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Techno Page

Linux installation
This week, Chintana Wilamuna explains how to install Debian GNU/Linux on your PC. This will be applicable to any Linux distribution. So you will be able to install any Linux distribution after you have read this. All contain roughly the same procedures.

The technique would be to install the Kernel first. Once it is properly functioning, installing other software will be easy.

Chintana has chosen the Debian Linux distribution because it is;

1) Easy to install
2) Easy to use
3) Has a good package maintenance system
4) Easy to administrate
5) A fully open-source

The steps
Assume you have created the partitions for Linux and are ready to go. (How to prepare your hard drive for Linux appeared on a previous issue). The Debian GNU/Linux presents you with a text based installation menu. The following keys may be used to navigate within it.

Enter - equivalent to clicking a button with the mouse
Tab - change the input focus
Arrow keys - change the cursor position

The first thing you have to do is configure the keyboard that appears in the Debian GNU/Linux installation main menu. To most of us the default doesn't have to be changed- it is US English (QWERTY key map). In some distributions this is not necessary.

Since you have created the partitions you don't have to create any partitions but if you haven't created any, you can create them here. (If you haven't created any partitions yet, create a swap partition (file system - Linux swap, not more than 100Mb) and a Linux native partition (file system - ext2 or ext3, 500Mb or bigger for a fully functioning system with X Windows)

Next you'll have to initialise the swap partition created. Since we created only one swap partition, initialise it as appearing on the menu. Next you have to initialise the two partitions you created. (On some Linux distributions this "initialization" process is simply called formatting).

When asked to format select yes. Be sure you format only the Linux partitions. The installation programme will next present you the operating system and kernel modules. Since you are first trying the programme don't install any modules, install only the kernel. Modules are small chunks of compiled computer code that add a single functionality to the kernel. For example, if you want sound support, you can either add it as a module or compile directly to the kernel. Modules help to make the kernel as small as possible and as a result, your system boots faster (this difference in speed cannot be noticed in modern computers). Since you are first trying the system, you can safely ignore this module section.

Configuring the network
Choose the default host name or change it to a name you like to call your system. If your computer is permanently connected to a network, select yes and proceed. Otherwise, select no. If your computer connects to the Internet via dial-up, select no. This may seem alien to you first (if your previous experience is with Microsoft Windows 9x or with any non networked desktop operating system). Linux is a server operating system. Therefore, it has options that a server has. For example, with web server software (provided with every Linux distribution CD) you can run a web site of your own locally with the help of the loop back device. Explore how it works, (keep your "irresistible desires" down for the moment, and let's tackle the installation part first, OK).

When asked to identify the CD-ROM device to install the base system, select the proper device. If you don't know which one, try each one until the installation programme presents you a dialogue box with a path to the distribution files. In that menu, the default location is ok (on some distributions this is not necessary).

Configure the Base system. Select the correct time zone. And then you can either make Linux boot directly from the hard drive or you can make a boot disk and use it to boot to Linux. If you select to boot directly from the hard drive, your previous operating system also can be booted by the Linux default boot loader LILO (stands for Linux Loader).

Since this is a new system, it is important to create a boot disk (you'll never regret it). If you decide not to boot Linux from the hard drive, you can boot your previous OS as you did in the past and boot Linux from the floppy. (Keep separate boot floppies for each and every operating system you have, and make them write protected).

Next you'll have to reboot the system. After the system has booted, it asks for a "root" password. "Root" is equal to the "administrator" in Windows NT/2000. Root has the full control over the system. Type a password for the root user. Your password is not echoed to the screen. After that you must create a normal user account. When you are logged as root and if you messed up something you'll end up with a broken system. With a normal user account it is impossible to do any -damage- to the system. So create a normal user account even if you are the only user of your computer.

Next you should say yes to configure a shadow password. This feature is there to protect your password from brute-force password cracking programmes.

Then, if you do not require PCMCIA support, you can safely remove it. Next you can install application software provided in the CD-ROM. You will be presented with a log in screen. Voila! You have successfully installed the system. Log in as the normal user you created. For administrative tasks you have to log in as root. Do not use the "root" account to read your mail, browse the web or to do any other day-to-day tasks. For those, use your normal account instead.

There's a world of wonders just waiting to be explored. To say it the Discovery way, "Explore your World" (Make sure you do not cross the boundary, and don't try to explore others' worlds. This will be asking for trouble. You have been warned.)
- Chintana Wilamuna

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