Linux Installation Review
Using Linux has become an intuitive process, with easy-to-use interfaces, including graphical logins and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) like GNOME and KDE. Even the standard Linux command line interface has become more user friendly with editable commands, history lists, and cursor-based tools. Distribution installation tools also use simple GUIs. Installation has become a very easy procedure, taking only a few minutes. The use of online repositories by many distributions allows for small initial installs that can be later enhanced with selected additional software.
To start using Linux, you have to know how to access your Linux system and, once you are on the system, how to execute commands and run applications. Access is supported through either the default graphical login or a command line login. For the graphical login, a simple window appears with menus for selecting login options and text boxes for entering your username and password. Once you access your system, you can then interact with it using either a command line interface or a GUI. With GUIs like GNOME and KDE, you can use windows, menus, and icons to interact with your system.
Linux is noted for providing easy access to extensive help documentation. It’s easy to obtain information quickly about any Linux command and utility while logged in to the system. You can access an online manual that describes each command or obtain help that provides more detailed explanations of different Linux features. A complete set of manuals provided by the Linux Documentation Project (LDP) is on your system and available for you to browse through or print. Both the GNOME and KDE desktops provide help systems that give you easy access to desktop, system, and application help files.
Each distribution has its own graphical install tool that lets you install Linux very easily. Installation is often a simple matter of clicking a few buttons. However, install CDs and DVDs provide only a core subset of what is available because the software available has grown so massive that most distributions provide online repositories for downloading. Installation is now more a matter of setting up an initial configuration that you can later expand using these online repositories. Many distributions also allow you to create your own install discs, customizing the collection of software you want on your install CD/DVD.
Other installation considerations include the following:
- Most distributions provide Live-CDs that allows you to do minimal installs. This helps you avoid a lengthy download of install CDs or DVDs. You can then install just the packages you want from online repositories.
- The use of online repositories means that most installed software needs to be downloaded and updated from the repositories soon after installation. The software on install CDs and DVDs quickly becomes out of date.
- Some distributions provide updated versions of a release, including updated software since the original release. These are often provided by separate distribution projects. Check the distribution sites for availability.
- Much of your hardware is now automatically detected, including your graphics card and monitor.
- Most distributions use Parted to set up your partitions. Parted is a very easy-to-use partition management tool.
- Installation can be performed from numerous sources, by using network methods like NFS, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
- Dual-boot installation is supported with either the GRUB or Linux Loader (LILO) boot managers. Linux boot managers can be configured easily to boot Windows, Mac, and other Linux installations on the same system.
- Distributions distinguish between 32-bit and 64-bit releases. Most CPUs in newer computers support 64-bit, whereas older or weaker systems may not.
- Network configuration is normally automatic, using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or IPv6 to connect to a network router.
- During installation you may have the option to customize your partitions, letting you set up RAID and LVM file systems if you wish.
- If you are using LVM or RAID file systems, be sure you have a separate boot partition of a standard Linux file system type.
- Most distributions perform a post-install procedure that perform basic configuration tasks like setting the date and time, configuring your firewall, and creating a user account (a root [administrative] account is set up during installation).
Most distributions provide a means to access your Linux system in rescue mode. Should your system stop working, you can access your files by using your install disc to start up Linux with a command line interface and access your installed file system. This allows you to fix your problem by editing or replacing configuration files (useful for X Window System problems with /etc/X11/xorg.conf).
If you have problems with the GRUB boot loader you can reinstall it with the grub-install command. This can happen if you later install Windows on your system. Windows will overwrite your boot manager. Use grub-install with the device name of the hard disk to reinstall the Linux boot manager. Be sure to put in an entry for your Windows system. Keep in mind that some distribution use alternative boot loaders like LILO.