. However, it is recommended that you do not write down this or any password you create.
Note
Do not use one of the example passwords offered in this manual. Using one of these passwords could be considered a security risk.
Note
To change your root password after you have completed the installation, use the Root Password Tool.
Type the
system-config-rootpassword command in a shell prompt to launch the Root Password Tool. If you are not root, it prompts you for the root password to continue.
Enter the
root password into the Root Password field. Fedora displays the characters as asterisks for security. Type the same password into the Confirm field to ensure it is set correctly. After you set the root password, select to proceed.
7.18. Disk Partitioning Setup
Partitioning allows you to divide your hard drive into isolated sections, where each section behaves as its own hard drive. Partitioning is particularly useful if you run multiple operating systems. If you are not sure how you want your system to be partitioned, read Appendix A, An Introduction to Disk Partitions for more information.
On this screen you can choose to create the default layout or choose to manual partition using the option.
The first three options allow you to perform an automated installation without having to partition your drive(s) yourself. If you do not feel comfortable with partitioning your system, it is recommended that you do not choose to create a custom layout and instead let the installation program partition for you.
You can configure an iSCSI target for installation, or disable a dmraid device from this screen by clicking on the 'Advanced storage configuration' button. For more information refer to Section 7.19, “ Advanced Storage Options ”.
Warning
The PackageKit update software downloads updated packages to
/var/cache/yum/ by default. If you partition the system manually, and create a separate /var/ partition, be sure to create the partition large enough (3.0 GB or more) to download package updates.
Choose automatic partitioning or manual partitioning.
Figure 7.15. Disk Partitioning Setup
If you choose to create a custom layout, refer to Section 7.21, “Partitioning Your System”.
Warning
If you receive an error after the Disk Partitioning Setup phase of the installation saying something similar to:
"The partition table on device hda was unreadable. To create new partitions it must be initialized, causing the loss of ALL DATA on this drive."
you may not have a partition table on that drive or the partition table on the drive may not be recognizable by the partitioning software used in the installation program.
Users who have used programs such as EZ-BIOS have experienced similar problems, causing data to be lost (assuming the data was not backed up before the installation began).
No matter what type of installation you are performing, backups of the existing data on your systems should always be made.
7.18.1. RAID and Other Disk Devices
7.18.1.1. Hardware RAID
RAID, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, allows a group, or array, of drives to act as a single device. Configure any RAID functions provided by the mainboard of your computer, or attached controller cards, before you begin the installation process. Each active RAID array appears as one drive within Fedora.
On systems with more than one hard drive you may configure Fedora to operate several of the drives as a Linux RAID array without requiring any additional hardware.
7.18.1.2. Software RAID
You can use the Fedora installation program to create Linux software RAID arrays, where RAID functions are controlled by the operating system rather than dedicated hardware. These functions are explained in detail in Section 7.21, “Partitioning Your System”.
7.18.1.3. FireWire and USB Disks
Some FireWire and USB hard disks may not be recognized by the Fedora installation system. If configuration of these disks at installation time is not vital, disconnect them to avoid any confusion.
Post-installation Usage
You can connect and configure external FireWire and USB hard disks after installation. Most such devices are recognized by the kernel and available for use at that time.
7.19. Advanced Storage Options
Advanced Storage Options.
Figure 7.16. Advanced Storage Options
From this screen you can choose to disable a dmraid device, in which case the individual elements of the dmraid device will appear as separate hard drives. You can also choose to configure an iSCSI (SCSI over TCP/IP) target. See Appendix B, ISCSI disks for an introduction to iSCSI.
To configure an ISCSI target invoke the 'Configure ISCSI Parameters' dialog by selecting 'Add ISCSI target' and clicking on the 'Add Drive' button. Fill in the details for the ISCSI target IP and provide a unique ISCSI initiator name to identify this system. If the ISCSI target uses CHAP (Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol) for authentication, enter the CHAP username and password. If your enviroment uses 2-way CHAP (also called "Mutual CHAP"), also enter the reverse CHAP username and password. Click the 'Add target' button to attempt connection to the ISCSI target using this information.
Configure ISCSI Parameters.
Figure 7.17. Configure ISCSI Parameters
Please note that you will be able to reattempt with a different ISCSI target IP should you enter it incorrectly, but in order to change the ISCSI initiator name you will need to restart the installation.
7.20. Create Default Layout
Create default layout allows you to have some control concerning what data is removed (if any) from your system. Your options are:
- Remove all partitions on selected drives and create default layout — select this option to remove all partitions on your hard drive(s) (this includes partitions created by other operating systems such as Windows VFAT or NTFS partitions).
Warning
If you select this option, all data on the selected hard drive(s) is removed by the installation program. Do not select this option if you have information that you want to keep on the hard drive(s) where you are installing Fedora. - Remove Linux partitions on selected drives and create default layout — select this option to remove only Linux partitions (partitions created from a previous Linux installation). This does not remove other partitions you may have on your hard drive(s) (such as VFAT or FAT32 partitions).
- Use free space on selected drives and create default layout — select this option to retain your current data and partitions, assuming you have enough free space available on your hard drive(s).
Automatic partitioning.
Figure 7.18. Create Default Layout
Using your mouse, choose the storage drive(s) on which you want Fedora to be installed. If you have two or more drives, you can choose which drive(s) should contain this installation. Unselected drives, and any data on them, are not touched.
Warning
It is always a good idea to back up any data that you have on your systems. For example, if you are upgrading or creating a dual-boot system, you should back up any data you wish to keep on your drive(s). Mistakes do happen and can result in the loss of all your data.
Note
If you have a RAID card, be aware that some BIOSes do not support booting from the RAID card. In cases such as these, the
/boot/ partition must be created on a partition outside of the RAID array, such as on a separate hard drive. An internal hard drive is necessary to use for partition creation with problematic RAID cards.
A
/boot/ partition is also necessary for software RAID setups.
If you have chosen to automatically partition your system, you should select Review and manually edit your
/boot/ partition.
Select Encrypt system to encrypt all partitions except the
/boot partition.
Use the Advanced storage options option if:
- You want to install Fedora to a drive connected through the iSCSI protocol. Select Advanced storage options, then select Add iSCSI target, then select Add drive. Provide an IP address and the iSCSI initiator name, and select Add drive.
- You want to disable a dmraid device that was detected at boot time.
To review and make any necessary changes to the partitions created by automatic partitioning, select the Review option. After selecting Review and clicking to move forward, the partitions created for you by anaconda appear. You can make modifications to these partitions if they do not meet your needs.
Installing in text mode
If you install Fedora in text mode, you can only use the default partitioning schemes described in this section. Therefore, although you can choose to use a whole drive, to remove existing Linux partitions, or to use the free space on the drive, you cannot customize the partition layout. That is, you cannot add or remove partitions or file systems beyond those that the installer automatically adds or removes. If you require a customized layout at installation time, you should perform a graphical installation over a VNC connection or a kickstart installation.
Furthermore, advanced options such as LVM, encrypted filesystems, and resizable filesystems are available only in graphical mode and kickstart.
Click once you have made your selections to proceed.
7.21. Partitioning Your System
If you chose one of the three automatic partitioning options and did not select Review, skip ahead to Section 7.23, “Package Group Selection”.
If you chose one of the automatic partitioning options and selected Review, you can either accept the current partition settings (click ), or modify the setup manually in the partitioning screen.
Note
Please note that in the text mode installation it is not possible to work with LVM (Logical Volumes) beyond viewing the existing setup. LVM can only be set up during graphical installation.
If you chose to create a custom layout, you must tell the installation program where to install Fedora. This is done by defining mount points for one or more disk partitions in which Fedora is installed. You may also need to create and/or delete partitions at this time.
Note
If you have not yet planned how to set up your partitions, refer to Appendix A, An Introduction to Disk Partitions and Section 7.21.4, “Recommended Partitioning Scheme”. At a bare minimum, you need an appropriately-sized root partition, and a swap partition equal to twice the amount of RAM you have on the system. Itanium system users should have a
/boot/efi/ partition of approximately 100 MB and of type FAT (VFAT), a swap partition of at least 512 MB, and an appropriately-sized root (/) partition.
The main partitioning screen.
Figure 7.19. Partitioning on x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 Systems
With the exception of certain esoteric situations, anaconda can handle the partitioning requirements for a typical installation.
7.21.1. Graphical Display of Hard Drive(s)
The partitioning screen offers a graphical representation of your hard drive(s).
Using your mouse, click once to highlight a particular field in the graphical display. Double-click to edit an existing partition or to create a partition out of existing free space.
Above the display, you can review the Drive name (such as /dev/hda), the Geom (which shows the hard disk's geometry and consists of three numbers representing the number of cylinders, heads, and sectors as reported by the hard disk), and the Model of the hard drive as detected by the installation program.
7.21.2. The partitioning screen
These buttons are used to change the attributes of a partition (for example the file system type and mount point) and also to create RAID devices. Buttons on this screen are also used to accept the changes you have made, or to exit the partitioning screen. For further explanation, take a look at each button in order:
- : Select this option to add a partition or LVM physical volume to the disk. In the Add partition dialog, choose a mount point and a partition type. If you have more than one disk on the system, choose which disks the partition may inhabit. Indicate a size in megabytes for the partition. If you wish to encrypt the partition, select that option.
Illegal Partitions
You cannot create separate partitions for the/bin/,/dev/,/etc/,/lib/,/proc/,/root/, and/sbin/directories. These directories must reside on the/(root) partition.The/bootpartition may not reside on an LVM volume group. Create the/bootpartition before configuring any volume groups. Furthermore, you cannot use the ext4 or btrfs filesystems for the/bootpartition.Avoid placing/usron a separate partition. If/usrdoes not reside on the/(root) partition, the boot process becomes more complex and some systems (for example, those with iSCSI storage) will fail to boot.You may also choose from three options for sizing your partition:- Fixed size
- Use a fixed size as close to your entry as possible.
- Fill all space up to
- Grow the partition to a maximum size of your choice.
- Fill to maximum allowable size
- Grow the partition until it fills the remainder of the selected disks.
Partition Sizes
The actual partition on the disk may be slightly smaller or larger than your choice. Disk geometry issues cause this effect, not an error or bug.Select the Encrypt partition option to encrypt all information on the disk partition.After you enter the details for your partition, select to continue. If you chose to encrypt the partition, the installer prompts you to assign a passphrase by typing it twice. For hints on using good passphrases, refer to Section 7.17, “Set the Root Password”. - : Used to modify attributes of the partition currently selected in the Partitions section. Selecting opens a dialog box. Some or all of the fields can be edited, depending on whether the partition information has already been written to disk.You can also edit free space as represented in the graphical display to create a new partition within that space. Either highlight the free space and then select the button, or double-click on the free space to edit it.
- To make a RAID device, you must first create (or reuse existing) software RAID partitions. Once you have created two or more software RAID partitions, select to join the software RAID partitions into a RAID device.
- : Used to remove the partition currently highlighted in the Current Disk Partitions section. You will be asked to confirm the deletion of any partition.To delete an LVM physical volume, first delete any volume groups of which that physical volume is a member.If you make a mistake, use the Reset option to abandon all the changes you have made.
- : Used to restore the partitioning screen to its original state. All changes made will be lost if you the partitions.
- : Used to provide redundancy to any or all disk partitions. It should only be used if you have experience using RAID.To make a RAID device, you must first create software RAID partitions. Once you have created two or more software RAID partitions, select to join the software RAID partitions into a RAID device.
The RAID options dialog.Figure 7.20. RAID options
- Create a software RAID partition
- Choose this option to add a partition for software RAID. This option is the only choice available if your disk contains no software RAID partitions.
The create a software RAID partition dialog.Figure 7.21. Create a software RAID partition
- Create a RAID device
- Choose this option to construct a RAID device from two or more existing software RAID partitions. This option is available if two or more software RAID partitions have been configured.
The create a RAID device dialog.Figure 7.22. Create a RAID device
- Clone a drive to create a RAID device
- Choose this option to set up a RAID mirror of an existing disk. This option is available if two or more disks are attached to the system.
The clone a RAID device dialog.Figure 7.23. Clone a RAID device
- : Allows you to create an LVM logical volume. The role of LVM (Logical Volume Manager) is to present a simple logical view of underlying physical storage space, such as a hard drive(s). LVM manages individual physical disks — or to be more precise, the individual partitions present on them. It should only be used if you have experience using LVM. Note, LVM is only available in the graphical installation program.To assign one or more physical volumes to a volume group, first name the volume group. Then select the physical volumes to be used in the volume group. Finally, configure logical volumes on any volume groups using the Add, Edit and Delete options.You may not remove a physical volume from a volume group if doing so would leave insufficient space for that group's logical volumes. Take for example a volume group made up of two 5 GB LVM physical volume partitions, which contains an 8 GB logical volume. The installer would not allow you to remove either of the component physical volumes, since that would leave only 5 GB in the group for an 8 GB logical volume. If you reduce the total size of any logical volumes appropriately, you may then remove a physical volume from the volume group. In the example, reducing the size of the logical volume to 4 GB would allow you to remove one of the 5 GB physical volumes.
LVM Unavailable in Text Installs
LVM initial set up is not available in a text-mode installation. The installer allows you to edit pre-configured LVM volumes. If you need to create an LVM configuration from scratch, hit Alt+F2 to use the terminal, and run thelvmcommand. To return to the text-mode installation, hit Alt+F1.
7.21.3. Partition Fields
Above the partition hierarchy are labels which present information about the partitions you are creating. The labels are defined as follows:
- Device: This field displays the partition's device name.
- Mount Point/RAID/Volume: A mount point is the location within the directory hierarchy at which a volume exists; the volume is "mounted" at this location. This field indicates where the partition is mounted. If a partition exists, but is not set, then you need to define its mount point. Double-click on the partition or click the button.
- Type: This field shows the partition's file system type (for example, ext2, ext3, ext4, or vfat).
- Format: This field shows if the partition being created will be formatted.
- Size (MB): This field shows the partition's size (in MB).
- Start: This field shows the cylinder on your hard drive where the partition begins.
- End: This field shows the cylinder on your hard drive where the partition ends.
Hide RAID device/LVM Volume Group members: Select this option if you do not want to view any RAID device or LVM Volume Group members that have been created.
7.21.4. Recommended Partitioning Scheme
7.21.4.1. x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 systems
Unless you have a reason for doing otherwise, we recommend that you create the following partitions for x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 systems:
- A
swappartition - A
/bootpartition - A
/partition
A swap partition (at least 256 MB)
Swap partitions are used to support virtual memory. In other words, data is written to a swap partition when there is not enough RAM to store the data your system is processing. In addition, certain power management features store all of the memory for a suspended system in the available swap partitions.If you are unsure about what size swap partition to create, make it twice the amount of RAM on your machine. It must be of type swap.Creation of the proper amount of swap space varies depending on a number of factors including the following (in descending order of importance):- The applications running on the machine.
- The amount of physical RAM installed on the machine.
- The version of the OS.
Swap should equal 2x physical RAM for up to 2 GB of physical RAM, and then an additional 1x physical RAM for any amount above 2 GB, but never less than 32 MB.So, if:M = Amount of RAM in GB, and S = Amount of swap in GB, thenIf M < 2 S = M *2 Else S = M + 2
Using this formula, a system with 2 GB of physical RAM would have 4 GB of swap, while one with 3 GB of physical RAM would have 5 GB of swap. Creating a large swap space partition can be especially helpful if you plan to upgrade your RAM at a later time.For systems with really large amounts of RAM (more than 32 GB) you can likely get away with a smaller swap partition (around 1x, or less, of physical RAM).A
The partition mounted on/boot/partition (100 MB)/boot/contains the operating system kernel (which allows your system to boot Fedora), along with files used during the bootstrap process. Due to limitations, creating a native ext3 partition to hold these files is required. For most users, a 100 MB boot partition is sufficient.ext4 and Btrfs
The GRUB bootloader does not support the ext4 or Btrfs file systems. You cannot use an ext4 or Btrfs partition for /boot/.Note
If your hard drive is more than 1024 cylinders (and your system was manufactured more than two years ago), you may need to create a/boot/partition if you want the/(root) partition to use all of the remaining space on your hard drive.Note
If you have a RAID card, be aware that some BIOSes do not support booting from the RAID card. In cases such as these, the/boot/partition must be created on a partition outside of the RAID array, such as on a separate hard drive.A
This is where "rootpartition (3.0 GB - 5.0 GB)/" (the root directory) is located. In this setup, all files (except those stored in/boot) are on the root partition.A 3.0 GB partition allows you to install a minimal installation, while a 5.0 GB root partition lets you perform a full installation, choosing all package groups.Root and /root
The/(or root) partition is the top of the directory structure. The/rootdirectory/root(sometimes pronounced "slash-root") directory is the home directory of the user account for system administration.
Many systems have more partitions than the minimum listed above. Choose partitions based on your particular system needs. For example, consider creating a separate
/home partition on systems that store user data. Refer to Section 7.21.4.1.1, “Advice on Partitions” for more information.
If you create many partitions instead of one large
/ partition, upgrades become easier. Refer to the description the Edit option in Section 7.21.2, “The partitioning screen” for more information.
The following table summarizes minimum partition sizes for the partitions containing the listed directories. You do not have to make a separate partition for each of these directories. For instance, if the partition containing
/foo must be at least 500 MB, and you do not make a separate /foo partition, then the / (root) partition must be at least 500 MB.
| Directory | Minimum size |
|---|---|
/
| 250 MB |
/usr
| 250 MB, but avoid placing this on a separate partition |
/tmp
| 50 MB |
/var
| 384 MB |
/home
| 100 MB |
/boot
| 75 MB |
Table 7.3. Minimum partition sizes
Leave Excess Capacity Unallocated
Only assign storage capacity to those partitions you require immediately. You may allocate free space at any time, to meet needs as they occur. To learn about a more flexible method for storage management, refer to Appendix D, Understanding LVM.
If you are not sure how best to configure the partitions for your computer, accept the default partition layout.
7.21.4.1.1. Advice on Partitions
Optimal partition setup depends on the usage for the Linux system in question. The following tips may help you decide how to allocate your disk space.
- If you expect that you or other users will store data on the system, create a separate partition for the
/homedirectory within a volume group. With a separate/homepartition, you may upgrade or reinstall Fedora without erasing user data files. - Each kernel installed on your system requires approximately 10 MB on the
/bootpartition. Unless you plan to install a great many kernels, the default partition size of 100 MB for/bootshould suffice.ext4 and Btrfs
The GRUB bootloader does not support the ext4 or Btrfs file systems. You cannot use an ext4 or btrfs partition for/boot. - The
/vardirectory holds content for a number of applications, including the Apache web server. It also is used to store downloaded update packages on a temporary basis. Ensure that the partition containing the/vardirectory has enough space to download pending updates and hold your other content.Pending Updates
Because Fedora is a rapidly progressing collection of software, many updates may be available late in a release cycle. You can add an update repository to the sources for installation later to minimize this issue. Refer to Section 7.23.1, “Installing from Additional Repositories” for more information. - The
/usrdirectory holds the majority of software content on a Fedora system. For an installation of the default set of software, allocate at least 4 GB of space. If you are a software developer or plan to use your Fedora system to learn software development skills, you may want to at least double this allocation.Do not place /usr on a separate partition
If/usris on a separate partition from/, the boot process becomes much more complex, and in some situations (like installations on iSCSI drives), might not work at all. - Consider leaving a portion of the space in an LVM volume group unallocated. This unallocated space gives you flexibility if your space requirements change but you do not wish to remove data from other partitions to reallocate storage.
- If you separate subdirectories into partitions, you can retain content in those subdirectories if you decide to install a new version of Fedora over your current system. For instance, if you intend to run a MySQL database in
/var/lib/mysql, make a separate partition for that directory in case you need to reinstall later.
The following table is a possible partition setup for a system with a single, new 80 GB hard disk and 1 GB of RAM. Note that approximately 10 GB of the volume group is unallocated to allow for future growth.
Example Usage
This setup is not optimal for all use cases.
| Partition | Size and type |
|---|---|
/boot
|
100 MB ext3 partition
|
swap
| 2 GB swap |
| LVM physical volume | Remaining space, as one LVM volume group |
Table 7.4. Example partition setup
The physical volume is assigned to the default volume group and divided into the following logical volumes:
| Partition | Size and type |
|---|---|
/
| 13 GB ext4 |
/var
| 4 GB ext4 |
/home
| 50 GB ext4 |
Table 7.5. Example partition setup: LVM physical volume
Example 7.1. Example partition setup
7.21.5. Adding Partitions
To add a new partition, select the button. A dialog box appears (refer to Figure 7.24, “Creating a New Partition”).
Note
You must dedicate at least one partition for this installation, and optionally more. For more information, refer to Appendix A, An Introduction to Disk Partitions.
Creating a new partition.
Figure 7.24. Creating a New Partition
- Mount Point: Enter the partition's mount point. For example, if this partition should be the root partition, enter
/; enter/bootfor the/bootpartition, and so on. You can also use the pull-down menu to choose the correct mount point for your partition. For a swap partition the mount point should not be set - setting the filesystem type to swap is sufficient. - File System Type: Using the pull-down menu, select the appropriate file system type for this partition. For more information on file system types, refer to Section 7.21.5.1, “File System Types”.
- Allowable Drives: This field contains a list of the hard disks installed on your system. If a hard disk's box is highlighted, then a desired partition can be created on that hard disk. If the box is not checked, then the partition will never be created on that hard disk. By using different checkbox settings, you can have anaconda place partitions where you need them, or let anaconda decide where partitions should go.
- Size (MB): Enter the size (in megabytes) of the partition. Note, this field starts with 100 MB; unless changed, only a 100 MB partition will be created.
- Additional Size Options: Choose whether to keep this partition at a fixed size, to allow it to "grow" (fill up the available hard drive space) to a certain point, or to allow it to grow to fill any remaining hard drive space available.If you choose Fill all space up to (MB), you must give size constraints in the field to the right of this option. This allows you to keep a certain amount of space free on your hard drive for future use.
- Force to be a primary partition: Select whether the partition you are creating should be one of the first four partitions on the hard drive. If unselected, the partition is created as a logical partition. Refer to Section A.1.3, “Partitions within Partitions — An Overview of Extended Partitions”, for more information.
- : Select once you are satisfied with the settings and wish to create the partition.
- : Select if you do not want to create the partition.
7.21.5.1. File System Types
Fedora allows you to create different partition types, based on the file system they will use. The following is a brief description of the different file systems available, and how they can be utilized.
- Btrfs — Btrfs is under development as a file system capable of addressing and managing more files, larger files, and larger volumes than the ext2, ext3, and ext4 file systems. Btrfs is designed to make the file system tolerant of errors, and to facilitate the detection and repair of errors when they occur. It uses checksums to ensure the validity of data and metadata, and maintains snapshots of the file system that can be used for backup or repair.Because Btrfs is still experimental and under development, the installation program does not offer it by default. If you want to create a Btrfs partition on a drive, you must commence the installation process with the boot option
icantbelieveitsnotbtr. Refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options for instructions.Btrfs is still experimental
Fedora 11 includes Btrfs as a technology preview to allow you to experiment with this file system. You should not choose Btrfs for partitions that will contain valuable data or that are essential for the operation of important systems. - ext2 — An ext2 file system supports standard Unix file types (regular files, directories, symbolic links, etc). It provides the ability to assign long file names, up to 255 characters.
- ext3 — The ext3 file system is based on the ext2 file system and has one main advantage — journaling. Using a journaling file system reduces time spent recovering a file system after a crash as there is no need to
fsck[3] the file system. - ext4 — The ext4 file system is based on the ext3 file system and features a number of improvements. These include support for larger file systems and larger files, faster and more efficient allocation of disk space, no limit on the number of subdirectories within a directory, faster file system checking, and more robust journalling. The ext4 file system is selected by default and is highly recommended.
- physical volume (LVM) — Creating one or more physical volume (LVM) partitions allows you to create an LVM logical volume. LVM can improve performance when using physical disks.
- software RAID — Creating two or more software RAID partitions allows you to create a RAID device.
- swap — Swap partitions are used to support virtual memory. In other words, data is written to a swap partition when there is not enough RAM to store the data your system is processing.
- vfat — The VFAT file system is a Linux file system that is compatible with Microsoft Windows long filenames on the FAT file system. This file system must be used for the
/boot/efi/partition on Itanium systems.
7.21.6. Editing Partitions
To edit a partition, select the button or double-click on the existing partition.
Note
If the partition already exists on your disk, you can only change the partition's mount point. To make any other changes, you must delete the partition and recreate it.
7.21.7. Deleting a Partition
To delete a partition, highlight it in the Partitions section and click the button. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
For further installation instructions for x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 systems, skip to Section 7.22, “x86, AMD64, and Intel 64 Boot Loader Configuration”.
7.22. x86, AMD64, and Intel® 64 Boot Loader Configuration
To boot the system without boot media, you usually need to install a boot loader. A boot loader is the first software program that runs when a computer starts. It is responsible for loading and transferring control to the operating system kernel software. The kernel, in turn, initializes the rest of the operating system.
Installing in text mode
If you install Fedora in text mode, the installer configures the bootloader automatically and you cannot customize bootloader settings during the installation process.
GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader), which is installed by default, is a very powerful boot loader. GRUB can load a variety of free operating systems, as well as proprietary operating systems with chain-loading (the mechanism for loading unsupported operating systems, such as DOS or Windows, by loading another boot loader).
The GRUB boot menu
The GRUB menu defaults to being hidden, except on dual-boot systems. To show the GRUB menu during system boot, press and hold the Shift key before the kernel is loaded. (Any other key works as well but the Shift key is the safest to use.)
Configure how you would like to boot the system.
Figure 7.25. Boot Loader Configuration
If there are no other operating systems on your computer, or you are completely removing any other operating systems the installation program will install GRUB as your boot loader without any intervention. In that case you may continue on to Section 7.23, “Package Group Selection”.
You may have a boot loader installed on your system already. An operating system may install its own preferred boot loader, or you may have installed a third-party boot loader.If your boot loader does not recognize Linux partitions, you may not be able to boot Fedora. Use GRUB as your boot loader to boot Linux and most other operating systems. Follow the directions in this chapter to install GRUB.
Installing GRUB
If you install GRUB, it may overwrite your existing boot loader.
By default, the installation program installs GRUB in the master boot record or MBR, of the device for the root file system. To decline installation of a new boot loader, unselect Install boot loader on /dev/sda.
Warning
If you choose not to install GRUB for any reason, you will not be able to boot the system directly, and you must use another boot method (such as a commercial boot loader application). Use this option only if you are sure you have another way of booting the system!
If you have other operating systems already installed, Fedora attempts to automatically detect and configure GRUB to boot them. You may manually configure any additional operating systems if GRUB does not detect them.
To add, remove, or change the detected operating system settings, use the options provided.
- Select to include an additional operating system in GRUB.Select the disk partition which contains the bootable operating system from the drop-down list and give the entry a label. GRUB displays this label in its boot menu.
- To change an entry in the GRUB boot menu, select the entry and then select .
- To remove an entry from the GRUB boot menu, select the entry and then select .
Select Default beside the preferred boot partition to choose your default bootable OS. You cannot move forward in the installation unless you choose a default boot image.
Note
The Label column lists what you must enter at the boot prompt, in non-graphical boot loaders, in order to boot the desired operating system.
Once you have loaded the GRUB boot screen, use the arrow keys to choose a boot label or type e for edit. You are presented with a list of items in the configuration file for the boot label you have selected.
Boot loader passwords provide a security mechanism in an environment where physical access to your server is available.
If you are installing a boot loader, you should create a password to protect your system. Without a boot loader password, users with access to your system can pass options to the kernel which can compromise your system security. With a boot loader password in place, the password must first be entered before selecting any non-standard boot options. However, it is still possible for someone with physical access to the machine to boot from a diskette, CD-ROM, or USB media if the BIOS supports it. Security plans which include boot loader passwords should also address alternate boot methods.
GRUB Passwords Not Required
You may not require a GRUB password if your system only has trusted operators, or is physically secured with controlled console access. However, if an untrusted person can get physical access to your computer's keyboard and monitor, that person can reboot the system and access GRUB. A password is helpful in this case.
If you choose to use a boot loader password to enhance your system security, be sure to select the checkbox labeled Use a boot loader password.
Once selected, enter a password and confirm it.
GRUB stores the password in encrypted form, so it cannot be read or recovered. If you forget the boot password, boot the system normally and then change the password entry in the
/boot/grub/grub.conf file. If you cannot boot, you may be able to use the "rescue" mode on the first Fedora installation disc to reset the GRUB password.
If you do need to change the GRUB password, use the
grub-md5-crypt utility. For information on using this utility, use the command man grub-md5-crypt in a terminal window to read the manual pages.
To configure more advanced boot loader options, such as changing the drive order or passing options to the kernel, be sure Configure advanced boot loader options is selected before clicking .
7.22.1. Advanced Boot Loader Configuration
Now that you have chosen which boot loader to install, you can also determine where you want the boot loader to be installed. You may install the boot loader in one of two places:
- The master boot record (MBR) — This is the recommended place to install a boot loader, unless the MBR already starts another operating system loader, such as System Commander. The MBR is a special area on your hard drive that is automatically loaded by your computer's BIOS, and is the earliest point at which the boot loader can take control of the boot process. If you install it in the MBR, when your machine boots, GRUB presents a boot prompt. You can then boot Fedora or any other operating system that you have configured the boot loader to boot.
- The first sector of your boot partition — This is recommended if you are already using another boot loader on your system. In this case, your other boot loader takes control first. You can then configure that boot loader to start GRUB, which then boots Fedora.
GRUB as a Secondary Boot Loader
If you install GRUB as a secondary boot loader, you must reconfigure your primary boot loader whenever you install and boot from a new kernel. The kernel of an operating system such as Microsoft Windows does not boot in the same fashion. Most users therefore use GRUB as the primary boot loader on dual-boot systems.
Choose where to install a boot loader and how to configure it.
Figure 7.26. Boot Loader Installation
Note
If you have a RAID card, be aware that some BIOSes do not support booting from the RAID card. In cases such as these, the boot loader should not be installed on the MBR of the RAID array. Rather, the boot loader should be installed on the MBR of the same drive as the
/boot/ partition was created.
If your system only uses Fedora, you should choose the MBR.
Click the button if you would like to rearrange the drive order or if your BIOS does not return the correct drive order. Changing the drive order may be useful if you have multiple SCSI adapters, or both SCSI and IDE adapters, and you want to boot from the SCSI device.
Note
While partitioning your hard drive, keep in mind that the BIOS in some older systems cannot access more than the first 1024 cylinders on a hard drive. If this is the case, leave enough room for the
/boot Linux partition on the first 1024 cylinders of your hard drive to boot Linux. The other Linux partitions can be after cylinder 1024.
In
parted, 1024 cylinders equals 528MB. For more information, refer to:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/bios/sizeMB504-c.html
7.22.2. Rescue Mode
Rescue mode provides the ability to boot a small Fedora environment entirely from boot media or some other boot method instead of the system's hard drive. There may be times when you are unable to get Fedora running completely enough to access files on your system's hard drive. Using rescue mode, you can access the files stored on your system's hard drive, even if you cannot actually run Fedora from that hard drive. If you need to use rescue mode, try the following method:
- Using the CD-ROM to boot an x86, AMD64, or Intel® 64 system, type
linux rescueat the installation boot prompt.
7.23. Package Group Selection
Now that you have made most of the choices for your installation, you are ready to confirm the default package selection or customize packages for your system.
The Package Installation Defaults screen appears and details the default package set for your Fedora installation. This screen varies depending on the version of Fedora you are installing.
Installing from a Live Image
If you install from a Fedora Live image, you cannot make package selections. This installation method transfers a copy of the Live image rather than installing packages from a repository. To change the package selection, complete the installation, then use the Add/Remove Software application to make desired changes.
Installing in text mode
If you install Fedora in text mode, you cannot make package selections. The installer automatically selects packages only from the base and core groups. These packages are sufficient to ensure that the system is operational at the end of the installation process, ready to install updates and new packages. To change the package selection, complete the installation, then use the Add/Remove Software application to make desired changes.
Choose which package groups you want to install.
Figure 7.27. Package Group Selection
By default, the Fedora installation process loads a selection of software that is suitable for a desktop system. To include or remove software for common tasks, select the relevant items from the list:
- Office and Productivity
- This option provides the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, the Planner project management application, graphical tools such as the GIMP, and multimedia applications.
- Software Development
- This option provides the necessary tools to compile software on your Fedora system.
- Web server
- This option provides the Apache Web server.
If you choose to accept the current package list, skip ahead to Section 7.24, “Preparing to Install”.
To select a component, click on the checkbox beside it (refer to Figure 7.27, “Package Group Selection”).
To customize your package set further, select the Customize now option on the screen. Clicking takes you to the Package Group Selection screen.
7.23.1. Installing from Additional Repositories
You can define additional repositories to increase the software available to your system during installation. A repository is a network location that stores software packages along with metadata that describes them. Many of the software packages used in Fedora require other software to be installed. The installer uses the metadata to ensure that these requirements are met for every piece of software you select for installation.
The basic options are:
- The Installation Repo repository is automatically selected for you. This represents the collection of software available on your installation CD or DVD.
- The Fedora 11 - i386 repository contains the complete collection of software that was released as Fedora 11, with the various pieces of software in their versions that were current at the time of release. If you are installing from the Fedora 11 DVD or set of CDs, this option does not offer you anything extra. However, if you are installing from a Fedora Live CD, this option provides access to far more software than is included on the disk. Note that the computer must have access to the internet to use this option.
- The Fedora 11 - i386 - Updates repository contains the complete collection of software that was released as Fedora 11, with the various pieces of software in their most current stable versions. This option not only installs the software that you select, but makes sure that it is fully updated as well. Note that the computer must have access to the internet to use this option.
Enter the details of additional software repositories.
Figure 7.28. Adding a software repository
To include software from repositories other than the Fedora package collection, select Add additional software repositories. You may provide the location of a repository of third-party software. Depending on the configuration of that repository, you may be able to select non-Fedora software during installation.
To edit an existing software repository location, select the repository in the list and then select Modify repository.
Network Access Required
If you change the repository information during a non-network installation, such as from a Fedora DVD, the installer prompts you for network configuration information.
If you select Add additional software repositories, the Edit repository dialog appears. Provide a Repository name and the Repository URL for its location.
Fedora Software Mirrors
To find a Fedora software mirror near you, refer to http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mirrors.
Once you have located a mirror, to determine the URL to use, find the directory on the mirror that contains a directory named
repodata. For instance, the "Everything" repository for Fedora is typically located in a directory tree releases/11/Everything/arch/os, where arch is a system architecture name.
Once you provide information for an additional repository, the installer reads the package metadata over the network. Software that is specially marked is then included in the package group selection system. See Section 7.23.2, “Customizing the Software Selection” for more information on selecting packages.
Backtracking Removes Repository Metadata
If you choose Back from the package selection screen, any extra repository data you may have entered is lost. This allows you to effectively cancel extra repositories. Currently there is no way to cancel only a single repository once entered.
7.23.2. Customizing the Software Selection
Select Customize now to specify the software packages for your final system in more detail. This option causes the installation process to display an additional customization screen when you select .
Installing Support for Additional Languages
Select Customize now to install support for additional languages. Refer to Section 7.23.2.2, “Additional Language Support” for more information on configuring language support.
Choose to add or remove optional packages from this package group.
Figure 7.29. Package Group Details
Fedora divides the included software into
package groups. For ease of use, the package selection screen displays these groups as categories.
You can select package groups, which group components together according to function (for example, X Window System and Editors), individual packages, or a combination of the two.
To view the package groups for a category, select the category from the list on the left. The list on the right displays the package groups for the currently selected category.
To specify a package group for installation, select the check box next to the group. The box at the bottom of the screen displays the details of the package group that is currently highlighted. None of the packages from a group will be installed unless the check box for that group is selected.
If you select a package group, Fedora automatically installs the base and mandatory packages for that group. To change which optional packages within a selected group will be installed, select the button under the description of the group. Then use the check box next to an individual package name to change its selection.
After you choose the desired packages, select Next to proceed. Fedora checks your selection, and automatically adds any extra packages required to use the software you select. When you have finished selecting packages, click Close to save your optional package selections and return to the main package selection screen.
7.23.2.1. Changing Your Mind
The packages that you select are not permanent. After you boot your system, use the Add/Remove Software tool to either install new software or remove installed packages. To run this tool, from the main menu, select → → . The Fedora software management system downloads the latest packages from network servers, rather than using those on the installation discs.
7.23.2.2. Additional Language Support
Your Fedora system automatically supports the language that you selected at the start of the installation process. To include support for additional languages, select the package group for those languages from the Languages category.
7.23.2.3. Core Network Services
All Fedora installations include the following network services:
- centralized logging through syslog
- email through SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
- network file sharing through NFS (Network File System)
- remote access through SSH (Secure SHell)
- resource advertising through mDNS (multicast DNS)
The default installation also provides:
- network file transfer through HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
- printing through CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System)
- remote desktop access through VNC (Virtual Network Computing)
Some automated processes on your Fedora system use the email service to send reports and messages to the system administrator. By default, the email, logging, and printing services do not accept connections from other systems. Fedora installs the NFS sharing, HTTP, and VNC components without enabling those services.
You may configure your Fedora system after installation to offer email, file sharing, logging, printing and remote desktop access services. The SSH service is enabled by default. You may use NFS to access files on other systems without enabling the NFS sharing service.
7.24. Preparing to Install
7.24.1. Prepare to Install
A screen preparing you for the installation of Fedora now appears.
For your reference, a complete log of your installation can be found in
/root/install.log once you reboot your system.
To cancel this installation process, press your computer's Reset button or use the Control+Alt+Delete key combination to restart your machine.
7.25. Installing Packages
At this point there is nothing left for you to do until all the packages have been installed. How quickly this happens depends on the number of packages you have selected and your computer's speed.
Fedora reports the installation progress on the screen as it writes the selected packages to your system. Network and DVD installations require no further action. If you are using CDs to install, Fedora prompts you to change discs periodically. After you insert a disc, select to resume the installation.
After installation completes, select to restart your computer. Fedora ejects any loaded discs before the computer reboots.
Installing from a Live Image
If you install from a Fedora Live image, no reboot prompt appears. You may continue to use the Live image as desired, and reboot the system at any time to enjoy the newly installed Fedora system.
7.26. Installation Complete
Congratulations! Your Fedora installation is now complete!
The installation program prompts you to prepare your system for reboot. Remember to remove any installation media if it is not ejected automatically upon reboot.
[2] A root password is the administrative password for your Fedora system. You should only log in as root when needed for system maintenance. The root account does not operate within the restrictions placed on normal user accounts, so changes made as root can have implications for your entire system.
[3]
The fsck application is used to check the file system for metadata consistency and optionally repair one or more Linux file systems.
Chapter 8. Troubleshooting Installation on an Intel® or AMD System
- 8.1. You are unable to boot Fedora
- 8.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation
- 8.3. Trouble During the Installation
- 8.4. Problems After Installation
- 8.4.1. Trouble With the Graphical GRUB Screen on an x86-based System?
- 8.4.2. Booting into a Graphical Environment
- 8.4.3. Problems with the X Window System (GUI)
- 8.4.4. Problems with the X Server Crashing and Non-Root Users
- 8.4.5. Problems When You Try to Log In
- 8.4.6. Is Your RAM Not Being Recognized?
- 8.4.7. Your Printer Does Not Work
- 8.4.8. Problems with Sound Configuration
- 8.4.9. Apache-based httpd service/Sendmail Hangs During Startup
This appendix discusses some common installation problems and their solutions.
8.1. You are unable to boot Fedora
8.1.1. Are You Unable to Boot With Your RAID Card?
If you have performed an installation and cannot boot your system properly, you may need to reinstall and create your partitions differently.
Some BIOSes do not support booting from RAID cards. At the end of an installation, a text-based screen showing the boot loader prompt (for example,
GRUB: ) and a flashing cursor may be all that appears. If this is the case, you must repartition your system.
Whether you choose automatic or manual partitioning, you must install your
/boot partition outside of the RAID array, such as on a separate hard drive. An internal hard drive is necessary to use for partition creation with problematic RAID cards.
You must also install your preferred boot loader (GRUB or LILO) on the MBR of a drive that is outside of the RAID array. This should be the same drive that hosts the
/boot/ partition.
Once these changes have been made, you should be able to finish your installation and boot the system properly.
8.1.2. Is Your System Displaying Signal 11 Errors?
A signal 11 error, commonly know as a segmentation fault, means that the program accessed a memory location that was not assigned to it. A signal 11 error may be due to a bug in one of the software programs that is installed, or faulty hardware.
If you receive a fatal signal 11 error during your installation, it is probably due to a hardware error in memory on your system's bus. Like other operating systems, Fedora places its own demands on your system's hardware. Some of this hardware may not be able to meet those demands, even if they work properly under another OS.
Ensure that you have the latest installation updates and images. Review the online errata to see if newer versions are available. If the latest images still fail, it may be due to a problem with your hardware. Commonly, these errors are in your memory or CPU-cache. A possible solution for this error is turning off the CPU-cache in the BIOS, if your system supports this. You could also try to swap your memory around in the motherboard slots to check if the problem is either slot or memory related.
Another option is to perform a media check on your installation CD-ROMs. Anaconda, the installation program, has the ability to test the integrity of the installation media. It works with the CD, DVD, hard drive ISO, and NFS ISO installation methods. Red Hat recommends that you test all installation media before starting the installation process, and before reporting any installation-related bugs (many of the bugs reported are actually due to improperly-burned CDs). To use this test, type the following command at the
boot: prompt:
linux mediacheck
For more information concerning signal 11 errors, refer to:
http://www.bitwizard.nl/sig11/
8.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation
8.2.1. Problems with Booting into the Graphical Installation
There are some video cards that have trouble booting into the graphical installation program. If the installation program does not run using its default settings, it tries to run in a lower resolution mode. If that still fails, the installation program attempts to run in text mode.
One possible solution is to try using the
resolution= boot option. This option may be most helpful for laptop users. Another solution to try is the driver= option to specify the driver that should be loaded for your video card. If this works, it should be reported as a bug as the installer has failed to autodetect your videocard. Refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options for more information on boot options.
Note
To disable frame buffer support and allow the installation program to run in text mode, try using the
nofb boot option. This command may be necessary for accessibility with some screen reading hardware.
8.3. Trouble During the Installation
8.3.1. No devices found to install Fedora Error Message
If you receive an error message stating
No devices found to install Fedora, there is probably a SCSI controller that is not being recognized by the installation program.
Check your hardware vendor's website to determine if a driver diskette image is available that fixes your problem. For more general information on driver diskettes, refer to Chapter 5, Driver Media for Intel and AMD Systems.
You can also refer to the LinuxQuestions.org Hardware Compatibility List, available online at:
8.3.2. Saving traceback messages without removeable media
If you receive a traceback error message during installation, you can usually save it to removeable media, for example a USB flash drive or a floppy disk.
If you do not have removeable media available on your system, you can
scp the error message to a remote system.
When the traceback dialog appears, the traceback error message is automatically written to a file named
/tmp/anacdump.txt. Once the dialog appears, switch over to a new tty (virtual console) by pressing the keys Ctrl+Alt+F2 and scp the message written to /tmp/anacdump.txt to a known working remote system.
8.3.3. Trouble with Partition Tables
If you receive an error after the Disk Partitioning Setup (Section 7.18, “Disk Partitioning Setup”) phase of the installation saying something similar to
The partition table on device hda was unreadable. To create new partitions it must be initialized, causing the loss of ALL DATA on this drive.
you may not have a partition table on that drive or the partition table on the drive may not be recognizable by the partitioning software used in the installation program.
Users who have used programs such as EZ-BIOS have experienced similar problems, causing data to be lost (assuming the data was not backed up before the installation began) that could not be recovered.
No matter what type of installation you are performing, backups of the existing data on your systems should always be made.
8.3.4. Using Remaining Space
You have a
swap and a / (root) partition created, and you have selected the root partition to use the remaining space, but it does not fill the hard drive.
If your hard drive is more than 1024 cylinders, you must create a
/boot partition if you want the / (root) partition to use all of the remaining space on your hard drive.
8.3.5. Other Partitioning Problems
If you create partitions manually, but cannot move to the next screen, you probably have not created all the partitions necessary for installation to proceed.
You must have the following partitions as a bare minimum:
- A
/(root) partition - A <swap> partition of type swap
Note
When defining a partition's type as swap, do not assign it a mount point. Anaconda automatically assigns the mount point for you.
8.3.6. Are You Seeing Python Errors?
During some upgrades or installations of Fedora, the installation program (also known as anaconda) may fail with a Python or traceback error. This error may occur after the selection of individual packages or while trying to save the upgrade log in the
/tmp/directory. The error may look similar to:
Traceback (innermost last): File "/var/tmp/anaconda-7.1//usr/lib/anaconda/iw/progress_gui.py", line 20, in run rc = self.todo.doInstall () File "/var/tmp/anaconda-7.1//usr/lib/anaconda/todo.py", line 1468, in doInstall self.fstab.savePartitions () File "fstab.py", line 221, in savePartitions sys.exit(0) SystemExit: 0 Local variables in innermost frame: self: <fstab.GuiFstab instance at 8446fe0> sys: <module 'sys' (built-in)> ToDo object: (itodo ToDo p1 (dp2 S'method' p3 (iimage CdromInstallMethod p4 (dp5 S'progressWindow' p6 <failed>
This error occurs in some systems where links to
/tmp/ are symbolic to other locations or have been changed since creation. These symbolic or changed links are invalid during the installation process, so the installation program cannot write information and fails.
If you experience such an error, first try to download any available updates for anaconda. Updates for anaconda and instructions for using them can be found at:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Updates
The anaconda website may also be a useful reference and can be found online at:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda
You can also search for bug reports related to this problem. To search Red Hat's bug tracking system, go to:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/
8.4. Problems After Installation
8.4.1. Trouble With the Graphical GRUB Screen on an x86-based System?
If you are experiencing problems with GRUB, you may need to disable the graphical boot screen. To do this, become the root user and edit the
/boot/grub/grub.conf file.
Within the
grub.conf file, comment out the line which begins with splashimage by inserting the # character at the beginning of the line.
Press Enter to exit the editing mode.
Once the boot loader screen has returned, type
b to boot the system.
Once you reboot, the
grub.conf file is reread and any changes you have made take effect.
You may re-enable the graphical boot screen by uncommenting (or adding) the above line back into the
grub.conf file.
8.4.2. Booting into a Graphical Environment
If you have installed the X Window System but are not seeing a graphical desktop environment once you log into your system, you can start the X Window System graphical interface using the command
startx.
Once you enter this command and press Enter, the graphical desktop environment is displayed.
Note, however, that this is just a one-time fix and does not change the log in process for future log ins.
To set up your system so that you can log in at a graphical login screen, you must edit one file,
/etc/inittab, by changing just one number in the runlevel section. When you are finished, reboot the computer. The next time you log in, you are presented with a graphical login prompt.
Open a shell prompt. If you are in your user account, become root by typing the
su command.
Now, type
gedit /etc/inittab to edit the file with gedit. The file /etc/inittab opens. Within the first screen, a section of the file which looks like the following appears:
# Default runlevel. The runlevels used are: # 0 - halt (Do NOT set initdefault to this) # 1 - Single user mode # 2 - Multiuser, without NFS (The same as 3, if you do not have networking) # 3 - Full multiuser mode # 4 - unused # 5 - X11 # 6 - reboot (Do NOT set initdefault to this) # id:3:initdefault:
To change from a console to a graphical login, you should change the number in the line
id:3:initdefault: from a 3 to a 5.
Warning
Change only the number of the default runlevel from
3 to 5.
Your changed line should look like the following:
id:5:initdefault:
When you are satisfied with your change, save and exit the file using the Ctrl+Q keys. A window appears and asks if you would like to save the changes. Click .
The next time you log in after rebooting your system, you are presented with a graphical login prompt.
8.4.3. Problems with the X Window System (GUI)
If you are having trouble getting X (the X Window System) to start, you may not have installed it during your installation.
If you want X, you can either install the packages from the Fedora installation media or perform an upgrade.
If you elect to upgrade, select the X Window System packages, and choose GNOME, KDE, or both, during the upgrade package selection process.
8.4.4. Problems with the X Server Crashing and Non-Root Users
If you are having trouble with the X server crashing when anyone other than root logs in, you may have a full file system (or, a lack of available hard drive space).
To verify that this is the problem you are experiencing, run the following command:
df -h
The
df command should help you diagnose which partition is full. For additional information about df and an explanation of the options available (such as the -h option used in this example), refer to the df man page by typing man df at a shell prompt.
A key indicator is 100% full or a percentage above 90% or 95% on a partition. The
/home/ and /tmp/ partitions can sometimes fill up quickly with user files. You can make some room on that partition by removing old files. After you free up some disk space, try running X as the user that was unsuccessful before.
8.4.5. Problems When You Try to Log In
If you did not create a user account in the firstboot screens, log in as root and use the password you assigned to root.
If you cannot remember your root password, boot your system as
linux single.
If you are using an x86-based system and GRUB is your installed boot loader, type
e for edit when the GRUB boot screen has loaded. You are presented with a list of items in the configuration file for the boot label you have selected.
Choose the line that starts with
kernel and type e to edit this boot entry.
At the end of the
kernel line, add:
single
Press Enter to exit edit mode.
Once the boot loader screen has returned, type
b to boot the system.
Once you have booted into single user mode and have access to the
# prompt, you must type passwd root, which allows you to enter a new password for root. At this point you can type shutdown -r now to reboot the system with the new root password.
If you cannot remember your user account password, you must become root. To become root, type
su - and enter your root password when prompted. Then, type passwd <username>. This allows you to enter a new password for the specified user account.
If the graphical login screen does not appear, check your hardware for compatibility issues. Linuxquestions.org maintains a Hardware Compatibility List at:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php
8.4.6. Is Your RAM Not Being Recognized?
Sometimes, the kernel does not recognize all of your memory (RAM). You can check this with the
cat /proc/meminfo command.
Verify that the displayed quantity is the same as the known amount of RAM in your system. If they are not equal, add the following line to the
/boot/grub/grub.conf:
mem=xxM
Replace
xx with the amount of RAM you have in megabytes.
In
/boot/grub/grub.conf, the above example would look similar to the following:
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that # all kernel paths are relative to /boot/ default=0 timeout=30 splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz title Fedora (2.6.27.19-170.2.35.fc10.i686) root (hd0,1) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.19-170.2.35.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=04a07c13-e6bf-6d5a-b207-002689545705 mem=1024M initrd /initrd-2.6.27.19-170.2.35.fc10.i686.img
Once you reboot, the changes made to
grub.conf are reflected on your system.
Once you have loaded the GRUB boot screen, type
e for edit. You are presented with a list of items in the configuration file for the boot label you have selected.
Choose the line that starts with
kernel and type e to edit this boot entry.
At the end of the
kernel line, add
mem=xxM
where
xx equals the amount of RAM in your system.
Press Enter to exit edit mode.
Once the boot loader screen has returned, type
b to boot the system.
Itanium users must enter boot commands with
elilo followed by the boot command.
Remember to replace
xx with the amount of RAM in your system. Press Enter to boot.
8.4.7. Your Printer Does Not Work
If you are not sure how to set up your printer or are having trouble getting it to work properly, try using the Printer Configuration Tool.
Type the
system-config-printer command at a shell prompt to launch the Printer Configuration Tool. If you are not root, it prompts you for the root password to continue.
8.4.8. Problems with Sound Configuration
If, for some reason, you do not hear sound and know that you do have a sound card installed, you can run the Sound Card Configuration Tool (
system-config-soundcard) utility.
To use the Sound Card Configuration Tool, choose => => => in GNOME, or => => => in KDE. A small text box pops up prompting you for your root password.
You can also type the
system-config-soundcard command at a shell prompt to launch the Sound Card Configuration Tool. If you are not root, it prompts you for the root password to continue.
If the Sound Card Configuration Tool does not work (if the sample does not play and you still do not have audio sounds), it is likely that your sound card is not yet supported in Fedora.
Part III. Advanced installation options
This part of the Fedora Installation Guide covers more complex and uncommon methods of installing Fedora, including:
- boot options.
- installing without media.
- installing through VNC.
- using kickstart to automate the installation process.
Table of Contents
- 9. Boot Options
- 10. Installing Without Media
- 11. Setting Up an Installation Server
- 12. Installing Through VNC
- 13. Kickstart Installations
- 13.1. What are Kickstart Installations?
- 13.2. How Do You Perform a Kickstart Installation?
- 13.3. Creating the Kickstart File
- 13.4. Kickstart Options
- 13.5. Package Selection
- 13.6. Pre-installation Script
- 13.7. Post-installation Script
- 13.8. Making the Kickstart File Available
- 13.9. Making the Installation Tree Available
- 13.10. Starting a Kickstart Installation
- 14. Kickstart Configurator
- 14.1. Basic Configuration
- 14.2. Installation Method
- 14.3. Boot Loader Options
- 14.4. Partition Information
- 14.5. Network Configuration
- 14.6. Authentication
- 14.7. Firewall Configuration
- 14.8. Display Configuration
- 14.9. Package Selection
- 14.10. Pre-Installation Script
- 14.11. Post-Installation Script
- 14.12. Saving the File
Chapter 9. Boot Options
The Fedora installation system includes a range of functions and options for administrators. To use boot options, enter
linux option at the boot: prompt.
If you specify more than one option, separate each of the options by a single space. For example:
linux option1 option2 option3
Anaconda Boot Options
The anaconda installer has many boot options, most are listed on the wiki http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Options.
Kernel Boot Options
The http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/KernelCommonProblems page lists many common kernel boot options. The full list of kernel options is in the file /usr/share/doc/kernel-doc-
version/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt, which is installed with the kernel-doc package.
Rescue Mode
The Fedora installation and rescue discs may either boot with rescue mode, or load the installation system. For more information on rescue discs and rescue mode, refer to Section 9.6.3, “Booting Your Computer with the Rescue Mode”.
9.1. Configuring the Installation System at the Boot Menu
You can use the boot menu to specify a number of settings for the installation system, including:
- language
- display resolution
- interface type
- Installation method
- network settings
9.1.1. Specifying the Language
To set the language for both the installation process and the final system, specify the ISO code for that language with the
lang option. Use the keymap option to configure the correct keyboard layout.
For example, the ISO codes
el_GR and gr identify the Greek language and the Greek keyboard layout:
linux lang=el_GR keymap=gr
9.1.2. Configuring the Interface
You may force the installation system to use the lowest possible screen resolution (640x480) with the
lowres option. To use a specific display resolution, enter resolution=setting as a boot option. For example, to set the display resolution to 1024x768, enter:
linux resolution=1024x768
linux text
Use
display=ip:0 to allow remote display forwarding. In this command, ip should be replaced with the IP address of the system on which you want the display to appear.
On the system you want the display to appear on, you must execute the command
xhost +remotehostname, where remotehostname is the name of the host from which you are running the original display. Using the command xhost +remotehostname limits access to the remote display terminal and does not allow access from anyone or any system not specifically authorized for remote access.
9.1.3. Updating anaconda
You can install Fedora with a newer version of the anaconda installation program than the one supplied on your installation media.
The boot option
linux updates
presents you with a prompt that asks you for a floppy disk containing anaconda updates. You do not need to specify this option if you are performing a network installation and have already placed the updates image contents in
rhupdates/ on the server.
To load the anaconda updates from a network location instead, use:
linux updates=
followed by the URL for the location where the updates are stored.
9.1.4. Specifying the Installation Method
Use the
askmethod option to display additional menus that enable you to specify the installation method and network settings. You may also configure the installation method and network settings at the boot: prompt itself.
To specify the installation method from the
boot: prompt, use the method option. Refer to Table 9.1, “Installation methods” for the supported installation methods.
| Installation method | Option format |
|---|---|
| CD or DVD drive |
method=
|
| Hard Drive |
method=
|
| HTTP Server |
method=
|
| FTP Server |
method=
|
| NFS Server |
method=
|
Table 9.1. Installation methods
9.1.5. Manually Configuring the Network Settings
By default, the installation system uses DHCP to automatically obtain the correct network settings. To manually configure the network settings yourself, either enter them in the Configure TCP/IP screen, or at the
boot: prompt. You may specify the ip address, netmask, gateway, and dns server settings for the installation system at the prompt. If you specify the network configuration at the boot: prompt, these settings are used for the installation process, and the Configure TCP/IP screen does not appear.
This example configures the network settings for an installation system that uses the IP address
192.168.1.10:
linux ip=192.168.1.10 netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.168.1.1 dns=192.168.1.2,192.168.1.3
Configuring the Installed System
Use the Network Configuration screen to specify the network settings for the new system. Refer to Section 7.15.1, “Manual configuration” for more information on configuring the network settings for the installed system.
9.2. Enabling Remote Access to the Installation System
You may access either graphical or text interfaces for the installation system from any other system. Access to a text mode display requires telnet, which is installed by default on Fedora systems. To remotely access the graphical display of an installation system, use client software that supports the
VNC (Virtual Network Computing) display protocol. A number of providers offer VNC clients for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS, as well as UNIX-based systems.
Installing a VNC Client on Fedora
The installation system supports two methods of establishing a VNC connection. You may start the installation, and manually login to the graphical display with a VNC client on another system. Alternatively, you may configure the installation system to automatically connect to a VNC client on the network that is running in listening mode.
9.2.1. Enabling Remote Access with VNC
linux vnc vncpassword=qwerty
The
vnc option enables the VNC service. The vncpassword option sets a password for remote access. The example shown above sets the password as qwerty.
VNC Passwords
The VNC password must be at least six characters long.
Specify the language, keyboard layout and network settings for the installation system with the screens that follow. You may then access the graphical interface through a VNC client. The installation system displays the correct connection setting for the VNC client:
Starting VNC... The VNC server is now running. Please connect to computer.mydomain.com:1 to begin the install... Starting graphical installation... Press <enter> for a shell
You may then login to the installation system with a VNC client. To run the vncviewer client on Fedora, choose → → , or type the command vncviewer in a terminal window. Enter the server and display number in the VNC Server dialog. For the example above, the VNC Server is
computer.mydomain.com:1.
9.2.2. Connecting the Installation System to a VNC Listener
To have the installation system automatically connect to a VNC client, first start the client in
listening mode. On Fedora systems, use the
-listen option to run vncviewer as a listener. In a terminal window, enter the command:
vncviewer -listen
Firewall Reconfiguration Required
By default, vncviewer uses TCP port 5500 when in listening mode. To permit connections to this port from other systems, choose → → . Select Other ports, and . Enter
5500 in the Port(s) field, and specify tcp as the Protocol.
Once the listening client is active, start the installation system and set the VNC options at the
boot: prompt. In addition to vnc and vncpassword options, use the vncconnect option to specify the name or IP address of the system that has the listening client. To specify the TCP port for the listener, add a colon and the port number to the name of the system.
For example, to connect to a VNC client on the system
desktop.mydomain.com on the port 5500, enter the following at the boot: prompt:
linux vnc vncpassword=qwerty vncconnect=desktop.mydomain.com:5500
9.2.3. Enabling Remote Access with Telnet
linux text telnet
You may then connect to the installation system with the
telnet utility. The telnet command requires the name or IP address of the installation system:
telnet computer.mydomain.com
Telnet Access Requires No Password
To ensure the security of the installation process, only use the
telnet option to install systems on networks with restricted access.
9.3. Logging to a Remote System During the Installation
By default, the installation process sends log messages to the console as they are generated. You may specify that these messages go to a remote system that runs a
syslog service.
To configure remote logging, add the
syslog option. Specify the IP address of the logging system, and the UDP port number of the log service on that system. By default, syslog services that accept remote messages listen on UDP port 514.
For example, to connect to a syslog service on the system
192.168.1.20, enter the following at the boot: prompt:
linux syslog=192.168.1.20:514
9.3.1. Configuring a Log Server
Fedora uses
rsyslog to provide a syslog service. The default configuration of rsyslog rejects messages from remote systems.
Only Enable Remote Syslog Access on Secured Networks
The
rsyslog configuration detailed below does not make use of any of the security measures available in rsyslog Crackers may slow or crash systems that permit access to the logging service, by sending large quantities of false log messages. In addition, hostile users may intercept or falsify messages sent to the logging service over the network.
To configure a Fedora system to accept log messages from other systems on the network, edit the file
/etc/rsyslog.conf. You must use root privileges to edit the file /etc/rsyslog.conf. Uncomment the following lines by removing the hash preceding them:
$ModLoad imudp.so$UDPServerRun 514
Restart the
rsyslog service to apply the change:
su -c '/sbin/service rsyslog restart'
Enter the
root password when prompted.
Firewall Reconfiguration Required
By default, the syslog service listens on UDP port 514. To permit connections to this port from other systems, choose → → . Select Other ports, and . Enter
514 in the Port(s) field, and specify udp as the Protocol.
9.4. Automating the Installation with Kickstart
A
Kickstart file specifies settings for an installation. Once the installation system boots, it can read a Kickstart file and carry out the installation process without any further input from a user.
Every Installation Produces a Kickstart File
The Fedora installation process automatically writes a Kickstart file that contains the settings for the installed system. This file is always saved as
/root/anaconda-ks.cfg. You may use this file to repeat the installation with identical settings, or modify copies to specify settings for other systems.
Fedora includes a graphical application to create and modify Kickstart files by selecting the options that you require. Use the package
system-config-kickstart to install this utility. To load the Fedora Kickstart editor, choose → → .
Kickstart files list installation settings in plain text, with one option per line. This format lets you modify your Kickstart files with any text editor, and write scripts or applications that generate custom Kickstart files for your systems.
To automate the installation process with a Kickstart file, use the
ks option to specify the name and location of the file:
linux ks=location/kickstart-file.cfg
You may use Kickstart files that are held on either removable storage, a hard drive, or a network server. Refer to Table 9.2, “Kickstart sources” for the supported Kickstart sources.
| Kickstart source | Option format |
|---|---|
| CD or DVD drive |
ks=
|
| Hard Drive |
ks=
|
| Other Device |
ks=
|
| HTTP Server |
ks=
|
| FTP Server |
ks=
|
| NFS Server |
ks=
|
Table 9.2. Kickstart sources
To obtain a Kickstart file from a script or application on a Web server, specify the URL of the application with the
ks= option. If you add the option kssendmac, the request also sends HTTP headers to the Web application. Your application can use these headers to identify the computer. This line sends a request with headers to the application http://server.mydomain.com/kickstart.cgi:
linux ks=http://server.mydomain.com/kickstart.cgi kssendmac
9.5. Enhancing Hardware Support
By default, Fedora attempts to automatically detect and configure support for all of the components of your computer. Fedora supports the majority of hardware in common use with the software drivers that are included with the operating system. To support other devices you may supply additional drivers during the installation process, or at a later time.
9.5.1. Adding Hardware Support with Driver Disks
The installation system can load drivers from disks, pen drives, or network servers to configure support for new devices. After the installation is complete, remove any driver disks and store them for later use.
Hardware manufacturers may supply
driver disks for Fedora with the device, or provide image files to prepare the disks. To obtain the latest drivers, download the correct file from the website of the manufacturer.
Driver Disks Supplied as Zipped Files
Driver disk images may be distributed as compressed archives, or zip files. For identification, the names of zip files include the extensions
.zip, or .tar.gz. To extract the contents of a zipped file with a Fedora system, choose → → .
To format a disk or pen drive with an image file, use the
dd utility. For example, to prepare a diskette with the image file drivers.img, enter this command in a terminal window:
dd if=drivers.img of=/dev/fd0
To use a driver disk in the installation process, specify the
dd option at the boot: prompt:
linux dd
Note that the
dd option is interchangeable with the driverdisk option.
When prompted, select to provide a driver disk. Choose the drive that holds the driver disk from the list on the Driver Disk Source text screen.
The installation system can also read drivers from disk images that are held on network servers. Refer to Table 9.3, “Driver disk image sources” for the supported sources of driver disk image files.
| Image source | Option format |
|---|---|
| Select a drive or device |
dd
|
| HTTP Server |
dd=
|
| FTP Server |
dd=
|
| NFS Server |
dd=
|
Table 9.3. Driver disk image sources
9.5.2. Overriding Automatic Hardware Detection
For some models of device automatic hardware configuration may fail, or cause instability. In these cases, you may need to disable automatic configuration for that type of device, and take additional steps to manually configure the device after the installation process is complete.
Check the Release Notes
Refer to the Release Notes for information on known issues with specific devices.
To override the automatic hardware detection, use one or more of the following options:
| Compatibility | Option |
|---|---|
| Disable all hardware detection |
noprobe
|
| Disable graphics, keyboard, and mouse detection |
headless
|
| Disable passing keyboard and mouse information to stage 2 of the installation program |
nopass
|
| Use basic VESA driver for video |
xdriver=vesa
|
| Disable shell access on virtual console 2 during installation |
noshell
|
| Disable advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) |
acpi=off
|
| Disable machine check exception (MCE) CPU self-diagnosis. |
nomce
|
| Disable non-uniform menory access on the AMD64 architecture |
numa-off
|
Force kernel to detect a specific amount of memory, where xxx is a value in megabytes
|
mem=
|
| Enable DMA only for IDE and SATA drives |
libata.dma=1
|
| Disable BIOS-assisted RAID |
nodmraid
|
| Disable Firewire device detection |
nofirewire
|
| Disable parallel port detection |
noparport
|
| Disable PC Card (PCMCIA) device detection |
nopcmcia
|
| Disable USB storage device detection |
nousbstorage
|
| Disable all USB device detection |
nousb
|
| Disable all probing of network hardware |
nonet
|
Table 9.4. Hardware Options
Additional Screen
The
isa option causes the system to display an additional text screen at the beginning of the installation process. Use this screen to configure the ISA devices on your computer.
Important
Other kernel boot options have no particular meaning for anaconda and do not affect the installation process. However, if you use these options to boot the installation system, anaconda will preserve them in the bootloader configuration.
9.6. Using the Maintenance Boot Modes
9.6.1. Loading the Memory (RAM) Testing Mode
Faults in memory modules may cause your system to freeze or crash unpredictably. In some cases, memory faults may only cause errors with particular combinations of software. For this reason, you should test the memory of a computer before you install Fedora for the first time, even if it has previously run other operating systems.
Fedora includes the Memtest86 memory testing application. To boot your computer in
memory testing mode, choose at the boot menu. The first test starts immediately. By default, Memtest86 carries out a total of ten tests.
To halt the tests and reboot your computer, enter Esc at any time.
9.6.2. Verifying boot media
You can test the integrity of an ISO-based installation source before using it to install Fedora. These sources include CD, DVD, and ISO images stored on a local hard drive or on an NFS server. Verifying that the ISO images are instace before you attempt an installation helps to avoid problems that are often encountered during installation.
Fedora offers you three ways to test installation ISOs:
- select the Verify and Boot option on the Fedora Live CD. To access the Live CD boot menu, press any key within ten seconds of the splash screen appearing.
- select OK at the prompt to test the media before installation when booting from the Fedora distribution CD set or DVD
- boot Fedora with the option
mediacheckoption.
9.6.3. Booting Your Computer with the Rescue Mode
You may boot a command-line Linux system from either a
rescue disc or an installation disc, without installing Fedora on the computer. This enables you to use the utilities and functions of a running Linux system to modify or repair systems that are already installed on your computer.
The rescue disc starts the rescue mode system by default. To load the rescue system with the installation disc, choose from the boot menu.
Specify the language, keyboard layout and network settings for the rescue system with the screens that follow. The final setup screen configures access to the existing system on your computer.
By default, rescue mode attaches an existing operating system to the rescue system under the directory
/mnt/sysimage/.
9.6.4. Upgrading your computer
A previous boot option,
upgrade, has been superceded by a stage in the installation process where the installation program prompts you to upgrade or reinstall earlier versions of Fedora that it detects on your system.
However, the installation program may not correctly detect a previous version of Fedora if the contents of the
/etc/fedora-release file have changed. The boot option upgradeany relaxes the test that the installation program performs and allows you to upgrade a Fedora installation that the installation program has not correctly identified.
Chapter 10. Installing Without Media
This section discusses how to install Fedora to your system without making any additional physical media. Instead, you can use your existing GRUB boot loader to start the installation program.
Linux Required
This procedure assumes you are already using Fedora or another relatively modern Linux distribution, and the GRUB boot loader. It also assumes you are a somewhat experienced Linux user.
10.1. Retrieving Boot Files
To perform an installation without media or a PXE server, your system must have two files stored locally, a kernel and an initial RAM disk.
- Download a Live image or DVD distribution, or to locate an installation mirror, visit http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/publiclist/Fedora/11/.
- Locate the
isolinux/folder using one of the following methods:- If you chose to download an image, open it with the appropriate desktop tool. If you are using Fedora, double-click the file to open it with the Archive Manager. Open the
isolinux/folder. - If you chose not to download a whole image because you wish to install via the network, locate the desired release. In general, once you find a suitable mirror, browse to the
releases/11/Fedora/folder.arch/os/isolinux/
Installation Types Available
If you download an image, you may then choose a hard disk-based installation or a network installation. If you only download selected files from a mirror, you may only perform a network installation. - Copy the
vmlinuzandinitrd.imgfiles from the chosen source to the/boot/directory, renaming them tovmlinuz-installandinitrd.img-installYou must haverootprivileges to write files into the/boot/directory.
10.2. Editing the GRUB Configuration
The GRUB boot loader uses the configuration file
/boot/grub/grub.conf. To configure GRUB to boot from the new files, add a boot stanza to /boot/grub/grub.confthat refers to them.
A minimal boot stanza looks like the following listing:
title Installation
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-install
initrd /initrd.img-install
You may wish to add options to the end of the
kernel line of the boot stanza. These options set preliminary options in Anaconda which the user normally sets interactively. For a list of available installer boot options, refer to Chapter 9, Boot Options.
The following options are generally useful for medialess installations:
ip=method=lang=keymap=ksdevice=(if installation requires an interface other than eth0)vncandvncpassword=for a remote installation
When you are finished, change the
default option in /boot/grub/grub.conf to point to the new first stanza you added:
default 0
10.3. Booting to Installation
Reboot the system. GRUB boots the installation kernel and RAM disk, including any options you set. You may now refer to the appropriate chapter in this guide for the next step. If you chose to install remotely using VNC, refer to Section 9.2, “Enabling Remote Access to the Installation System” for assistance in connecting to the remote system.
Chapter 11. Setting Up an Installation Server
Experience Required
This appendix is intended for users with previous Linux experience. If you are a new user, you may want to install using minimal boot media or the distribution DVD instead.
Warning
The instructions in this appendix configures an automated install server. The default configuration includes destruction of all existing data on all disks for hosts that install using this method. This is often different from other network install server configurations which may provide for an interactive installation experience.
Fedora allows for installation over a network using the NFS, FTP, or HTTP protocols. A network installation can be started from a boot CD-ROM, a bootable flash memory drive, or by using the
askmethod boot option with the Fedora CD #1 or DVD. Alternatively, if the system to be installed contains a network interface card (NIC) with Pre-Execution Environment (PXE) support, it can be configured to boot from files on another networked system rather than local media such as a CD-ROM.
For a PXE network installation, the client's NIC with PXE support sends out a broadcast request for DHCP information. The DHCP server provides the client with an IP address, other network information such as name server, the IP address or hostname of the
tftp server (which provides the files necessary to start the installation program), and the location of the files on the tftp server. This is possible because of PXELINUX, which is part of the syslinux package.
In the past, administrators needed to perform a great deal of manual configuration to produce an installation server. However, if you have a Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, or Fedora server on your local network, you can use cobbler to perform these tasks. To configure a PXE server manually, see Section 11.5, “Manually configure a PXE server”.
To perform the tasks in this section, switch to the
root account with the command su -. As an alternative, you can run a command with the -c option, using the form su -c 'command'.
11.1. Setting Up cobbler
To install cobbler use the following command:
yum -y install cobbler
The
cobbler command can check its own settings for validity and report the results. Run the following command to check the settings:
cobbler check
Change the settings in the
/var/lib/cobbler/settings file to reflect the IP address information for the server. You must change at least the server and next_server options, although these options may point to the same IP address.
If you are not already running a DHCP server, you should also change the
manage_dhcp option to 1. If you are running a DHCP server, configure it according to the instructions found in the syslinux package documentation. For more information, refer to your local files /usr/share/doc/syslinux-version/syslinux.doc and /usr/share/doc/syslinux-version/pxelinux.doc.
11.2. Setting Up the Distribution
To set up a distribution from a full Fedora DVD or ISO image, use this procedure.
Network Locations
To create a local mirror from an existing network source, skip this section and refer instead to Section 11.3, “Mirroring a Network Location”.
- If you are using a DVD disc or ISO image, Create a directory mount point:
mkdir /mnt/dvdTo mount a physical DVD disc, use the following command:mount -o context=system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvdTo mount a DVD ISO image, use the following command:mount -ro loop,context=system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 /path/to/image.iso /mnt/dvd - To support NFS installation, create a file
/etc/exportsand add the following line to it:/mnt/dvd *(ro,async)
Start the NFS server using the following commands:/sbin/service rpcbind start /sbin/service nfs start - To support HTTP installation, use
yumto install the Apache web server if it is not already installed:yum -y install httpdMake a link to the mounted disc in the Apache public content area:ln -s /mnt/dvd /var/www/html/distro
11.3. Mirroring a Network Location
If you do not have discs or ISO images for a distribution, you can use
cobbler to create an installation server. The cobbler command can fetch the distribution over the network as part of the import process.
Locate the distribution on the network. The location may be on the local network or reached at a remote site via FTP, HTTP, or rsync protocols. Note the URI, which will be in one of the following forms:
http://mirror.example.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/arch/osftp://mirror.example.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/arch/osrsync://mirror.example.com/fedora/linux/releases/11/Fedora/arch/os
11.4. Importing the Distribution
To offer a distribution through more than one installation method, perform additional
cobbler import tasks using a different name for each method. For best results, use the installation method as part of the name, so it appears in the client's boot menu.
- To import the DVD disc or ISO distribution into
cobbler, run this command:cobbler import --path=/mnt/dvd --name=distro_nameFordistro_name, substitute a meaningful name for the distribution.To import a local or remote network distribution intocobbler, run this command. Replacenetwork_URIwith the URI you found in Section 11.3, “Mirroring a Network Location”, anddistro_nameas above:cobbler import --mirror=network_URI--name=distro_nameImporting a Source
Whencobblerimports a distribution with the commands above, it copies all the files to the server's local storage, which may take some time.If you do not want to make local copies of the distribution because clients can already reach its location, use the--available-asoption.cobbler import --path=/mnt/dvd --name=distro_name--available-as=network_URIcobbler import --mirror=network_URI--name=distro_name--available-as=network_URIFornework_URI, substitute the appropriate network location of the distribution. This URI indicates how the server makes the distribution available to its clients. The examples above assume that yourcobblerserver reaches the mirror location at the same URI as the clients. If not, substitute an appropriate URI for the--mirroroption. The following examples are URI locations that work if you have been following the procedures in this section, and your server's IP address is192.168.1.1:nfs://192.168.1.1:/mnt/dvdhttp://192.168.1.1:/distro
If necessary, replace192.168.1.1with the IP address for yourcobblerserver. - Run the command
cobbler syncto apply the changes. To check that yourcobblerserver is listening on the correct ports, use thenetstat -lpcommand.Firewall Considerations
Depending on your server's configuration, you may need to use thesystem-config-securitylevelcommand to permit access to some or all of these network services:- 67 or bootps, for the DHCP/BOOTP server
- 69 or tftp, for providing the PXE loader
- 80 or http, if the
cobblerserver is to provide HTTP installation service - 20 and 21 or ftp, if the
cobblerserver is to provide FTP installation service - 111 or sunrpc, if the
cobblerserver is to provide NFS installation service
11.5. Manually configure a PXE server
The following steps must be performed to prepare for a PXE installation:
- Configure the network (NFS, FTP, HTTP) server to export the installation tree.
- Configure the files on the
tftpserver necessary for PXE booting. - Configure which hosts are allowed to boot from the PXE configuration.
- Start the
tftpservice. - Configure DHCP.
- Boot the client, and start the installation.
11.5.1. Setting up the Network Server
First, configure an NFS, FTP, or HTTP server to export the entire installation tree for the version and variant of Fedora to be installed. Refer to Section 3.5, “Preparing for a Network Installation” for detailed instructions.
11.5.2. PXE Boot Configuration
The next step is to copy the files necessary to start the installation to the
tftp server so they can be found when the client requests them. The tftp server is usually the same server as the network server exporting the installation tree.
To copy these files, run the Network Booting Tool on the NFS, FTP, or HTTP server. A separate PXE server is not necessary.
11.5.3. Adding PXE Hosts
After configuring the network server, the interface as shown in Figure 11.1, “Add Hosts” is displayed.
Add Hosts
Figure 11.1. Add Hosts
The next step is to configure which hosts are allowed to connect to the PXE boot server.
To add hosts, click the button.
Add a Host
Figure 11.2. Add a Host
Enter the following information:
- Hostname or IP Address/Subnet — The IP address, fully qualified hostname, or a subnet of systems that should be allowed to connect to the PXE server for installations.
- Operating System — The operating system identifier to install on this client. The list is populated from the network install instances created from the Network Installation Dialog.
- Serial Console — This option allows use of a serial console.
- Kickstart File — The location of a kickstart file to use, such as
http://server.example.com/kickstart/ks.cfg. This file can be created with the Kickstart Configurator. Refer to Chapter 14, Kickstart Configurator for details.
Ignore the Snapshot name and Ethernet options. They are only used for diskless environments.
11.5.4. TFTPD
11.5.4.1. Starting the tftp Server
On the DHCP server, verify that the
tftp-server package is installed with the command rpm -q tftp-server.
tftp is an xinetd-based service; start it with the following commands:
/sbin/chkconfig --level 345 xinetd on /sbin/chkconfig --level 345 tftp on
These commands configure the
tftp and xinetd services to immediately turn on and also configure them to start at boot time in runlevels 3, 4, and 5.
11.5.5. Configuring the DHCP Server
If a DHCP server does not already exist on the network, configure one. Refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Deployment Guide for details. Make sure the configuration file contains the following so that PXE booting is enabled for systems which support it:
allow booting; allow bootp; class "pxeclients" { match if substring(option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9) = "PXEClient"; next-server <server-ip>; filename "linux-install/pxelinux.0"; }
where the next-server
<server-ip> should be replaced with the IP address of the tftp server.
11.5.6. Adding a Custom Boot Message
Optionally, modify
/tftpboot/linux-install/msgs/boot.msg to use a custom boot message.
11.5.7. Performing the PXE Installation
For instructions on how to configure the network interface card with PXE support to boot from the network, consult the documentation for the NIC. It varies slightly per card.
After the system boots the installation program, refer to the Chapter 7, Installing on Intel and AMD Systems.
Chapter 12. Installing Through VNC
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora installer (anaconda) offers you two interactive modes of operation. The original mode is a text-based interface. The newer mode uses GTK+ and runs in the X Window environment. This chapter explains how you can use the graphical installation mode in environments where the system lacks a proper display and input devices typically associated with a workstation. This scenario is typical of systems in datacenters, which are often installed in a rack environment and do not have a display, keyboard, or mouse. Additionally, a lot of these systems even lack the ability to connect a graphical display. Given that enterprise hardware rarely needs that ability at the physical system, this hardware configuration is acceptable.
Even in these environments, however, the graphical installer remains the recommended method of installation. The text mode environment lacks a lot of capabilities found in the graphical mode. Many users still feel that the text mode interface provides them with additional power or configuration ability not found in the graphical version. The opposite is true. Much less development effort is put in to the text-mode environment and specific things (for example, LVM configuration, partition layout, package selection, and bootloader configuration) are deliberately left out of the text mode environment. The reasons for this are:
- Less screen real estate for creating user interfaces similar to those found in the graphical mode.
- Difficult internationalization support.
- Desire to maintain a single interactive installation code path.
Anaconda therefore includes a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) mode that allows the graphical mode of the installer to run locally, but display on a system connected to the network. Installing in VNC mode provides you with the full range of installation options, even in situations where the system lacks a display or input devices.
12.1. VNC Viewer
Performing a VNC installation requires a VNC viewer running on your workstation or other terminal computer. Locations where you might want a VNC viewer installed:
- Your workstation
- Laptop on a datacenter crash cart
VNC is open source software licensed under the GNU General Public License. Versions exist for Linux, Windows, and MacOS X. Here are some recommended VNC viewers:
vncvieweris available on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora Linux by installing thevncpackage:#
yum install vnc- TightVNC is available for Windows at http://www.tightvnc.com/
- MacOS X includes built-in VNC support as of version 10.5. In the Finder, click the Go menu and choose Connect to Server. In the server address field, you can type
vnc://, where SERVER is the IP address or DNS host name of the VNC server you wish to connect to and DISPLAY is the VNC display number (usually 1), and click Connect.SERVER:DISPLAY
Once you have verified you have a VNC viewer available, it's time to start the installation.
12.2. VNC Modes in Anaconda
Anaconda offers two modes for VNC installation. The mode you select will depend on the network configuration in your environment.
12.2.1. Direct Mode
Direct mode VNC in anaconda is when the client initiates a connection to the VNC server running in anaconda. Anaconda will tell you when to initiate this connection in the VNC viewer. Direct mode can be activated by either of the following commands:
- Specify
vncas a boot argument. - Specify the
vnccommand in the kickstart file used for installation.
When you activate VNC mode, anaconda will complete the first stage of the installer and then start VNC to run the graphical installer. The installer will display a message on the console in the following format:
Running anacondaVERSION, thePRODUCTsystem installer - please wait...
Anaconda will also tell you the IP address and display number to use in your VNC viewer. At this point, you need to start the VNC viewer and connect to the target system to continue the installation. The VNC viewer will present anaconda to you in graphical mode.
There are some disadvantages to direct mode, including:
- Requires visual access to the system console to see the IP address and port to connect the VNC viewer to.
- Requires interactive access to the system console to complete the first stage of the installer.
If either of these disadvantages would prevent you from using direct mode VNC in anaconda, then connect mode is probably more suited to your environment.
12.2.2. Connect Mode
Certain firewall configurations or instances where the target system is configured to obtain a dynamic IP address may cause trouble with the direct VNC mode in anaconda. In addition, if you lack a console on the target system to see the message that tells you the IP address to connect to, then you will not be able to continue the installation.
The VNC connect mode changes how VNC is started. Rather than anaconda starting up and waiting for you to connect, the VNC connect mode allows anaconda to automatically connect to your view. You won't need to know the IP address of the target system in this case.
To activate the VNC connect mode, pass the
vncconnect boot parameter:
boot: linux vncconnect=HOST
Replace HOST with your VNC viewer's IP address or DNS host name. Before starting the installation process on the target system, start up your VNC viewer and have it wait for an incoming connection.
Start the installation and when your VNC viewer displays the graphical installer, you are ready to go.
12.3. Installation Using VNC
Now that you have installed a VNC viewer application and selected a VNC mode for use in anaconda, you are ready to begin the installation.
12.3.1. Installation Example
The easiest way to perform an installation using VNC is to connect another computer directly to the network port on the target system. The laptop on a datacenter crash cart usually fills this role. If you are performing your installation this way, make sure you follow these steps:
- Connect the laptop or other workstation to the target system using a crossover cable. If you are using regular patch cables, make sure you connect the two systems using a small hub or switch. Most recent Ethernet interfaces will automatically detect if they need to be crossover or not, so it may be possible to connect the two systems directly using a regular patch cable.
- Configure the VNC viewer system to use a RFC 1918 address with no gateway. This private network connection will only be used for the purpose of installation. Configure the VNC viewer system to be 192.168.100.1/24. If that address is in use, just pick something else in the RFC 1918 address space that is available to you.
- Start the installation on the target system.
- Booting the installation DVD or CD.If booting the installation media (CD or DVD), make sure
vncis passed as a boot parameter. To add thevncparameter, you will need a console attached to the target system that allows you to interact with the boot process. Enter the following at the prompt:boot:
linux vnc - Boot over the network.If the target system is configured with a static IP address, add the
vnccommand to the kickstart file. If the target system is using DHCP, addvncconnect=to the boot arguments for the target system. HOST is the IP address or DNS host name of the VNC viewer system. Enter the following at the prompt:HOSTboot:
linux vncconnect=HOST
- When prompted for the network configuration on the target system, assign it an available RFC 1918 address in the same network you used for the VNC viewer system. For example, 192.168.100.2/24.
Note
This IP address is only used during installation. You will have an opportunity to configure the final network settings, if any, later in the installer. - Once the installer indicates it is starting anaconda, you will be instructed to connect to the system using the VNC viewer. Connect to the viewer and follow the graphical installation mode instructions found in the product documentation.
12.3.2. Kickstart Considerations
If your target system will be booting over the network, VNC is still available. Just add the
vnc command to the kickstart file for the system. You will be able to connect to the target system using your VNC viewer and monitor the installation progress. The address to use is the one the system is configured with via the kickstart file.
If you are using DHCP for the target system, the reverse
vncconnect method may work better for you. Rather than adding the vnc boot parameter to the kickstart file, add the vncconnect=HOST parameter to the list of boot arguments for the target system. For HOST, put the IP address or DNS host name of the VNC viewer system. See the next section for more details on using the vncconnect mode.
12.3.3. Firewall Considerations
If you are performing the installation where the VNC viewer system is a workstation on a different subnet from the target system, you may run in to network routing problems. VNC works fine so long as your viewer system has a route to the target system and ports 5900 and 5901 are open. If your environment has a firewall, make sure ports 5900 and 5901 are open between your workstation and the target system.
In addition to passing the
vnc boot parameter, you may also want to pass the vncpassword parameter in these scenarios. While the password is sent in plain text over the network, it does provide an extra step before a viewer can connect to a system. Once the viewer connects to the target system over VNC, no other connections are permitted. These limitations are usually sufficient for installation purposes.
Important
Be sure to use a temporary password for the
vncpassword option. It should not be a password you use on any systems, especially a real root password.
If you continue to have trouble, consider using the
vncconnect parameter. In this mode of operation, you start the viewer on your system first telling it to listen for an incoming connection. Pass vncconnect=HOST at the boot prompt and the installer will attempt to connect to the specified HOST (either a hostname or IP address).
12.4. References
- VNC description at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vnc
- TightVNC: http://www.tightvnc.com/
- RFC 1918 - Address Allocation for Private Networks: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1918.txt
- Anaconda boot options: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Options
- Kickstart documentation: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Kickstart
Chapter 13. Kickstart Installations
- 13.1. What are Kickstart Installations?
- 13.2. How Do You Perform a Kickstart Installation?
- 13.3. Creating the Kickstart File
- 13.4. Kickstart Options
- 13.5. Package Selection
- 13.6. Pre-installation Script
- 13.7. Post-installation Script
- 13.8. Making the Kickstart File Available
- 13.9. Making the Installation Tree Available
- 13.10. Starting a Kickstart Installation
13.1. What are Kickstart Installations?
Many system administrators would prefer to use an automated installation method to install Fedora on their machines. To answer this need, Red Hat created the kickstart installation method. Using kickstart, a system administrator can create a single file containing the answers to all the questions that would normally be asked during a typical installation.
Kickstart files can be kept on a single server system and read by individual computers during the installation. This installation method can support the use of a single kickstart file to install Fedora on multiple machines, making it ideal for network and system administrators.
Kickstart provides a way for users to automate a Fedora installation.
13.2. How Do You Perform a Kickstart Installation?
Kickstart installations can be performed using a local CD-ROM, a local hard drive, or via NFS, FTP, or HTTP.
To use kickstart, you must:
- Create a kickstart file.
- Create a boot media with the kickstart file or make the kickstart file available on the network.
- Make the installation tree available.
- Start the kickstart installation.
This chapter explains these steps in detail.
13.3. Creating the Kickstart File
The kickstart file is a simple text file, containing a list of items, each identified by a keyword. You can create it by using the Kickstart Configurator application, or writing it from scratch. The Fedora installation program also creates a sample kickstart file based on the options that you selected during installation. It is written to the file
/root/anaconda-ks.cfg. You should be able to edit it with any text editor or word processor that can save files as ASCII text.
First, be aware of the following issues when you are creating your kickstart file:
- Sections must be specified in order. Items within the sections do not have to be in a specific order unless otherwise specified. The section order is:
- Command section — Refer to Section 13.4, “Kickstart Options” for a list of kickstart options. You must include the required options.
- The
%packagessection — Refer to Section 13.5, “Package Selection” for details. - The
%preand%postsections — These two sections can be in any order and are not required. Refer to Section 13.6, “Pre-installation Script” and Section 13.7, “Post-installation Script” for details.
- Items that are not required can be omitted.
- Omitting any required item results in the installation program prompting the user for an answer to the related item, just as the user would be prompted during a typical installation. Once the answer is given, the installation continues unattended (unless it finds another missing item).
- Lines starting with a pound (also known as hash) sign (#) are treated as comments and are ignored.
- For kickstart upgrades, the following items are required:
- Language
- Installation method
- Device specification (if device is needed to perform the installation)
- Keyboard setup
- The
upgradekeyword - Boot loader configuration
If any other items are specified for an upgrade, those items are ignored (note that this includes package selection).
13.4. Kickstart Options
The following options can be placed in a kickstart file. If you prefer to use a graphical interface for creating your kickstart file, use the Kickstart Configurator application. Refer to Chapter 14, Kickstart Configurator for details.
Note
If the option is followed by an equals mark (=), a value must be specified after it. In the example commands, options in brackets ([]) are optional arguments for the command.
autopart(optional)- Automatically create partitions — 1 GB or more root (
/) partition, a swap partition, and an appropriate boot partition for the architecture. One or more of the default partition sizes can be redefined with thepartdirective.--encrypted— Should all devices with support be encrypted by default? This is equivalent to checking the Encrypt checkbox on the initial partitioning screen.--passphrase=— Provide a default system-wide passphrase for all encrypted devices.
ignoredisk(optional)- Causes the installer to ignore the specified disks. This is useful if you use autopartition and want to be sure that some disks are ignored. For example, without
ignoredisk, attempting to deploy on a SAN-cluster the kickstart would fail, as the installer detects passive paths to the SAN that return no partition table.Theignorediskoption is also useful if you have multiple paths to your disks.The syntax is:ignoredisk --drives=
drive1,drive2,...wheredriveNis one ofsda,sdb,...,hda,... etc. autostep(optional)--autoscreenshot— Take a screenshot at every step during installation and copy the images over to/root/anaconda-screenshotsafter installation is complete. This is most useful for documentation.
authorauthconfig(required)- Sets up the authentication options for the system. It is similar to the
authconfigcommand, which can be run after the install. By default, passwords are normally encrypted and are not shadowed.--enablemd5— Use md5 encryption for user passwords.--enablenis— Turns on NIS support. By default,--enablenisuses whatever domain it finds on the network. A domain should almost always be set by hand with the--nisdomain=option.--nisdomain=— NIS domain name to use for NIS services.--nisserver=— Server to use for NIS services (broadcasts by default).--useshadowor--enableshadow— Use shadow passwords.--enableldap— Turns on LDAP support in/etc/nsswitch.conf, allowing your system to retrieve information about users (UIDs, home directories, shells, etc.) from an LDAP directory. To use this option, you must install thenss_ldappackage. You must also specify a server and a base DN (distinguished name) with--ldapserver=and--ldapbasedn=.--enableldapauth— Use LDAP as an authentication method. This enables thepam_ldapmodule for authentication and changing passwords, using an LDAP directory. To use this option, you must have thenss_ldappackage installed. You must also specify a server and a base DN with--ldapserver=and--ldapbasedn=.--ldapserver=— If you specified either--enableldapor--enableldapauth, use this option to specify the name of the LDAP server to use. This option is set in the/etc/ldap.conffile.--ldapbasedn=— If you specified either--enableldapor--enableldapauth, use this option to specify the DN in your LDAP directory tree under which user information is stored. This option is set in the/etc/ldap.conffile.--enableldaptls— Use TLS (Transport Layer Security) lookups. This option allows LDAP to send encrypted usernames and passwords to an LDAP server before authentication.--enablekrb5— Use Kerberos 5 for authenticating users. Kerberos itself does not know about home directories, UIDs, or shells. If you enable Kerberos, you must make users' accounts known to this workstation by enabling LDAP, NIS, or Hesiod or by using the/usr/sbin/useraddcommand. If you use this option, you must have thepam_krb5package installed.--krb5realm=— The Kerberos 5 realm to which your workstation belongs.--krb5kdc=— The KDC (or KDCs) that serve requests for the realm. If you have multiple KDCs in your realm, separate their names with commas (,).--krb5adminserver=— The KDC in your realm that is also running kadmind. This server handles password changing and other administrative requests. This server must be run on the master KDC if you have more than one KDC.--enablehesiod— Enable Hesiod support for looking up user home directories, UIDs, and shells. More information on setting up and using Hesiod on your network is in/usr/share/doc/glibc-2.x.x/README.hesiod, which is included in theglibcpackage. Hesiod is an extension of DNS that uses DNS records to store information about users, groups, and various other items.--hesiodlhs— The Hesiod LHS ("left-hand side") option, set in/etc/hesiod.conf. This option is used by the Hesiod library to determine the name to search DNS for when looking up information, similar to LDAP's use of a base DN.--hesiodrhs— The Hesiod RHS ("right-hand side") option, set in/etc/hesiod.conf. This option is used by the Hesiod library to determine the name to search DNS for when looking up information, similar to LDAP's use of a base DN.Note
To look up user information for "jim", the Hesiod library looks up jim.passwd<LHS><RHS>, which should resolve to a TXT record that looks like what his passwd entry would look like (jim:*:501:501:Jungle Jim:/home/jim:/bin/bash). For groups, the situation is identical, except jim.group<LHS><RHS> would be used.Looking up users and groups by number is handled by making "501.uid" a CNAME for "jim.passwd", and "501.gid" a CNAME for "jim.group". Note that the library does not place a period . in front of the LHS and RHS values when performing a search. Therefore the LHS and RHS values need to have a period placed in front of them in order if they require this.--enablesmbauth— Enables authentication of users against an SMB server (typically a Samba or Windows server). SMB authentication support does not know about home directories, UIDs, or shells. If you enable SMB, you must make users' accounts known to the workstation by enabling LDAP, NIS, or Hesiod or by using the/usr/sbin/useraddcommand to make their accounts known to the workstation. To use this option, you must have thepam_smbpackage installed.--smbservers=— The name of the server(s) to use for SMB authentication. To specify more than one server, separate the names with commas (,).--smbworkgroup=— The name of the workgroup for the SMB servers.--enablecache— Enables thenscdservice. Thenscdservice caches information about users, groups, and various other types of information. Caching is especially helpful if you choose to distribute information about users and groups over your network using NIS, LDAP, or hesiod.
bootloader(required)- Specifies how the boot loader should be installed. This option is required for both installations and upgrades.
Important
If you select text mode for a kickstart installation, make sure that you specify choices for the partitioning, bootloader, and package selection options. These steps are automated in text mode, and anaconda cannot prompt you for missing information. If you do not provide choices for these options, anaconda will stop the installation process.--append=— Specifies kernel parameters. To specify multiple parameters, separate them with spaces. For example:bootloader --location=mbr --append="hdd=ide-scsi ide=nodma"
--driveorder— Specify which drive is first in the BIOS boot order. For example:bootloader --driveorder=sda,hda
--location=— Specifies where the boot record is written. Valid values are the following:mbr(the default),partition(installs the boot loader on the first sector of the partition containing the kernel), ornone(do not install the boot loader).--password=— If using GRUB, sets the GRUB boot loader password to the one specified with this option. This should be used to restrict access to the GRUB shell, where arbitrary kernel options can be passed.--md5pass=— If using GRUB, similar to--password=except the password should already be encrypted.--upgrade— Upgrade the existing boot loader configuration, preserving the old entries. This option is only available for upgrades.
clearpart(optional)- Removes partitions from the system, prior to creation of new partitions. By default, no partitions are removed.
Note
If theclearpartcommand is used, then the--onpartcommand cannot be used on a logical partition.--all— Erases all partitions from the system.--drives=— Specifies which drives to clear partitions from. For example, the following clears all the partitions on the first two drives on the primary IDE controller:clearpart --drives=hda,hdb --all
--initlabel— Initializes the disk label to the default for your architecture (for examplemsdosfor x86 andgptfor Itanium). It is useful so that the installation program does not ask if it should initialize the disk label if installing to a brand new hard drive.--linux— Erases all Linux partitions.--none(default) — Do not remove any partitions.
cmdline(optional)device(optional)- On most PCI systems, the installation program autoprobes for Ethernet and SCSI cards properly. On older systems and some PCI systems, however, kickstart needs a hint to find the proper devices. The
devicecommand, which tells the installation program to install extra modules, is in this format:device
<type><moduleName>--opts=<options><type>— Replace with eitherscsioreth.<moduleName>— Replace with the name of the kernel module which should be installed.--opts=— Mount options to use for mounting the NFS export. Any options that can be specified in/etc/fstabfor an NFS mount are allowed. The options are listed in thenfs(5)man page. Multiple options are separated with a comma.
driverdisk(optional)- Driver diskettes can be used during kickstart installations. You must copy the driver diskettes's contents to the root directory of a partition on the system's hard drive. Then you must use the
driverdiskcommand to tell the installation program where to look for the driver disk.driverdisk
<partition>[--type=<fstype>]Alternatively, a network location can be specified for the driver diskette:driverdisk --source=ftp://path/to/dd.img driverdisk --source=http://path/to/dd.img driverdisk --source=nfs:host:/path/to/img
<partition>— Partition containing the driver disk.--type=— File system type (for example, vfat or ext2).
firewall(optional)firewall --enabled|--disabled [--trust=]
<device>[--port=]--enabledor--enable— Reject incoming connections that are not in response to outbound requests, such as DNS replies or DHCP requests. If access to services running on this machine is needed, you can choose to allow specific services through the firewall.--disabledor--disable— Do not configure any iptables rules.--trust=— Listing a device here, such as eth0, allows all traffic coming from that device to go through the firewall. To list more than one device, use--trust eth0 --trust eth1. Do NOT use a comma-separated format such as--trust eth0, eth1.<incoming>— Replace with one or more of the following to allow the specified services through the firewall.--ssh--telnet--smtp--http--ftp
--port=— You can specify that ports be allowed through the firewall using the port:protocol format. For example, to allow IMAP access through your firewall, specifyimap:tcp. Numeric ports can also be specified explicitly; for example, to allow UDP packets on port 1234 through, specify1234:udp. To specify multiple ports, separate them by commas.
firstboot(optional)- Determine whether the Setup Agent starts the first time the system is booted. If enabled, the
firstbootpackage must be installed. If not specified, this option is disabled by default.--enableor--enabled— The Setup Agent is started the first time the system boots.--disableor--disabled— The Setup Agent is not started the first time the system boots.--reconfig— Enable the Setup Agent to start at boot time in reconfiguration mode. This mode enables the language, mouse, keyboard, root password, security level, time zone, and networking configuration options in addition to the default ones.
halt(optional)- Halt the system after the installation has successfully completed. This is similar to a manual installation, where anaconda displays a message and waits for the user to press a key before rebooting. During a kickstart installation, if no completion method is specified, the
rebootoption is used as default.Thehaltoption is roughly equivalent to theshutdown -hcommand.For other completion methods, refer to thepoweroff,reboot, andshutdownkickstart options. graphical(optional)install(optional)- Tells the system to install a fresh system rather than upgrade an existing system. This is the default mode. For installation, you must specify the type of installation from
cdrom,harddrive,nfs, orurl(for FTP or HTTP installations). Theinstallcommand and the installation method command must be on separate lines.cdrom— Install from the first CD-ROM drive on the system.harddrive— Install from a Red Hat installation tree on a local drive, which must be either vfat or ext2.--biospart=BIOS partition to install from (such as 82).--partition=Partition to install from (such as sdb2).--dir=Directory containing thevariant
For example:harddrive --partition=hdb2 --dir=/tmp/install-tree
nfs— Install from the NFS server specified.--server=Server from which to install (hostname or IP).--dir=Directory containing thevariant--opts=Mount options to use for mounting the NFS export. (optional)
For example:nfs --server=nfsserver.example.com --dir=/tmp/install-tree
url— Install from an installation tree on a remote server via FTP or HTTP.For example:url --url http://
<server>/<dir>or:url --url ftp://
<username>:<password>@<server>/<dir>
interactive(optional)- Uses the information provided in the kickstart file during the installation, but allow for inspection and modification of the values given. You are presented with each screen of the installation program with the values from the kickstart file. Either accept the values by clicking or change the values and click to continue. Refer to the
autostepcommand. iscsi(optional)--target—--port=—--user=—--password=—
key(optional)- Specify an installation key, which is needed to aid in package selection and identify your system for support purposes. This command is specific to Red Hat Enterprise Linux; it has no meaning for Fedora and will be ignored.
--skip— Skip entering a key. Usually if the key command is not given, anaconda will pause at this step to prompt for a key. This option allows automated installation to continue if you do not have a key or do not want to provide one.
keyboard(required)- Sets system keyboard type. Here is the list of available keyboards on i386, Itanium, and Alpha machines:
be-latin1, bg, br-abnt2, cf, cz-lat2, cz-us-qwertz, de, de-latin1, de-latin1-nodeadkeys, dk, dk-latin1, dvorak, es, et, fi, fi-latin1, fr, fr-latin0, fr-latin1, fr-pc, fr_CH, fr_CH-latin1, gr, hu, hu101, is-latin1, it, it-ibm, it2, jp106, la-latin1, mk-utf, no, no-latin1, pl, pt-latin1, ro_win, ru, ru-cp1251, ru-ms, ru1, ru2, ru_win, se-latin1, sg, sg-latin1, sk-qwerty, slovene, speakup, speakup-lt, sv-latin1, sg, sg-latin1, sk-querty, slovene, trq, ua, uk, us, us-acentos
The file/usr/lib/python2.2/site-packages/rhpl/keyboard_models.pyalso contains this list and is part of therhplpackage. lang(required)- Sets the language to use during installation and the default language to use on the installed system. For example, to set the language to English, the kickstart file should contain the following line:
lang en_US
The file/usr/share/system-config-language/locale-listprovides a list of the valid language codes in the first column of each line and is part of thesystem-config-languagepackage.Certain languages (mainly Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indic languages) are not supported during text mode installation. If one of these languages is specified using the lang command, installation will continue in English though the running system will have the specified langauge by default. langsupport(deprecated)- The langsupport keyword is deprecated and its use will cause an error message to be printed to the screen and installation to halt. Instead of using the langsupport keyword, you should now list the support package groups for all languages you want supported in the
%packagessection of your kickstart file. For instance, adding support for French means you should add the following to%packages:@french-support
logvol(optional)- Create a logical volume for Logical Volume Management (LVM) with the syntax:
logvol
<mntpoint>--vgname=<name>--size=<size>--name=<name><options>The options are as follows:--noformat— Use an existing logical volume and do not format it.--useexisting— Use an existing logical volume and reformat it.--fstype=— Sets the file system type for the logical volume. Valid values arexfs,ext2,ext3,ext4,swap,vfat, andhfs.--fsoptions=— Specifies a free form string of options to be used when mounting the filesystem. This string will be copied into the/etc/fstabfile of the installed system and should be enclosed in quotes.--bytes-per-inode=— Specifies the size of inodes on the filesystem to be made on the logical volume. Not all filesystems support this option, so it is silently ignored for those cases.--grow=— Tells the logical volume to grow to fill available space (if any), or up to the maximum size setting.--maxsize=— The maximum size in megabytes when the logical volume is set to grow. Specify an integer value here, and do not append the number with MB.--recommended=— Determine the size of the logical volume automatically.--percent=— Specify the size of the logical volume as a percentage of available space in the volume group.
Create the partition first, create the logical volume group, and then create the logical volume. For example:part pv.01 --size 3000 volgroup myvg pv.01 logvol / --vgname=myvg --size=2000 --name=rootvol
logging(optional)- This command controls the error logging of anaconda during installation. It has no effect on the installed system.
--host=— Send logging information to the given remote host, which must be running a syslogd process configured to accept remote logging.--port=— If the remote syslogd process uses a port other than the default, it may be specified with this option.--level=— One of debug, info, warning, error, or critical.Specify the minimum level of messages that appear on tty3. All messages will still be sent to the log file regardless of this level, however.
mediacheck(optional)- If given, this will force anaconda to run mediacheck on the installation media. This command requires that installs be attended, so it is disabled by default.
monitor(optional)- If the monitor command is not given, anaconda will use X to automatically detect your monitor settings. Please try this before manually configuring your monitor.
--hsync=— Specifies the horizontal sync frequency of the monitor.--monitor=— Use specified monitor; monitor name should be from the list of monitors in /usr/share/hwdata/MonitorsDB from the hwdata package. The list of monitors can also be found on the X Configuration screen of the Kickstart Configurator. This is ignored if --hsync or --vsync is provided. If no monitor information is provided, the installation program tries to probe for it automatically.--noprobe=— Do not try to probe the monitor.--vsync=— Specifies the vertical sync frequency of the monitor.
mouse(deprecated)- The mouse keyword is deprecated.
network(optional)- Configures network information for the system. If the kickstart installation does not require networking (in other words, it is not installed over NFS, HTTP, or FTP), networking is not configured for the system. If the installation does require networking and network information is not provided in the kickstart file, the installation program assumes that the installation should be done over eth0 via a dynamic IP address (BOOTP/DHCP), and configures the final, installed system to determine its IP address dynamically. The
networkoption configures networking information for kickstart installations via a network as well as for the installed system.--bootproto=— One ofdhcp,bootp, orstatic.It defaults todhcp.bootpanddhcpare treated the same.The DHCP method uses a DHCP server system to obtain its networking configuration. As you might guess, the BOOTP method is similar, requiring a BOOTP server to supply the networking configuration. To direct a system to use DHCP:network --bootproto=dhcp
To direct a machine to use BOOTP to obtain its networking configuration, use the following line in the kickstart file:network --bootproto=bootp
The static method requires that you enter all the required networking information in the kickstart file. As the name implies, this information is static and are used during and after the installation. The line for static networking is more complex, as you must include all network configuration information on one line. You must specify the IP address, netmask, gateway, and nameserver. For example: (the "\" indicates that this should be read as one continuous line):network --bootproto=static --ip=10.0.2.15 --netmask=255.255.255.0 \ --gateway=10.0.2.254 --nameserver=10.0.2.1
If you use the static method, be aware of the following two restrictions:- All static networking configuration information must be specified on one line; you cannot wrap lines using a backslash, for example.
- You can also configure multiple nameservers here. To do so, specify them as a comma-delimited list in the command line. For example:
network --bootproto=static --ip=10.0.2.15 --netmask=255.255.255.0 \ --gateway=10.0.2.254 --nameserver 192.168.2.1,192.168.3.1
--device=— Used to select a specific Ethernet device for installation. Note that using--device=is not effective unless the kickstart file is a local file (such asks=floppy), since the installation program configures the network to find the kickstart file. For example:network --bootproto=dhcp --device=eth0
--ip=— IP address for the machine to be installed.--gateway=— Default gateway as an IP address.--nameserver=— Primary nameserver, as an IP address.--nodns— Do not configure any DNS server.--netmask=— Netmask for the installed system.--hostname=— Hostname for the installed system.--ethtool=— Specifies additional low-level settings for the network device which will be passed to the ethtool program.--essid=— The network ID for wireless networks.--wepkey=— The encryption key for wireless networks.--onboot=— Whether or not to enable the device at boot time.--class=— The DHCP class.--mtu=— The MTU of the device.--noipv4— Disable IPv4 on this device.--noipv6— Disable IPv6 on this device.
multipath(optional)- multipath --name= --device= --rule=
-
partorpartition(required for installs, ignored for upgrades) - Creates a partition on the system.If more than one Fedora installation exists on the system on different partitions, the installation program prompts the user and asks which installation to upgrade.
Warning
All partitions created are formatted as part of the installation process unless--noformatand--onpartare used.Important
If you select text mode for a kickstart installation, make sure that you specify choices for the partitioning, bootloader, and package selection options. These steps are automated in text mode, and anaconda cannot prompt you for missing information. If you do not provide choices for these options, anaconda will stop the installation process.For a detailed example ofpartin action, refer to Section 13.4.1, “Advanced Partitioning Example”.<mntpoint>— The<mntpoint>is where the partition is mounted and must be of one of the following forms:/<path>For example,/,/usr,/homeswapThe partition is used as swap space.To determine the size of the swap partition automatically, use the--recommendedoption:swap --recommended
The recommended maximum swap size for machines with less than 2GB of RAM is twice the amount of RAM. For machines with 2GB or more, this recommendation changes to 2GB plus the amount of RAM.raid.<id>The partition is used for software RAID (refer toraid).pv.<id>The partition is used for LVM (refer tologvol).
--size=— The minimum partition size in megabytes. Specify an integer value here such as 500. Do not append the number with MB.--grow— Tells the partition to grow to fill available space (if any), or up to the maximum size setting.Note
If you use--grow=without setting--maxsize=on a swap partition, Anaconda will limit the maximum size of the swap partition. For systems that have less than 2GB of physical memory, the imposed limit is twice the amount of physical memory. For systems with more than 2GB, the imposed limit is the size of physical memory plus 2GB.--maxsize=— The maximum partition size in megabytes when the partition is set to grow. Specify an integer value here, and do not append the number with MB.--noformat— Tells the installation program not to format the partition, for use with the--onpartcommand.--onpart=or--usepart=— Put the partition on the already existing device. For example:partition /home --onpart=hda1
puts/homeon/dev/hda1, which must already exist.--ondisk=or--ondrive=— Forces the partition to be created on a particular disk. For example,--ondisk=sdbputs the partition on the second SCSI disk on the system.--asprimary— Forces automatic allocation of the partition as a primary partition, or the partitioning fails.--type=(replaced byfstype) — This option is no longer available. Usefstype.--fstype=— Sets the file system type for the partition. Valid values arexfs,ext2,ext3,ext4,swap,vfat, andhfs.--start=— Specifies the starting cylinder for the partition. It requires that a drive be specified with--ondisk=orondrive=. It also requires that the ending cylinder be specified with--end=or the partition size be specified with--size=.--end=— Specifies the ending cylinder for the partition. It requires that the starting cylinder be specified with--start=.--bytes-per-inode=— Specifies the size of inodes on the filesystem to be made on the partition. Not all filesystems support this option, so it is silently ignored for those cases.--recommended— Determine the size of the partition automatically.--onbiosdisk— Forces the partition to be created on a particular disk as discovered by the BIOS.--encrypted— Specifies that this partition should be encrypted.--passphrase=— Specifies the passphrase to use when encrypting this partition. Without the above--encryptedoption, this option does nothing. If no passphrase is specified, the default system-wide one is used, or the installer will stop and prompt if there is no default.
Note
If partitioning fails for any reason, diagnostic messages appear on virtual console 3. -
poweroff(optional) - Shut down and power off the system after the installation has successfully completed. Normally during a manual installation, anaconda displays a message and waits for the user to press a key before rebooting. During a kickstart installation, if no completion method is specified, the
rebootoption is used as default.Thepoweroffoption is roughly equivalent to theshutdown -pcommand.Note
Thepoweroffoption is highly dependent on the system hardware in use. Specifically, certain hardware components such as the BIOS, APM (advanced power management), and ACPI (advanced configuration and power interface) must be able to interact with the system kernel. Contact your manufacturer for more information on you system's APM/ACPI abilities.For other completion methods, refer to thehalt,reboot, andshutdownkickstart options. -
raid(optional) - Assembles a software RAID device. This command is of the form:
raid
<mntpoint>--level=<level>--device=<mddevice><partitions*><mntpoint>— Location where the RAID file system is mounted. If it is/, the RAID level must be 1 unless a boot partition (/boot) is present. If a boot partition is present, the/bootpartition must be level 1 and the root (/) partition can be any of the available types. The<partitions*>(which denotes that multiple partitions can be listed) lists the RAID identifiers to add to the RAID array.--level=— RAID level to use (0, 1, or 5).--device=— Name of the RAID device to use (such as md0 or md1). RAID devices range from md0 to md15, and each may only be used once.--bytes-per-inode=— Specifies the size of inodes on the filesystem to be made on the RAID device. Not all filesystems support this option, so it is silently ignored for those cases.--spares=— Specifies the number of spare drives allocated for the RAID array. Spare drives are used to rebuild the array in case of drive failure.--fstype=— Sets the file system type for the RAID array. Valid values arexfs,ext2,ext3,ext4,swap,vfat, andhfs.--fsoptions=— Specifies a free form string of options to be used when mounting the filesystem. This string will be copied into the /etc/fstab file of the installed system and should be enclosed in quotes.--noformat— Use an existing RAID device and do not format the RAID array.--useexisting— Use an existing RAID device and reformat it.--encrypted— Specifies that this RAID device should be encrypted.--passphrase=— Specifies the passphrase to use when encrypting this RAID device. Without the above--encryptedoption, this option does nothing. If no passphrase is specified, the default system-wide one is used, or the installer will stop and prompt if there is no default.
The following example shows how to create a RAID level 1 partition for/, and a RAID level 5 for/usr, assuming there are three SCSI disks on the system. It also creates three swap partitions, one on each drive.part raid.01 --size=60 --ondisk=sda part raid.02 --size=60 --ondisk=sdb part raid.03 --size=60 --ondisk=sdc
part swap --size=128 --ondisk=sda part swap --size=128 --ondisk=sdb part swap --size=128 --ondisk=sdc
part raid.11 --size=1 --grow --ondisk=sda part raid.12 --size=1 --grow --ondisk=sdb part raid.13 --size=1 --grow --ondisk=sdc
raid / --level=1 --device=md0 raid.01 raid.02 raid.03 raid /usr --level=5 --device=md1 raid.11 raid.12 raid.13
For a detailed example ofraidin action, refer to Section 13.4.1, “Advanced Partitioning Example”. -
reboot(optional) - Reboot after the installation is successfully completed (no arguments). Normally, kickstart displays a message and waits for the user to press a key before rebooting.The
rebootoption is roughly equivalent to theshutdown -rcommand.Note
Use of therebootoption may result in an endless installation loop, depending on the installation media and method.Therebootoption is the default completion method if no other methods are explicitly specified in the kickstart file.For other completion methods, refer to thehalt,poweroff, andshutdownkickstart options. repo(optional)- Configures additional yum repositories that may be used as sources for package installation. Multiple repo lines may be specified.
repo --name=
<repoid>[--baseurl=<url>| --mirrorlist=<url>]--name=— The repo id. This option is required.--baseurl=— The URL for the repository. The variables that may be used in yum repo config files are not supported here. You may use one of either this option or --mirrorlist, not both.--mirrorlist=— The URL pointing at a list of mirrors for the repository. The variables that may be used in yum repo config files are not supported here. You may use one of either this option or --baseurl, not both.
rootpw(required)rootpw [--iscrypted]
<password>--iscrypted— If this is present, the password argument is assumed to already be encrypted.
selinux(optional)selinux [--disabled|--enforcing|--permissive]
--enforcing— Enables SELinux with the default targeted policy being enforced.Note
If theselinuxoption is not present in the kickstart file, SELinux is enabled and set to--enforcingby default.--permissive— Outputs warnings based on the SELinux policy, but does not actually enforce the policy.--disabled— Disables SELinux completely on the system.
For complete information regarding SELinux for Fedora, refer to the Fedora 11 Security-Enhanced Linux User Guide.services(optional)- Modifies the default set of services that will run under the default runlevel. The services listed in the disabled list will be disabled before the services listed in the enabled list are enabled.
--disabled— Disable the services given in the comma separated list.--enabled— Enable the services given in the comma separated list.
Do not include spaces in the list of services
If you include spaces in the comma-separated list, kickstart will enable or disable only the services up to the first space. For example:services --disabled auditd, cups,smartd, nfslockwill disable only the auditd service. To disable all four services, this entry should include no spaces between services:services --disabled auditd,cups,smartd,nfslock shutdown(optional)- Shut down the system after the installation has successfully completed. During a kickstart installation, if no completion method is specified, the
rebootoption is used as default.Theshutdownoption is roughly equivalent to theshutdowncommand.For other completion methods, refer to thehalt,poweroff, andrebootkickstart options. skipx(optional)text(optional)- Perform the kickstart installation in text mode. Kickstart installations are performed in graphical mode by default.
Important
If you select text mode for a kickstart installation, make sure that you specify choices for the partitioning, bootloader, and package selection options. These steps are automated in text mode, and anaconda cannot prompt you for missing information. If you do not provide choices for these options, anaconda will stop the installation process. timezone(required)timezone [--utc]
<timezone>--utc— If present, the system assumes the hardware clock is set to UTC (Greenwich Mean) time.
upgrade(optional)user(optional)user --name=
<username>[--groups=<list>] [--homedir=<homedir>] [--password=<password>] [--iscrypted] [--shell=<shell>] [--uid=<uid>]--name=— Provides the name of the user. This option is required.--groups=— In addition to the default group, a comma separated list of group names the user should belong to.--homedir=— The home directory for the user. If not provided, this defaults to /home/<username>.--password=— The new user's password. If not provided, the account will be locked by default.--iscrypted=— Is the password provided by --password already encrypted or not?--shell=— The user's login shell. If not provided, this defaults to the system default.--uid=— The user's UID. If not provided, this defaults to the next available non-system UID.
vnc(optional)- Allows the graphical installation to be viewed remotely via VNC. This method is usually preferred over text mode, as there are some size and language limitations in text installs. With no options, this command will start a VNC server on the machine with no password and will print out the command that needs to be run to connect a remote machine.
vnc [--host=
<hostname>] [--port=<port>] [--password=<password>]--host=— Instead of starting a VNC server on the install machine, connect to the VNC viewer process listening on the given hostname.--port=— Provide a port that the remote VNC viewer process is listening on. If not provided, anaconda will use the VNC default.--password=— Set a password which must be provided to connect to the VNC session. This is optional, but recommended.
volgroup(optional)volgroup
<name><partition><options>The options are as follows:--noformat— Use an existing volume group and do not format it.--useexisting— Use an existing volume group and reformat it.--pesize=— Set the size of the physical extents.
Create the partition first, create the logical volume group, and then create the logical volume. For example:part pv.01 --size 3000 volgroup myvg pv.01 logvol / --vgname=myvg --size=2000 --name=rootvol
For a detailed example ofvolgroupin action, refer to Section 13.4.1, “Advanced Partitioning Example”.xconfig(optional)- Configures the X Window System. If this option is not given, the user must configure X manually during the installation, if X was installed; this option should not be used if X is not installed on the final system.
--driver— Specify the X driver to use for the video hardware.--videoram=— Specifies the amount of video RAM the video card has.--defaultdesktop=— Specify either GNOME or KDE to set the default desktop (assumes that GNOME Desktop Environment and/or KDE Desktop Environment has been installed through%packages).--startxonboot— Use a graphical login on the installed system.--resolution=— Specify the default resolution for the X Window System on the installed system. Valid values are 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1600x1200. Be sure to specify a resolution that is compatible with the video card and monitor.--depth=— Specify the default color depth for the X Window System on the installed system. Valid values are 8, 16, 24, and 32. Be sure to specify a color depth that is compatible with the video card and monitor.
zerombr(optional)- If
zerombris specified any invalid partition tables found on disks are initialized. This destroys all of the contents of disks with invalid partition tables.Note that this command was previously specified aszerombr yes. This form is now deprecated; you should now simply specifyzerombrin your kickstart file instead. zfcp(optional)zfcp [--devnum=<devnum>] [--fcplun=<fcplun>] [--scsiid=<scsiid>] [--scsilun=<scsilun>] [--wwpn=<wwpn>]