ITCwiki:Current events

Chapter 2 Linux Installation and Usage

@ Preparation and installation of Fedora Linux using good practices.

• Outline the structure of Linux interface.
• Enter basic shell commands and find command documentation.
• Properly shutdown the Linux OS

Preparing for Installation

• Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)
• The minimum requirement s for Fedora 13 Linux can be found :

http://docs.fedoraproject.org

• Preinstallation checklist
• A system checklist that can compared against the HCL during installation.
• Information will include :

• CPU (Type /MHz)

• RAM (Mb)

• Keyboard model and layout

• Hard Disk size (MB)

• Host Name

• Network card IP configuration

• IP address, Netmask Gatway, DNS servers, and DHCP

• Linux Packages to install

• Video Card Make and Model

• Video Card RAM (Mb)

• Monitor make and model

• Monitor Vsync and HSync ranges

Installation Methods

• FTP server across network
• HTTP web server across network
• NFS server across network
• SMB (SAMBA) server across network
• Packages located on HD
• CD-ROM or bootable DVD media

Performing the Installation stages

• Start installation
• Choosing language, keyboard and storage type
• Selecting hostname, time zone & root password
• Configuring storage devices
• Configuring the boot loader
• Selecting and installing packages
• Completing first boot wizard

Starting the Installation

• System Rescue – A installation feature used to repair a system from the installation DVD

Can be used to repair a Linux system which cannot be started.

• Memory Test – Can be used to test memory and prevent errors. Uses memtest86 utility to test RAM for errors

Checking media for errors

• Feature of the default installation
• Optional - Good practice with new, unused media
• Checks bootable DVD or CD-ROM for errors

Choosing language, keyboard and storage type

• This is just a matter of choosing the language you’ll be using,

your default keyboard layout and whether or not you’ll installing Linux locally or on a DASD (direct access storage device)

Configuring Storage Devices

Can only be one of four basic configurations:

• Primary master PATA - had
• Primary slave PATA – hdb
• Secondary master PATA – hdc
• Secondary slave PATA – hdd

Used by newer server systems typically use :

• SATA/SCSI –1st disk= sda, 2nd disk = sdb, 3rd disk= sdc, ect.
• Unlike PATA can have more than four hard disks

Hard Disk Partitioning

• Maximum of four primary partitions
• Extended Partition can contain unlimited number of smaller partitions or logical drives
• Root Directory (\)
• Swap memory – Virtual memory utilized when physical memory (RAM) is being exhausted

Primary Master Partitioning

Linux only requires two partitions minimum :

• Root directory (main directory) designated by a “\”
• Swap (aka Virtual memory)

NOTE : Doesn’t contain a file system and is never mounted to a directory because Linux is responsible for swapping info.

• Extra partitions help keep the entire system free from errors.

Basic Linux

• Kernel – Loads all components and controls computing activities, the heart of the operating system

Once the BIOS starts after boot-up, it then starts a boot loader (such as GRUB) which then loads the Linux Kernel into memory.

If there is a windows system already on the HD the boot loader can give you the option of which OS you’d like to load. This is known as dual booting.

• Terminal – Channel that allows users to log in
• Shell – Passes user input to the kernel for processing. BASH shell (Bourne Again Shell) – command-line shell similar to cmd on Windows

Basic Shell Commands

• Commands – Case sensitive, indicate program to execute
• Options – specific letters preceded by a hyphen (-) following a command
• Arguments – specify parameters that tailor the command to the users particular needs

• Command line order is this.. (Command) (Options)(Argument)

• Ls – a /etc/ntp

Command = Ls (list)

Option = -a (lists all files)

Argument = /etc/ntp (refers to the /etc/ntp directory)

Common Commands

• You can find some common commands on page 66 of the text.

Metacharacters

• Keyboard characters that have a special meaning
• ($) – Tells the shell that the following text refers to variable
• A piece of information that is stored in memory, typically uppercase words, automatically set by the Linux system at login
• There’s a list of metacharacters used in BASH on page 67 of the text

Help

• Manual pages (man pages)

• man <command name>

• Include description, syntax, options, related files, and commands
• Search manual pages with a keyword use –k

• man –k <keyword>

• Info pages – include easy-to-read description and hyperlinks

Shutdown Commands

• There’s a list of various shutdown commands on page 73 of the text