Redhat ENTERPRISE LINUX 3 User Manual
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3
Installation Guide for the IBM®
eServer™ iSeries™ and IBM®
eServer™ pSeries™
Architectures
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3: Installation Guide for the IBM® eServer™ iSeries™ and
IBM® eServer™ pSeries™ Architectures
Copyright © 2003 by Red Hat, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... i
1. Document Conventions..........................................................................................................i
2. How to Use This Manual .....................................................................................................iii
2.1. We Need Feedback! ..............................................................................................iii
3. Accessibility Solutions ........................................................................................................iv
1. Steps to Get You Started................................................................................................................. 1
1.1. Where to Find Other Manuals............................................................................................ 1
1.2. Registering Your Product................................................................................................... 1
1.3. iSeries Hardware Preparation for Installation.................................................................... 1
1.4. Do You Have Enough Disk Space?....................................................................................2
1.5. Can You Install Using the CD-ROM?................................................................................2
1.6. Preparing for a Network Installation. ................................................................................. 3
1.6.1. Using ISO Images for NFS Installs .................................................................... 4
1.7. Preparing for a Hard Drive Installation.............................................................................. 4
2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux............................................................................................. 7
2.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface........................................................... 7
2.1.1. Booting the iSeries Installation Program............................................................ 7
2.1.2. Booting the pSeries Installation Program ...........................................................8
2.1.3. A Note about Virtual Consoles on pSeries ......................................................... 9
2.1.4. Using the iSeries Virtual Consoles ..................................................................... 9
2.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface .......................................................10
2.2.1. Using the Keyboard to Navigate ....................................................................... 11
2.3. Installing from CD-ROM................................................................................................. 12
2.3.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found? .................................................... 12
2.4. Installing from a Hard Drive ............................................................................................ 13
2.5. Performing a Network Installation................................................................................... 14
2.6. Installing via NFS ............................................................................................................14
2.7. Installing via FTP.............................................................................................................15
2.8. Installing via HTTP.......................................................................................................... 16
2.9. Welcome to Red Hat Enterprise Linux ............................................................................16
2.10. Language Selection ........................................................................................................17
2.11. Keyboard Configuration................................................................................................. 17
2.12. Mouse Configuration .....................................................................................................18
2.13. Disk Partitioning Setup .................................................................................................. 19
2.14. Automatic Partitioning...................................................................................................20
2.15. Partitioning Your System...............................................................................................22
2.15.1. Graphical Display of Hard Drive(s)................................................................ 23
2.15.2. Disk Druid’s Buttons .....................................................................................24
2.15.3. Partition Fields ................................................................................................ 24
2.15.4. Recommended Partitioning Scheme ............................................................... 25
2.15.5. Adding Partitions ............................................................................................26
2.15.6. Editing Partitions ............................................................................................ 27
2.15.7. Deleting a Partition ......................................................................................... 28
2.16. Network Configuration ..................................................................................................28
2.17. Firewall Configuration ................................................................................................... 29
2.18. Language Support Selection .......................................................................................... 31
2.19. Time Zone Configuration............................................................................................... 32
2.20. Set Root Password ......................................................................................................... 33
2.21. Package Group Selection ...............................................................................................35
2.22. Preparing to Install .........................................................................................................37
2.23. Installing Packages.........................................................................................................37
2.24. Video Card Configuration.............................................................................................. 37
2.25. X Configuration — Monitor and Customization...........................................................38
2.25.1. Configuring Your Monitor ..............................................................................38
2.25.2. Custom Configuration..................................................................................... 39
2.26. Installation Complete ..................................................................................................... 40
2.27. iSeries and pSeries — Rescue Mode.............................................................................42
2.27.1. Special Considerations for Accessing the SCSI Utilities from Rescue Mode 42
A. Red Hat Linux to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Migration Solution ..........................................45
B. Troubleshooting Your Installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux ............................................ 47
B.1. You are Unable to Boot Red Hat Enterprise Linux......................................................... 47
B.1.1. Is Your System Displaying Signal 11 Errors?.................................................. 47
B.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation..................................................................................47
B.2.1. Is Your Mouse Not Detected? .......................................................................... 48
B.3. Trouble During the Installation .......................................................................................48
B.3.1. No devices found to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux Error
Message........................................................................................................... 48
B.3.2. Saving Traceback Messages Without a Diskette Drive.................................... 48
B.3.3. Trouble with Partition Tables ...........................................................................49
B.3.4. Other Partitioning Problems for iSeries and pSeries System Users................. 49
B.3.5. Are You Seeing Python Errors? ....................................................................... 49
B.4. Problems After Installation ............................................................................................. 50
B.4.1. Unable to IPL from *NWSSTG ....................................................................... 50
B.4.2. Booting into a Graphical Environment ............................................................50
B.4.3. Problems with the X Window System (GUI)................................................... 51
B.4.4. Problems When You Try to Log In ..................................................................52
B.4.5. Your Printer Will Not Work ............................................................................. 52
B.4.6. Apache-based httpd service/Sendmail Hangs During Startup ....................... 52
C. An Introduction to Disk Partitions.............................................................................................53
C.1. Hard Disk Basic Concepts............................................................................................... 53
C.1.1. It is Not What You Write, it is How You Write It............................................ 53
C.1.2. Partitions: Turning One Drive Into Many ........................................................ 55
C.1.3. Partitions within Partitions — An Overview of Extended Partitions ............... 56
C.1.4. Making Room For Red Hat Enterprise Linux .................................................. 57
C.1.5. Partition Naming Scheme................................................................................. 58
C.1.6. Disk Partitions and Other Operating Systems .................................................. 59
C.1.7. Disk Partitions and Mount Points.....................................................................59
C.1.8. How Many Partitions?......................................................................................60
D. Driver Media ................................................................................................................................ 61
D.1. Why Do I Need Driver Media?....................................................................................... 61
D.1.1. So What Is Driver Media Anyway? .................................................................61
D.1.2. How Do I Obtain Driver Media?...................................................................... 61
D.1.3. Using a Driver Image During Installation. .......................................................62
E. Additional Boot Options .............................................................................................................. 63
Index...................................................................................................................................................67
Colophon............................................................................................................................................ 71
Introduction
Welcome to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation Guide. This guide contains useful information
to assist you during the installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3. From fundamental concepts such as
installation preparation to the step-by-step installation procedure, this book will be a valuable resource
as you install Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
1. Document Conventions
When you read this manual, certain words are represented in different fonts, typefaces, sizes, and
weights. This highlighting is systematic; different words are represented in the same style to indicate
their inclusion in a specific category. The types of words that are represented this way include the
following:
command
Linux commands (and other operating system commands, when used) are represented this way.
This style should indicate to you that you can type the word or phrase on the command line
and press [Enter] to invoke a command. Sometimes a command contains words that would be
displayed in a different style on their own (such as file names). In these cases, they are considered
to be part of the command, so the entire phrase is displayed as a command. For example:
Use the cat testfile command to view the contents of a file, named testfile, in the current
working directory.
file name
File names, directory names, paths, and RPM package names are represented this way. This style
should indicate that a particular file or directory exists by that name on your system. Examples:
The .bashrc file in your home directory contains bash shell definitions and aliases for your own
use.
The /etc/fstab file contains information about different system devices and file systems.
Install the webalizer RPM if you want to use a Web server log file analysis program.
application
This style indicates that the program is an end-user application (as opposed to system software).
For example:
Use Mozilla to browse the Web.
[key]
A key on the keyboard is shown in this style. For example:
To use [Tab] completion, type in a character and then press the [Tab] key. Your terminal displays
the list of files in the directory that start with that letter.
[key]-[combination]
A combination of keystrokes is represented in this way. For example:
The [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Backspace] key combination exits your graphical session and return you to the
graphical login screen or the console.
ii Introduction
text found on a GUI interface
A title, word, or phrase found on a GUI interface screen or window is shown in this style. Text
shown in this style is being used to identify a particular GUI screen or an element on a GUI
screen (such as text associated with a checkbox or field). Example:
Select the Require Password checkbox if you would like your screensaver to require a password
before stopping.
top level of a menu on a GUI screen or window
A word in this style indicates that the word is the top level of a pulldown menu. If you click on
the word on the GUI screen, the rest of the menu should appear. For example:
Under File on a GNOME terminal, the New Tab option allows you to open multiple shell
prompts in the same window.
If you need to type in a sequence of commands from a GUI menu, they are shown like the
following example:
Go to Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programming => Emacs to start the Emacs text
editor.
button on a GUI screen or window
This style indicates that the text can be found on a clickable button on a GUI screen. For example:
Click on the Back button to return to the webpage you last viewed.
computer output
Text in this style indicates text displayed to a shell prompt such as error messages and responses
to commands. For example:
The ls command displays the contents of a directory. For example:
Desktop about.html logs paulwesterberg.png
Mail backupfiles mail reports
The output returned in response to the command (in this case, the contents of the directory) is
shown in this style.
prompt
A prompt, which is a computer’s way of signifying that it is ready for you to input something, is
shown in this style. Examples:
$
#
[stephen@maturin stephen]$
leopard login:
user input
Text that the user has to type, either on the command line, or into a text box on a GUI screen, is
displayed in this style. In the following example, text is displayed in this style:
To boot your system into the text based installation program, you must type in the text command at the boot: prompt.
replaceable
Text used for examples which is meant to be replaced with data provided by the user is displayed
in this style. In the following example,
version-numberis displayed in this style:
Introduction iii
The directory for the kernel source is /usr/src/
version-numberis the version of the kernel installed on this system.
version-number/, where
Additionally, we use several different strategies to draw your attention to certain pieces of information. In order of how critical the information is to your system, these items are marked as note, tip,
important, caution, or a warning. For example:
Note
Remember that Linux is case sensitive. In other words, a rose is not a ROSE is not a rOsE.
Tip
The directory /usr/share/doc/ contains additional documentation for packages installed on your
system.
Important
If you modify the DHCP configuration file, the changes will not take effect until you restart the DHCP
daemon.
Caution
Do not perform routine tasks as root — use a regular user account unless you need to use the root
account for system administration tasks.
Warning
Be careful to remove only the necessary Red Hat Enterprise Linux partitions. Removing other par titions could result in data loss or a corrupted system environment.
2. How to Use This Manual
This manual focuses on a CD-ROM-based installation and is ideal for users (both new and old) who
want a quick and simple installation solution. It helps you prepare your system and walk you through
the installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
If you are an experienced user and you do not need a review of the basics, you can skip ahead to
Chapter 2 Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux to begin the installation process.
iv Introduction
2.1. We Need Feedback!
If you discover a typo in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation Guide or have thought of a way to
make this manual better, we would love to hear from you. Submit a bug report against the component
rhel-ig-ppc-multi in Bugzilla at:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/
When submitting a bug report, be sure to mention the manual’s identifier:
rhel-ig-ppc-multi(EN)-3-Print-RHI (2003-07-25T17:09)
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.
If you have a support question (for example, if you need help configuring X, or if you are not sure
how to partition your hard drive[s]), use the online support system by registering your product at:
http://www.redhat.com/apps/activate/
3. Accessibility Solutions
While the graphic user interface (GUI) is convenient for sighted users, it is often inhibiting to those
with visual impairments because of the difficulty speech synthesizers have interpreting graphics. Red
Hat Enterprise Linux is an ideal operating system for users with visual limitations because the GUI is
not required by the kernel. Most modern tools including email, news, Web browsers, calendars, calculators, and much more can run on Linux without a graphical environment. The working environment
can also be customized to meet the hardware or software needs of the user.
Red Hat, Inc. is the distribution of choice for people with special needs because of the outstanding
support that is offered with the purchase of any boxed set. Many Linux distributions provide limited
or nonexistent support to customers. Red Hat’s installation support is deliverable via email or via
the telephone and special circumstances will be considered and addressed for users with physical
limitations. Customers should inform the support technician if they require specialized support.
For more information, refer to:
• http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Accessibility-HOWTO/
• http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Keyboard-and-Console-HOWTO.html
• The README-Accessibility file provides more information and instructions for
using some of the tools available for users with special needs. This file can be found in
/usr/share/doc/redhat-release-X/, where X is the release number of your installed
product.
Chapter 1.
Steps to Get You Started
Note
Although this manual reflects the most current information possible, read the Red Hat Enterprise
Linux Release Notes for information that may not have been available prior to this documentation
being finalized. The Release Notes can be found on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD #1 and online
at:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/
1.1. Where to Find Other Manuals
If your particular product did not include all of the printed Red Hat Enterprise Linux manuals, you
can find them online or on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Documentation CD included with your Red
Hat Enterprise Linux product.
To find the manuals in HTML, PDF, and RPM formats online, go to:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/
1.2. Registering Your Product
Registration enables access to the Red Hat Services you have purchased, such as technical support
and Red Hat Network. To register your product, go to:
http://www.redhat.com/apps/activate/
Note
You must activate your product before attempting to connect to Red Hat Network. If your product
has not been activated, Red Hat Network rejects registration to channels to which the system is not
entitled.
1.3. iSeries Hardware Preparation for Installation
The installation process assumes basic familiarity with the IBM iSeries platform and
makes reference to IBM’s Configuring Linux in a Guest Partition. In general, this
section assumes that you have read the Configuring Linux in a Guest Partition document
(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/iseries/v5r2/ic2924/info/rzalm/rzalmlinuxkickoff.htm) in its entirety.
2 Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started
Tip
Additional information on the iSeries can be found online at:
http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/ eserver/iseries/linux/
To prepare your iSeries system for installation, follow the instructions in the Planning
to run Linux on a logical partition and Creating a logical partition to run Linux
sections of the Configuring Linux in a Guest Partition document. Consult your
OS/400 command documentation for information on configuring the OS/400 facilities
(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/iseries/v5r2/ic2924/info/rbam6/rbam6clmain.htm). The basic steps
for installation preparation on your iSeries are as follows:
First, create a Logical Partition in SST using the screens in Work with system partitions. The partition must be of type Guest, have some amount of processor and memory, and either a native LAN
adapter or virtual Ethernet assigned. After you create your Linux partition, assign a hosting partition
to it. Select option 13 on the new Linux partition in the Work with Partition Configuration screen.
Next, IPL your primary partition after creating the new partition.
If you are using shared processors with V5R2 OS/400, you can dynamically change the amount of
processor units assigned to your partition, as long as it is within the minimum and maximum processor
units you have set for your partition. You cannot dynamically go below a minimum of 0.10 times the
number of processors. Changing the processor or memory limits requires a Primary Partition IPL.
Next, create an NWSD by executing the command crtnwsd from the OS/400 command line. The
Partition field has the name of the Logical Partition you created in SST; it should be of type Guest and
Codepage 437. For a basic NWSD, use *None for the Resource Name and keep the defaults for all
the other fields — the boot fields are setup in Section 2.1.1 Booting the iSeries Installation Program.
Assuming you plan on using a virtual disk rather than native SCSI using the ibmsis driver, create
an NWSSTG (virtual disk) by executing the command wrknwsstg from the OS/400 command line.
Once you create it, you must add a link to the NWSD you created using the name of the NWSD.
1.4. Do You Have Enough Disk Space?
Nearly every modern-day operating system (OS) uses disk partitions, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux is
no exception. When you install Red Hat Enterprise Linux, 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 C An Introduction to Disk Partitions before proceeding.
The disk space used by Red Hat Enterprise Linux must be separate from the disk space used by other
OSes you may have installed on your system.
Before you start the installation process, one of the following conditions must be met:
• Your computer must have enough unpartitioned
prise Linux.
• You must have one or more partitions that may be deleted, thereby freeing up enough disk space to
install Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
To gain a better sense of how much space you really need, refer to the recommended partitioning sizes
discussed in Section 2.15.4 Recommended Partitioning Scheme.
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.
1
disk space for the installation of Red Hat Enter-
Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started 3
1.5. Can You Install Using the CD-ROM?
Installing from a CD-ROM requires that you have purchased a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 product,
or you have a Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD-ROM, and you have a CD-ROM drive. If your system
supports booting from the CD-ROM, it is an easy way to begin a local CD-ROM installation.
1.6. Preparing for a Network Installation
Note
Make sure an installation CD (or any other type of CD) is not your hosting partition’s drive if you are
performing a network-based installation. Having a CD in the drive may cause unexpected errors.
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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 seperate machine
which can provide the complete RedHat/ directory. Both the RedHat/base/ and RedHat/RPMS/
directories must be available and populated with all files from all installation CD-ROMs.
Note
The directory specified in the following refers to /location/of/disk/space/. This means it is the
directory up to, but not including, the RedHat/ distribution directory. For example, if you have Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3 installation files located in /export/redhat/ on the installation staging ser ver,
/location/of/disk/space/ would be /export/redhat/.
To copy the RedHat/ directory from the installation CD-ROMs to a Linux machine which acts as an
installation staging server, perform the following steps:
• For each binary CD-ROM, execute the following commands:
• mount /mnt/cdrom
• cp -var /mnt/cdrom/RedHat /location/of/disk/space
where /location/of/disk/space/ is a directory you create such as /export/redhat/
• umount /mnt/cdrom/
• Note that the Release Notes are not included in the RedHat directory. Unless they are specifically
copied over, the Release Notes will not be available during your installation of Red Hat Enterprise
Linux. The Release Notes are formatted in HTML files located at the root of the disc. Copy the files
to your installation directory. For example:
cp /mnt/cdrom/RELEASE-NOTES*.html /location/of/disk/space/
The Release Notes are also available online from http://www.redhat.com/docs/.
• Next, make /location/of/disk/space/ accessible to the installation program via NFS, FTP,
or HTTP and verify access from a client.
4 Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started
• For NFS, export the directory by adding an entry to /etc/exports to export to a specific system:
/location/of/disk/space client.ip.address(ro,no_root_squash)
To export to all machines (not appropriate for all NFS systems), add:
/location/of/disk/space *(ro,no_root_squash)
Start the NFS daemon (on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux machine, use /sbin/service nfs
start). If NFS is already running, reload the configuration file (on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux
system, use /usr/bin/service nfs reload).
Be sure to test the NFS share following the directions in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux System
Administration Guide.
If the RedHat/ directory does not appear in the NFS shared directory, the wrong path may have
been mounted and/or exported.
• FTP and HTTP installations also support a second type of tree structure. To make it easier to access
the contents of the installation CD-ROMs, mount each CD-ROM or ISO image with the following
mount point on the FTP or HTTP server (where X is the number of the CD-ROM or ISO image):
/location/of/disk/space/discX /
For example:
mount -o loop CD1.iso /location/of/disk/spac e/disc1/
1.6.1. Using ISO Images for NFS Installs
NFS installations can use ISO (or CD-ROM) images rather than copying an entire installation tree.
After placing the required ISO images (the binary Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD-ROMs) in a directory,
choose to install via NFS. You will then point the installation program at that directory to perform the
installation.
Verifying that the ISO images are intact before you attempt an installation will help to avoid problems
that are often encountered during an NFS installation. To verify the ISO images are intact prior to
performing an installation, use an md5sum program (many md5sum programs are available for various
operating systems). An md5sum program should be available on the same server as the ISO images.
Note
ISO images have an md5sum embedded in them. To test the checksum integrity of an ISO image, at
the installation boot prompt, type:
linux mediacheck
Additionally, if a file called updates.img exists in the directory from which you install, then it will
be used for installation program updates. Refer to the file install-methods.txt in the anaconda
RPM package for detailed information on the various ways to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as
well as how to apply the installation program updates.
Note
You can only have the ISO images for one release and one variant of Red Hat Enterprise Linux in the
directory.
Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started 5
1.7. Preparing for a Hard Drive Installation
Hard drive installations require a working Linux system installed and the use of ISO (or CD-ROM)
images rather than the entire installation tree.
Hard drive installations only work from ext2 or ext3 file systems.
• Set of CD-ROMs — Create CD-ROM ISO image files from each installation CD-ROMs. For each
CD-ROM, execute the following command on a Linux system:
dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/tmp/file-name.iso
• 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 md5sum program
(many md5sum programs are available for various operating systems). An md5sum program should
be available on the same Linux machine as the ISO images.
6 Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started
Chapter 2.
Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
This chapter explains how to perform a Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation from the 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
2.1. 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 [Tab] and [Enter] keys.
Note
If 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, use the following boot command:
linux text
Please refer to Section 2.2 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 functunality of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation program,
including LVM configuration which is not available during a text mode installation.
Users who must use the text mode installation program can easily follow the GUI installation instructions and obtain all needed information.
iSeries system users must remember to add boot options, as are listed in this manual (Appendix E
Additional Boot Options) for other operating systems, by first logging into an OS/400 system as an
iSeries user and then setting any IPL parameters within their OS/400 session.
2.1.1. Booting the iSeries Installation Program
Insert the installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. Determine the volume name by which OS/400
refers to the CD. This can be found by executing the command wrklnk ’/qopt/*’ at the OS/400
command line. WRKOPTVOL gives more information on the optical media. Unless there is another
CD with the same label in another drive, the volume name is Red_Hat. Note, if the volume name
includes a timestamp (as it does when there are name conflicts), ejecting and re-inserting the CD
causes the volume name to change and you must determine what it is again.
If you are installing to SCSI disks, you must have a copy of the ibmsis driver CD-ROM. If you have
multiple CD-ROM drives available to the target LPAR, you must determine which CD-ROM drive
is the first CD-ROM drive (/dev/iseries/vcda/) for the LPAR. Refer to IBM documentation for
8 Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
information how to determine this. Place the driver media into the first CD-ROM drive when instructed
by the installation program.
Ensure that your Network Server (NWS) is varied off using the OS/400 WRKCFGSTS (*nws) command.
Edit the Network Server Description (NWSD). Set the IPL source field to *STMF.
Set the IPL stream file field to /QOPT/RED_HAT/PPC/ISERIES/BOOT.IMG (case is not significant),
where Red_Hat is the name of the CD volume as it appears under /QOPT.
Set the IPL parameters option to ’dd’ (including quotes) if you are using a driver. Otherwise, set the
option to *NONE.
Note
Red Hat recommends using the vnc or display=
ical installation. Otherwise, set the field to *NONE to perform a text mode installation. On your workstation, be sure to set the xhost+ command to the hostname of the system being installed. For more
information on available boot commands, refer to Appendix E Additional Boot Options.
workstation
boot commands to begin a graph-
Use a Telnet client to connect to the virtual console of the OS/400 partition hosting your Linux partition using a command like telnet
hosting partition2301. Refer to Section 2.1.4 Using
the iSeries Virtual Consoles for more details on using the virtual console.
Vary on the NWS. The boot sequence begins on the virtual console in a few seconds. The installation
program begins automatically. If you are performing a VNC or X-Host based installation, network
information can be configured via a virtual console.
2.1.2. Booting the pSeries Installation Program
To boot a pSeries system from a CD-ROM, you must specify the install boot device in the System
Management Services (SMS) menu.
To enter the System Management Services GUI, press the [F1] key during the boot process when
you hear the chime sound. This brings up a graphical interface similar to the one described in this
section.
On a text console, press [1] when the self test is displaying the banner along with the tested components:
Figure 2-1. SMS console
Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Once in the SMS menu, select the option for Select Boot Options. In that menu, specify Select
Install or Boot a Device. There, select CD/DVD, and then the bus type (in most cases SCSI). If
you are uncertain, you can select to view all devices. This scans all available buses for boot devices,
including network adapters and hard drives.
Finally, select the device containing the installation CD. YABOOT is loaded from this device and you
are presented with a boot: prompt. Press [Enter] or wait for the timeout to expire for the installation
to begin.
2.1.3. A Note about Virtual Consoles on pSeries
This information only applies to pSeries system users. Users of iSeries systems should skip to Section
2.1.4 Using the iSeries Virtual Consoles.
The Red Hat Enterprise 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.
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 Red Hat Enterprise
Linux. Messages displayed on the installation or system consoles can help pinpoint a problem. Refer
to Table 2-1 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 #7 for graphical installations
or virtual console #1 for text-based 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
4 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F4] system-related messages
5 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F5] other messages
7 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F7] X graphical display
Table 2-1. Console, Keystrokes, and Contents
installation program)
2.1.4. Using the iSeries Virtual Consoles
Before you can use the iSeries virtual console for installation, you must create a DST userid and give
it authority to access the virtual console. In V5R2 you simply start SST (STRSST from the command
line of the hosting OS/400 partition) and select option 8, Work with service tools user IDs. You
cannot use the QSECOFR userid to access the virtual console, you must create a new userid. Once
you have created your userid, give it Partition remote panel key access for your Linux partition.
To access the virtual console, use the command telnet
systemnameis the hostname of the OS/400 partition. When it connects, the virtual console
lists the Linux partitions hosted by that OS/400 partition. Select the partition number and enter your
DST userid and password as prompted.
systemname2301 where
10 Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
The virtual console is usable from a variety of Telnet clients, but it works best when used either from
Linux-based X terminals (or GNOME terminals) using the standard telnet client or the MS Windows PuTTY client. Other Telnet clients, such as the standard Windows Telnet client, have problems
with the virtual console’s rendering of the text based installation program or the control sequences in
programs such as vi, so their use is not recommended.
2.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux text mode installation program uses a screen-based interface that includes most of the on-screen widgets commonly found on graphical user interfaces. Figure 2-2, and
Figure 2-3, illustrate the screens that appear during the installation process.
Note
While text mode installations are not explicitly documented, those using the text mode installation
program can easily follow the GUI installation instructions and obtain all needed information.
Figure 2-2. Installation Program Widgets as seen in Boot Loader Configuration
Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 11
Figure 2-3. Installation Program Widgets as seen in Disk Druid
Here is a list of the most important widgets shown in Figure 2-2 and Figure 2-3:
• Window — Windows (usually referred to as dialogs in this manual) appear on your screen through-
out 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 installa-
tion program. When the cursor rests on a text input line, you may enter and/or edit information on
that line.
• 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 pro-
gram. 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.
• Cursor — Although not a widget, 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. In Figure 2-2, the cursor is positioned on
the OK button. Figure 2-3, shows the cursor on the Edit button.
2.2.1. 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 [Alt]-[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.
12 Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
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 OK button.
Caution
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).
2.3. Installing from CD-ROM
To install Red Hat Enterprise Linux from a CD-ROM, choose the CD-ROM option and select OK.
When prompted, insert the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD into your CD-ROM drive (if you did not
boot from the CD). Once the CD is in the CD-ROM drive, select OK, and press [Enter].
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. If found, continue to the next
stage of the installation process (refer to Section 2.10 Language Selection).
Note
To cancel the installation process at this time, iSeries users should vary off the NWS and pSeries
users should press the computer’s Reset button or use the [Control]-[Alt]-[Delete] key combination to
restart your machine. You can safely cancel the installation at any point before the About to Install
screen. Refer to Section 2.22 Preparing to Install for more information.
The following applies to pSeries systems only:
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.
Tip
A partial list of optional parameters for CD-ROM drives can be found in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Reference Guide, in the General Parameters and Modules appendix.
2.3.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found?
If you have an IDE (ATAPI) CD-ROM, but the installation program fails to find your IDE (ATAPI)
CD-ROM and asks you what type of CD-ROM drive you have, try the following boot command.
Restart the installation, and at the boot: prompt enter linux hdX =cdrom. Replace the X with
Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 13
one of the following letters, depending on the interface the unit is connected to, and whether it is
configured as master or slave (also known as primary and secondary):
• a — first IDE controller, master
• b — first IDE controller, slave
• c — second IDE controller, master
• d — 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.
2.4. Installing from a Hard Drive
Note
Hard drive installations only work from ext2, ext3, or FAT file systems. If you have a file system other
than those listed here, such as reiserfs, you will not be able to perform a hard drive installation.
Hard drive installations require the use of the ISO (or CD-ROM) images. An ISO image is a file
containing an exact copy of a CD-ROM disk image. Because Red Hat Enterprise Linux has so many
packages included with its distribution, there are several ISO images available. After placing the
required ISO images (the binary Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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.
Verifying that the ISO images are intact before you attempt an installation will help to avoid problems
that are often encountered during a hard drive installation. To verify the ISO images are intact prior
to performing an installation, use an md5sum program (many md5sum programs are available for
various operating systems). An md5sum program should be available on the same server as the ISO
images.
Note
ISO images have an md5sum embedded in them. To test the checksum integrity of an ISO image, at
the installation boot prompt, type:
linux mediacheck
iSeries system users must remember to add boot options, as are listed in this manual for other
operating systems, by first logging into an OS/400 system as an iSeries user and then setting any
IPL parameters within their partition’s NWSD.
Additionally, if a file called RedHat/base/updates.img exists in the directory from which you
install, it is used for installation program updates. Refer to the file install-methods.txt in the
anaconda RPM package for detailed information on the various ways to install Red Hat Enterprise
Linux, as well as how to apply the installation program updates.
14 Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Figure 2-4. Selecting Partition Dialog for Hard Drive Installation
The Select Partition screen applies only if you are installing from a disk partition (that is, if you
selected Hard Drive in the Installation Method dialog). This dialog allows you to name the disk
partition and directory from which you are installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Enter the device name of the partition containing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux ISO images. There is
also a field labeled Directory holding images.
If the ISO images are in the root (top-level) directory of that partition, enter the path to the ISO images
(for example, if the partition on which the ISO images are located is normally mounted as /home/,
and the images are in /home/new/, you would enter new).
If the ISO images are not in the root (top-level) directory of that partition, enter the full path to the ISO
images (for example, if the ISO images are located in /test/new/, you would enter /test/new/).
After you have identified the disk partition, the Welcome dialog appears.
2.5. Performing a Network Installation
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. If manually, enter the IP address you are using during installation
and press [Enter]. The installation program attempts to guess your Netmask based on your IP address;
you may change the netmask if it is incorrect. Press [Enter]. The installation program guesses the
Default gateway and Primary nameserver addresses from your IP address and netmask; you may
change them if they are incorrect.
2.6. Installing via NFS
The NFS dialog applies only if you are installing from an NFS server (if you selected NFS Image in
the Installation Method dialog).
Enter the domain name 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 1.6
Preparing for a Network Installation, you would enter the directory /location/of/disk/space/
which contains the RedHat/ directory.
If the NFS server is exporting a mirror of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation tree, enter
the directory which contains the RedHat/ directory. (If you do not know this directory
path, ask your system administrator.) For example, if the NFS site contains the directory
/mirrors/redhat/arch/RedHat/, enter /mirrors/redhat/arch/ (where arch is replaced
with the architecture type of your system, such as i386, ia64, ppc, or s390). If everything was
Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 15
specified properly, a message appears indicating that the installation program for Red Hat Enterprise
Linux is running.
Figure 2-5. NFS Setup Dialog
If the NFS server is exporting the ISO images of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD-ROMs, enter the
directory which contains the ISO images.
Next, the Welcome dialog appears.
2.7. Installing via FTP
The FTP dialog applies only if you are installing from an FTP server (if you selected FTP in the
Installation Method dialog). This dialog allows you to identify the FTP server from which you are
installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Figure 2-6. FTP Setup Dialog
Enter the name or IP address of the FTP site you are installing from, and the name of the directory
containing the RedHat/ installation files for your architecture. For example, if the FTP site contains
the directory /mirrors/redhat/arch/RedHat/, enter /mirrors/redhat/arch/ (where arch
is replaced with the architecture type of your system, such as i386, ia64, ppc, or s390). If everything
was specified properly, a message box appears indicating that base/hdlist is being retrieved.
Next, the Welcome dialog appears.
16 Chapter 2. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Tip
You can save disk space by using the ISO images you have already copied to the ser ver. To accomplish this, install Red Hat Enterprise Linux using ISO images without copying them into a single tree
by loopback mounting them. For each ISO image:
mkdir disc1
mount -o loop example-1.iso disc1
2.8. Installing via HTTP
The HTTP dialog applies only if you are installing from an HTTP server (if you selected HTTP in the
Installation Method dialog). This dialog prompts you for information about the HTTP server from
which you are installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Enter the name or IP address of the HTTP site you are installing from, and the name of the directory
containing the RedHat/ installation files for your architecture. For example, if the HTTP site contains
the directory /mirrors/redhat/arch/RedHat/, enter /mirrors/redhat/arch/ (where arch
is replaced with the architecture type of your system, such as i386, ia64, ppc, or s390). If everything
was specified properly, a message box appears indicating that base/hdlist is being retrieved.
Figure 2-7. HTTP Setup Dialog
Next, the Welcome dialog appears.
Tip
You can save disk space by using the ISO images you have already copied to the ser ver. To accomplish this, install Red Hat Enterprise Linux using ISO images without copying them into a single tree
by loopback mounting them. For each ISO image:
mkdir disc1
mount -o loop example-1.iso disc1
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