Red Hat Linux 7.2: The Official Red Hat Linux Alpha Installation Guide
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# Chapter 3. Installing Red Hat Linux

This chapter explains how to install Red Hat Linux from the CD-ROM using the graphical, mouse-based installation program. The following topics are discussed:

- Getting familiar with the installation program's user interface

- Starting the installation program

- Selecting an installation method

- Configuration steps during the installation (language, keyboard, mouse, etc.)

- Finishing the installation

# The Installation Program User Interface

If you have used a graphical user interface (GUI) before, you will be familiar with this process. If not, simply use your mouse to navigate the screens, "click" buttons, or enter text fields. You can also navigate through the installation using the [Tab] and [Enter] keys.

## A Note about Virtual Consoles

The Red Hat Linux installation program offers more than the dialog boxes of the installation process. Several different kinds of diagnostic messages are available to you, in addition to providing 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.

These virtual consoles can be helpful if you encounter a problem while installing Red Hat Linux. Messages displayed on the installation or system consoles can help pinpoint a problem. Please see Table 3-1 for a listing of the virtual consoles, keystrokes used to switch to them, and their contents.

Table 3-1. Console, Keystrokes, and Contents

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
7 | [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F7] | X graphical display

Generally, there is no reason to leave the default console (virtual console #7) unless you are attempting to diagnose installation problems.

# Starting the Installation Program

To start the installation, you must first boot the installation program. Please make sure you have all the resources you will need for the installation. If you have already read through Chapter 1 and followed the instructions, you should be ready to begin.

| Note
| Occasionally, some hardware components require a driver disk during the installation. A driver disk adds support for hardware that is not otherwise supported by the installation program. Refer to Appendix F for more information.

You can boot the Red Hat Linux installation program using any one of the following media (depending upon what your system can support):

- Bootable CD-ROM — Your machine supports a bootable CD-ROM drive and you want to perform a local CD-ROM installation.

- Network boot disk — Use a network boot disk to install via NFS, FTP, and HTTP. A boot disk is a diskette you create during an installation that can later be used to boot the operating system. Normally, your computer boots from a hard disk, but if the hard disk is damaged, you can boot the computer from a bootable diskette.

Boot from the CD-ROM or from the network boot disk. For further details, see the section called Booting the Installation Program in Chapter 1.

| Note
| If you need to create a boot disk, refer to Booting the Installation Program from a Diskette.

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Installation Options and System Requirements Tables |  | Selecting an Installation Method