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Chapter 2. Preparing to
Install Linux
This chapter represents your first step in installing Linux. We'll
describe how to obtain the Linux software, in the form of one of the
various prepackaged distributions, and how to prepare your system.
We'll include ways to partition disks so that Linux can coexist with
Windows, OS/2, or another operating
system.
As we have mentioned, there is no single "official"
distribution of the Linux software; there are, in fact, many
distributions, each of which serves a particular purpose and set of
goals. These distributions are available via anonymous
FTP from the Internet, on BBS
systems worldwide, and via mail on floppy, tape, and
CD-ROM.
2.1. Distributions of Linux
Because Linux is free software, no single organization or entity is
responsible for releasing and distributing the software. Therefore,
anyone is free to put together and distribute the Linux software, as
long as the restrictions in the GPL are
observed. The upshot of this is that there are many distributions of
Linux, available via anonymous FTP or mail order.
You are now faced with the task of deciding on a particular
distribution of Linux that suits your needs. Not all distributions are
alike. Many of them come with just about all of the software you'd
need to run a complete system--and then some. Other Linux
distributions are "small" distributions intended for users
without copious amounts of disk space. Many distributions contain only
the core Linux software, and you are expected to install larger
software packages, such as the X
Window System, yourself.
(In Chapter 5, "Essential System Management", we'll show you
how.)
The Linux Distribution HOWTO contains a list of Linux distributions
available via the Internet as well as mail order.
How can you decide among all of these distributions? If you have
access to Usenet news, or another computer conferencing system, you
might want to ask there for personal opinions from people who have
installed Linux. Even better, if you know someone who has installed
Linux, ask them for help and advice. In actuality, most of the
popular Linux distributions contain roughly the same set of software,
so the distribution you select is more or less arbitrary.
2.1.1. Getting Linux via Mail Order or Other Hard Media
If you don't have Internet or
BBS access, you can get many Linux distributions
via mail order on floppy,
tape, or CD-ROM.
Many distributors accept credit cards
as well as international orders, so no matter where you live, you
should be able to obtain Linux in this way.
Linux is free software, but distributors are allowed by the
GPL to charge a fee for it. Therefore, ordering
Linux via mail order might cost you between US $5 and US $150,
depending on the distribution. However, if you know people who have
already purchased or downloaded a release of Linux, you are free to
borrow or copy their software for your own use. Linux distributors are
not allowed to restrict the license or redistribution of the software
in any way. If you are thinking about installing an entire lab of
machines with Linux, for example, you need to purchase only a single
copy of one of the distributions, which can be used to install all of
the machines. There is one exception to this rule, though: in order to
add value to their distribution, some vendors include commercial
packages that you might not be allowed to install on several
machines. If this is
the cas, it should be explicitly stated on the package.
Many Linux
user groups offer their own distributions; see if there's a user group
near you. For special platforms like Alpha, a user group may be an
excellent place to get Linux.
2.1.2. Getting Linux from the Internet
If you have access to the
Internet, the easiest way to obtain Linux is via anonymous
FTP.[12]
One major FTP site is ftp://metalab.unc.edu,
and the various Linux distributions can be found there in the
directory /pub/Linux/distributions.
[12]If you
do not have direct Internet access, you can obtain Linux via the
FTPMAIL service, provided that you have the ability
to exchange email with the Internet.
Many distributions are released via anonymous FTP
as a set of disk images. That is, the distribution consists of a set
of files, and each file contains the binary image of a floppy. In
order to copy the contents of the image file onto the floppy, you can
use the RAWRITE.EXE program under
MS-DOS. This program copies, block-for-block, the
contents of a file to a floppy, without regard for disk
format.
RAWRITE.EXE is available on the various Linux
FTP sites, including ftp://metalab.unc.edu in the directory
/pub/Linux/system/Install/rawwrite.
Be forewarned that this is a labor-intensive way of installing Linux:
the distribution can easily come to more than 50 floppies.
Therefore, in many cases, you simply download the set of floppy
images, and use RAWRITE.EXE with each image in
turn to create a set of floppies. You boot from the so-called
"boot floppy," and you're ready to roll. The software is
usually installed directly from the floppies, although some
distributions allow you to install from an MS-DOS
partition on your hard drive. Some distributions allow you to install
over a TCP/IP network. The documentation for each
distribution should describe these installation methods if they are
available.
Other Linux distributions are installed from a set of
MS-DOS formatted floppies. For example, the
Slackware distribution of Linux requires RAWRITE.EXE only for the boot
and root floppies. The rest of the floppies are copied to
MS-DOS formatted floppies using the
MS-DOS COPY command. The system installs the
software directly from the MS-DOS floppies. This
saves you the trouble of having to use RAWRITE.EXE for many image
files, although it requires you to have access to an
MS-DOS system to create the floppies.
If you have access to a
Unix workstation with a floppy drive, you can also
use the dd command to copy the file image directly
to the floppy. A command such as
dd of=/dev/rfd0 if=foo bs=18k will
"raw write" the contents of the file
foo to the floppy device on a Sun workstation.
Consult your local Unix gurus for more information
on your system's floppy devices and the use of
dd.
Each distribution of Linux available via anonymous
FTP should include a README
file describing how to download and prepare the floppies for
installation. Be sure to read all available documentation for
the release you are using.
When downloading the Linux software, be sure to use
binary mode for all file transfers (with most
FTP clients, the command binary
enables this mode).
2.1.3. Getting Linux from Other Online Sources
If you have access to a BBS system, there may be a
means to download the Linux software from this source.
Not all Linux distributions are available from these computer
networks, however; many, especially the various
CD-ROM distributions, are available only via mail
order.
 |  |  | | 1.11. Getting Help |  | 2.2. Preparing to Install Linux |
Copyright © 2001 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved.
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