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Linux+ Study Guide (XK0-002)
Installation
Media
Linux installation can be done using a variety of different media.
Each installation method has different pros and cons depending on
the environment you have. Here are some examples:
- Boot disk: The boot disk or boot floppy is generally not an installation technique by itself. You will use a Linux boot disk in order to launch setup using one of the other media types. These disks are usually provided as floppy images on the cd-rom itself along with the proper software to copy them on floppies.
- CD-Rom: This is the most common type of installation. To do this, you need to have a system that allows for cd-rom booting. You also need a Linux distribution on cd. To start setup, you simply need to insert the cd-rom and start the computer. The setup should start automatically. If your system does not allow for Cd-rom start up, you can launch the system using a Linux boot setup disk.
- Other methods including Http, FTP, NFS and SMB are generally used as an enterprise solution to deploy servers or workstations. All of these methods are network based and are not necessarily common.
Installation modes
Originally, Linux installation was a painful process which could
only be done by a small elite group of users. Now, some
distributions are even easier to install than other commercial
operating systems.
Once you have launched setup using one media or another, you will be
faced with the option to use either a “simple” mode or an “advanced
- expert” mode. What this really refers to whether you are going to
use a “graphical user interface” mode or a “text” mode. The GUI mode
is a more straight forward process, it is a wizard like experience
featuring point and click menus. On the other side, the text mode
will often give you the opportunity to make a more personalized
installation. The downside of a text installation is its harsh
nature.
Figure 3.1 - Installing Linux in text mode
Whichever mode you are going to use, keep in mind that the best
instructions are always the ones that come with your specific
distribution. Common elements to every distribution generally
include:
Setting up the language
Figure 3.2 - Choosing your language
Setting up the Keyboard and mouse
You will then get to choose which kind of system you want to build. Depending on your choices, the rest of setup will differ. A workstation setup is generally straightforward and automatic. On some distributions, a workstation installation will generate automatic partitioning and will be easier than a server or custom installation.
Figure 3.4 - Choosing what kind of installation should be done
Then, you will get the chance to choose what partitioning scheme you are to use. Automatic partition is the easiest way to go but not the preferred way of doing it. If you remember section 2 (planning the implementation), you might want to customize your partitions for your specific needs.
Figure 3.5 - Choosing the partitioning method
You need a good practical understanding of the Fdisk command in order to pass the Linux+ exam. I suggest you practice this a lot.
Figure 3.6 - Using Fdisk to make partitions
The next step is to configure network settings. The ethx on the top is the Ethernet adapter. If your network has a DHCP server, you may want to let the setup to be automatically configured.
Figure 3.7 - Configuring Network settings in GUI mode
During setup, you will be prompted to give the root account a password. I suggest you give a strong password as this is the most important account on the system, the one with all the privileges. It is also recommended to create at least one user account.
Figure 3.8 - Creating a user account
If you went through the server or custom setup, you will need to configure the packages you want in order to personalize your installation.
Figure 3.9 - Configuring the packages for a Web Server
Depending on your installation, you may have to configure the Xfree86 engine. To do this you will have to choose a monitor and configure its vertical and horizontal refresh rate. Choosing a brand name screen will generally ease this step as most manufacturers will be listed.
Figure 3.10 - Configuring a custom monitor with its respected refresh rates
If you chose to install your machine as a workstation, you will most likely need to choose a desktop environment such as KDE or GNOME.
Figure 3.11 - Choosing your desktop environment
Graphical Interface
Startup
In a lot of distributions nowadays, you might be asked during setup to
directly boot into the graphical interface. It is strongly recommended
not to do so for security and stability reasons.
Post-Installation tasks
Once the interactive portion of setup is done, the packages will be
installed and the kernel will be compiled. Speaking of kernel
compilation, it is important that you understand that the Linux Kernel
can be compiled at any point after the installation and the reasons for
that.
Although the kernel shipped with your distribution is probably very good
and stable, you have to understand that it is built to work with most
hardware and systems available on the market thus making it full of code
that you will probably never use. Therefore recompiling your kernel will
enable you to optimize it by picking only what needs to be in it. Other
reasons to recompile a kernel will generally include: upgrading your
system, doing hardware changes, adding or removing features, etc.
After setup is done, you might also want to take a look at the
installation logs to make sure everything went fine. Most distributions
will have the following logs:
| Location | Description |
| /var/log | Location of most application logs |
| /proc/ | Hardware information |
| /etc/rc.d/ | Most system initialization, startup and shutdown logs |
| /etc/syslog.conf | This file contains the name and location of your system log files |
Installing more
applications
The way that you install additional applications depends on their
format. A .gz application format can be installed using the gunzip
Figure 3.12 - Man rpm output
The rpm command has a wide variety of parameters and options. Make sure you know how they work before taking the test!