1. Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, Third Edition
Chapter 2
Linux Installation and Usage

2. Objectives Install Red Hat Fedora Linux using good practices
Outline the structure of the Linux interface
Enter basic shell commands and find command documentation
Properly shut down the Linux operating system
Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

3. Installing Linux: Preparing for Installation
All OSs require a minimum set of hardware components to function properly
Can be obtained from manual or file in DVD of OS, or from vendor website
Each individual hardware component should be checked against the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) found on the vendor’s Web site
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4. Installing Linux: Preparing for Installation (continued)
Table 2-1 Fedora 13 hardware requirements
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5. Installing Linux: Preparing for Installation (continued)
Need to identify software that will be used in the Linux operating system
Computer’s host name
Network configuration parameters
Specific software packages to be installed
Create preinstallation checklist to document hardware and software information
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6. Table 2-2 Sample preinstallation checklist
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7. Installing Linux: Installation Methods
DVD media
FTP server
HTTP Web server
NFS server
SMB server
Packages on hard disk
CD-ROM media
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8. Starting the Installation and Checking Media for Errors
Boot from first Red Hat Fedora Linux DVD
A Welcome screen is displayed, can select option:
Default graphical installation
Installation with basic video driver
Rescue installed items
Boot from local drive
Memory test
Check media for errors prior to installation
Optional, but recommended
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9. Starting the Installation and Checking Media for Errors (continued)
Figure 2-1: Beginning a Fedora installation
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10. Starting the Installation and Checking Media for Errors (continued)
Figure 2-3: Testing DVD media
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11. Choosing the Language, Keyboard, and Storage Type
Allowed to choose installation language
Choose keyboard configuration
Keyboard model and layout automatically detected
Select types of storage devices used to host the Linux OS
For internal or locally attached hard drive installation, select Basic Storage Devices
For installation on SAN or DASD, select Specialized Storage Devices
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12. Choosing the Language, Keyboard, and Storage Type (continued)
Figure 2-4: Selecting an installation language
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13. Choosing the Language, Keyboard, and Storage Type (continued)
Figure 2-5: Verifying keyboard configuration
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14. Selecting a Host Name, Time Zone, and Root Password
Supply a host name that will identify system on the network
By default use localhost.localdomain
Important to select correct time zone for the local system
Authentication: Users log in via valid user name and password
Configure two user accounts
Administrator account (root): full rights to system
Regular user account
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15. Selecting a Host Name, Time Zone, and Root Password (continued)
Figure 2-7: Selecting a host name
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16. Selecting a Host Name, Time Zone, and Root Password (continued)
Figure 2-8: Selecting a time zone
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17. Selecting a Host Name, Time Zone, and Root Password (continued)
Figure 2-9: Setting a root password
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18. Configuring Storage Devices
Most common storage devices for storing Linux OS are hard disks
Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA)
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)
Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)
Each hard disk is divided into partitions
Partitions formatted with filesystems
Maximum four primary partitions
Extended partition can be divided into logical drives
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19. Configuring Storage Devices (continued)
Table 2-3: PATA hard disk configurations
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20. Configuring Storage Devices (continued)
Table 2-4: Example of a partitioning scheme for a primary master IDE hard disk
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21. Configuring Storage Devices (continued)
Filesystems can be accessed if attached (mounted) to a directory
Minimum of two partitions
Partition for root directory
Partition for virtual memory (swap memory)
Area on hard disk used to store information normally residing in physical memory (RAM)
Automatic or manual partitioning
Better to manually partition
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22. Table 2-5: Common Linux filesystems and sizes
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23. Configuring Storage Devices (continued)
Different types of filesystems
Ext2: used on most Linux computers
Ext3, Ext4: performs journaling
Vfat: compatible with Windows’ FAT filesystem
REISER: performs journaling
Journaling: keeps track of the information written to the hard drive
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24. Configuring Storage Devices (continued)
Figure 2-10: Selecting a partition strategy
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25. Configuring Storage Devices (continued)
When creating a partition, specify the partition technology
For standard disk partitions need to provide information regarding size, filesystem type, encryption options and mount point
Instead of standard partitions, can create volumes that span multiple disks
Logical Volume Manager (LVM)
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)
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26. Configuring the Boot Loader
Boot loader: program started by BIOS at system startup
Loads Linux kernel into memory from hard disk
Can also boot other existing OSs
GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB): boot loader configured during Fedora Linux installation
Dual booting: choose OS to boot at startup
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27. Configuring the Boot Loader (continued)
Figure 2-14: Configuring a boot loader
Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

28. Configuring the Boot Loader (continued)
Boot loader usually resides on the MBR or on first sector of / or /boot partition
Kernel parameters: information passed to Linux kernel via the boot loader
Large Block Addressing 32-bit (LBA32): enables Large Block Addressing in boot loader
For large hard disks not fully supported by the BIOS
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29. Selecting and Installing Packages
Figure 2-15: Selecting system role and software repositories
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30. Selecting and Installing Packages (continued)
Figure 2-16: Selecting individual packages
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31. Completing the Firstboot Wizard
Complete the installation
License agreement
User accounts and authentication
Date and time
Network Time Protocol (NTP)
Confirmation of hardware to be used
Log in with user account for daily tasks
Use Network Login: authenticate users based on an external database
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32. Completing the Firstboot Wizard (continued)
Figure 2-18: Creating a regular user account
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33. Completing the Firstboot Wizard (continued)
Figure 2-19: Choosing authentication options
Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

34. Completing the Firstboot Wizard (continued)
Figure 2-20: Advanced authentication options
Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

35. Completing the Firstboot Wizard (continued)
Figure 2-21: Setting the date and time
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36. Completing the Firstboot Wizard (continued)
Figure 2-22: Viewing the hardware profile
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37. Basic Linux Usage: Shells, Terminals, and the Kernel
Terminal: channel allowing users to log on to the kernel locally or across a network
Shell: user interface which accepts user inputs and transfers them to the kernel
BASH Shell (Bourne Again Shell): default Linux shell
Command line shell
Linux allows multiple terminals, each with its own shell
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38. Basic Linux Usage: Shells, Terminals, and the Kernel (continued)
Figure 2-23: Shells, terminals, and the kernel
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39. Basic Linux Usage: Shells, Terminals, and the Kernel (continued)
Graphical interface
Start GUI environment on top of BASH shell
Or, switch to a graphical terminal
e.g., GNOME Display Manager (gdm)
From the local server, use key combinations to change to separate terminal
Command-line terminal may be accessed from GUI environment
Command line prompt:
Root user: #
Regular user: $
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40. Basic Linux Usage: Shells, Terminals, and the Kernel (continued)
Table 2-6: Common Linux terminals
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41. Basic Linux Usage: Shells, Terminals, and the Kernel (continued)
Figure 2-25: Accessing a command-line terminal in a GUI environment
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42. Basic Shell Commands Commands: indicate name of program to execute
Case sensitive
Options: specific letters starting with “-” appearing after command name
Alter way command works
Arguments: specify a command’s specific working parameters
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43. Basic Shell Commands (continued)
Table 2-7: Some common Linux commands
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44. Shell Metacharacters Metacharacters: characters with a special meaning
e.g., $
Refers to a variable
Avoid use of metacharacters when typing commands unless using their special functionality
Single quotation marks ‘ ’ protect metacharacter from being interpreted specially by the shell
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45. Shell Metacharacters (continued)
Table 2-8: Common BASH Shell metacharacters
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46. Getting Command Help
Manual (man) pages: most common form of documentation for Linux commands
At command prompt, type “man” followed by command name
Contain different sections
Searchable by keyword
Info pages: set of local, easy-to-read command syntax documentation
At command prompt, type “info” followed by a command name
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47. Getting Command Help (continued)
Table 2-9: Manual page section numbers
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48. Shutting Down the Linux System
Table 2-10: Commands to halt and reboot the Linux operating system
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49. Summary Prior to installation DVD–based installation
Verify hardware requirements using HCL
Create preinstallation checklist
DVD–based installation
Easiest
Most common
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50. Summary (continued)
Installation prompts for language, host name, date, time zone, keyboard layout, user account configuration, storage configuration, boot loader configuration, and package selection
Users must log in to a terminal and receive a shell before they are able to interact with the Linux system and kernel
Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e

51. Summary (continued)
From any type of terminal you can enter commands, options, and arguments at a shell prompt to perform system tasks, obtain command help, or shut down the Linux system
The shell is case sensitive and understands a variety of special characters called shell metacharacters, which should be protected if their special meaning is not required
Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification, 3e