Red Hat ENTERPRISE LINUX 3 - FOR X86-ITANIUMTM-AMD64 AND INTEL EXTENDED MEMORY 64... User manual

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3
Installation Guide for x86,
Itanium™, AMD64, and Intel®
Extended Memory 64
Technology (Intel® EM64T)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3: Installation Guide for x86, Itanium™, AMD64, and Intel®
Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel® EM64T)
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! .............................................................................................. iv
3. Accessibility Solutions ........................................................................................................ iv
1. Itanium System Specific Information............................................................................................ 1
1.1. Itanium System Installation Overview............................................................................... 1
1.2. Itanium Systems — The EFI Shell .................................................................................... 1
1.2.1. Itanium Systems — EFI Device Names ............................................................. 1
1.2.2. Itanium Systems — EFI System Partition .......................................................... 2
2. Steps to Get You Started................................................................................................................. 3
2.1. Where to Find Other Manuals............................................................................................ 3
2.2. Registering Your Product................................................................................................... 3
2.3. Is Your Hardware Compatible?.......................................................................................... 3
2.4. Do You Have Enough Disk Space?.................................................................................... 4
2.5. Can You Install Using the CD-ROM?................................................................................ 4
2.5.1. Alternative Boot Methods................................................................................... 4
2.5.2. Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM............................................................... 6
2.5.3. Making an Installation Boot Diskette ................................................................. 6
2.6. Preparing for a Network Installation.................................................................................. 8
2.6.1. Using ISO Images for NFS Installs .................................................................... 9
2.7. Preparing for a Hard Drive Installation............................................................................ 10
3. System Requirements Table ......................................................................................................... 11
4. Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux........................................................................................... 13
4.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface ......................................................... 13
4.1.1. A Note about Virtual Consoles ......................................................................... 13
4.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface ....................................................... 14
4.2.1. Using the Keyboard to Navigate ....................................................................... 16
4.3. Starting the Installation Program ..................................................................................... 16
4.3.1. Booting the Installation Program on x86, AMD64, and Intel® EM64T Systems
16
4.3.2. Booting the Installation Program on Itanium Systems ..................................... 18
4.3.3. Additional Boot Options ................................................................................... 18
4.4. Selecting an Installation Method ..................................................................................... 20
4.5. Installing from CD-ROM................................................................................................. 21
4.5.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found? .................................................... 21
4.6. Installing from a Hard Drive............................................................................................ 22
4.7. Performing a Network Installation................................................................................... 23
4.8. Installing via NFS ............................................................................................................ 23
4.9. Installing via FTP............................................................................................................. 24
4.10. Installing via HTTP........................................................................................................ 25
4.11. Welcome to Red Hat Enterprise Linux .......................................................................... 25
4.12. Language Selection........................................................................................................ 26
4.13. Keyboard Configuration................................................................................................. 26
4.14. Mouse Configuration ..................................................................................................... 27
4.15. Disk Partitioning Setup .................................................................................................. 28
4.16. Automatic Partitioning................................................................................................... 29
4.17. Partitioning Your System ............................................................................................... 31
4.17.1. Graphical Display of Hard Drive(s)................................................................ 32
4.17.2. Disk Druid’s Buttons ..................................................................................... 33
4.17.3. Partition Fields ................................................................................................ 33
4.17.4. Recommended Partitioning Scheme ............................................................... 34

4.17.5. Adding Partitions ............................................................................................ 35
4.17.6. Editing Partitions ............................................................................................ 37
4.17.7. Deleting a Partition ......................................................................................... 37
4.18. x86, AMD64, and Intel® EM64T Boot Loader Configuration ..................................... 37
4.18.1. Advanced Boot Loader Configuration ............................................................ 39
4.18.2. Rescue Mode................................................................................................... 40
4.18.3. Alternative Boot Loaders ................................................................................ 41
4.18.4. SMP Motherboards, GRUB, and LILO .......................................................... 41
4.19. Network Configuration .................................................................................................. 42
4.20. Firewall Configuration ................................................................................................... 43
4.21. Language Support Selection .......................................................................................... 45
4.22. Time Zone Configuration............................................................................................... 46
4.23. Set Root Password ......................................................................................................... 47
4.24. Package Group Selection ............................................................................................... 49
4.25. Preparing to Install......................................................................................................... 51
4.26. Installing Packages......................................................................................................... 51
4.27. Video Card Configuration .............................................................................................. 51
4.28. X Configuration — Monitor and Customization ........................................................... 52
4.28.1. Configuring Your Monitor .............................................................................. 52
4.28.2. Custom Configuration..................................................................................... 53
4.29. Installation Complete ..................................................................................................... 54
4.30. Itanium Systems — Booting Your Machine and Post-Installation Setup...................... 55
4.30.1. Post-Installation Boot Loader Options............................................................ 56
4.30.2. Booting Red Hat Enterprise Linux Automatically.......................................... 56
A. Upgrading Your Current System................................................................................................ 59
A.1. What it Means to Upgrade .............................................................................................. 59
A.2. Upgrading Your System.................................................................................................. 59
A.3. Upgrade Boot Loader Configuration............................................................................... 60
A.3.1. Creating a New Boot Loader Configuration .................................................... 61
A.3.2. Advanced Boot Loader Configuration ............................................................. 63
A.3.3. Rescue Mode.................................................................................................... 64
A.3.4. Alternative Boot Loaders ................................................................................. 65
A.3.5. SMP Motherboards, GRUB, and LILO ........................................................... 65
A.4. Upgrading Packages........................................................................................................ 66
A.5. Upgrade Complete .......................................................................................................... 66
B. Removing Red Hat Enterprise Linux......................................................................................... 67
C. Troubleshooting Your Installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux............................................ 69
C.1. You are Unable to Boot Red Hat Enterprise Linux......................................................... 69
C.1.1. x86 Specific Instructions — Are You Unable to Boot from the CD-ROM?.... 69
C.1.2. x86 Specific Instructions — Are You Unable to Boot from a Boot Diskette?. 69
C.1.3. Are You Unable to Boot With Your RAID Card? ............................................ 70
C.1.4. Is Your System Displaying Signal 11 Errors?.................................................. 70
C.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation.................................................................................. 71
C.2.1. Is Your Mouse Not Detected? .......................................................................... 71
C.2.2. Problems with Booting into the Graphical Installation.................................... 71
C.3. Trouble During the Installation ....................................................................................... 72
C.3.1. No devices found to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux Error
Message........................................................................................................... 72
C.3.2. Saving Traceback Messages Without a Diskette Drive.................................... 72
C.3.3. Trouble with Partition Tables ........................................................................... 72
C.3.4. Using Remaining Space ................................................................................... 72
C.3.5. Other Partitioning Problems for x86 System Users ......................................... 72
C.3.6. Other Partitioning Problems for Itanium System Users................................... 73
C.3.7. Are You Seeing Python Errors? ....................................................................... 73
C.4. Problems After Installation ............................................................................................. 74

C.4.1. Trouble With the Graphical GRUB Screen on an x86-based System? ............ 74
C.4.2. Trouble With the Graphical LILO Screen on an x86-based System? .............. 74
C.4.3. Booting into a Graphical Environment ............................................................ 75
C.4.4. Problems with the X Window System (GUI)................................................... 76
C.4.5. Problems When You Try to Log In .................................................................. 76
C.4.6. Is Your RAM Not Being Recognized?............................................................. 76
C.4.7. Your Printer Will Not Work ............................................................................. 78
C.4.8. Problems with Sound Configuration ................................................................ 78
C.4.9. Apache-based httpd service/Sendmail Hangs During Startup....................... 78
C.4.10. Trouble with NVIDIA chipset........................................................................ 78
D. An Introduction to Disk Partitions............................................................................................. 81
D.1. Hard Disk Basic Concepts .............................................................................................. 81
D.1.1. It is Not What You Write, it is How You Write It............................................ 81
D.1.2. Partitions: Turning One Drive Into Many ........................................................ 83
D.1.3. Partitions within Partitions — An Overview of Extended Partitions............... 84
D.1.4. Making Room For Red Hat Enterprise Linux.................................................. 85
D.1.5. Partition Naming Scheme ................................................................................ 89
D.1.6. Disk Partitions and Other Operating Systems.................................................. 90
D.1.7. Disk Partitions and Mount Points .................................................................... 90
D.1.8. How Many Partitions?...................................................................................... 90
D.1.9. One Last Wrinkle: Using GRUB or LILO ....................................................... 91
E. Driver Media................................................................................................................................. 93
E.1. Why Do I Need Driver Media? ....................................................................................... 93
E.1.1. So What Is Driver Media Anyway?.................................................................. 93
E.1.2. How Do I Obtain Driver Media? ...................................................................... 93
E.1.3. Using a Driver Image During Installation ........................................................ 94
F. Additional Boot Options .............................................................................................................. 95
G. Additional Resources about Itanium and Linux....................................................................... 99
Index................................................................................................................................................. 101
Colophon.......................................................................................................................................... 107

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 com-
mand 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-number

is displayed in this style:

Introduction iii
The directory for the kernel source is /usr/src/

version-number

/, where

version-number

is the version of the kernel installed on this system.
Additionally, we use several different strategies to draw your attention to certain pieces of informa-
tion. 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 parti-
tions 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.

iv Introduction
Note
If you currently use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 (or greater) on an x86 system, you can perform an
upgrade.
Although upgrades are supported by the Red Hat Enterprise Linux family on x86 processors, you
are likely to have a more consistent experience by backing up your data and then installing this
release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux over your previous Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation. This
recommended reinstallation method helps to ensure the best system stability possible.
To perform an upgrade, type the following command at the boot prompt:
linux upgrade
Skim Chapter 2 Steps to Get You Started to review the basics, then read Chapter 4 Installing Red Hat
Enterprise Linux, following the directions as you go. Once you have chosen to perform an upgrade
in the installation program, refer to Appendix A Upgrading Your Current System.
If you are an experienced user and you do not need a review of the basics, you can skip ahead to
Chapter 4 Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux to begin the installation process.
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-x8664-multi in Bugzilla at:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/
When submitting a bug report, be sure to mention the manual’s identifier:
rhel-ig-x8664-multi(EN)-3-Print-RHI (2003-07-25T17:10)
If you have a suggestion for improving the documentation, try to be as specific as possible when de-
scribing 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, calcu-
lators, 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.

Introduction v
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 Xis the release number of your installed
product.

vi Introduction

Chapter 1.
Itanium System Specific Information
1.1. Itanium System Installation Overview
Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux on an Itanium system is different from installing Red Hat Enter-
prise Linux on an x86-based system. In general, the sequence of steps to a successful installation are
the following:
1. Boot into the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) Shell.
2. If you cannot boot from the CD-ROM, make an LS-120 diskette from the boot image file
provided with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
3. Using the EFI Shell and the ELILO bootloader, load and run the kernel, and boot into the Red
Hat Enterprise Linux installation program.
1.2. Itanium Systems — The EFI Shell
Before you start to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux on an Itanium, you must have a basic understand-
ing of the EFI Shell, what it does, and the information it can provide.
The EFI Shell is a console interface used to launch applications (such as the Red Hat Enterprise Linux
installation program), load EFI protocols and device drivers, and execute simple scripts. It is similar
to a DOS console and can only access media that is FAT16 (VFAT) formatted.
The EFI Shell also contains common utilities that can be used on the EFI system partition. These
utilities include edit,type,cp,rm, and mkdir. For a list of utilities and other commands, type help
at the EFI Shell prompt.
The EFI Shell contains a bootloader called ELILO. Additional information on EFI can be found at the
following URL:
http://developer.intel.com/technology/efi/index.htm
1.2.1. Itanium Systems — EFI Device Names
The map command can be used to list all devices and file systems that EFI can recognize. When your
Itanium system boots into the EFI shell, it probes your system in the following order:
1. LS-120 drive (if it contains media)
2. IDE hard drives on the primary IDE interface
3. IDE hard drives on the secondary IDE interface
4. SCSI hard drives on the SCSI interface
5. CD-ROM drives on the IDE interface
6. CD-ROM drives on the SCSI interface
To view the results of this system poll, type the following command at the EFI Shell prompt:

2 Chapter 1. Itanium System Specific Information
map
The output is listed in the order the system was probed. So, all FAT16 filesystems are listed first, then
IDE hard drives, then SCSI hard drives, then IDE CD-ROM drives, and finally SCSI CD-ROM drives.
For example, output of the map command might look like the following:
Device mapping table
fs0 : VenHw(Unknown Device:00)/HD(Part1,Sig00000000)
fs1 : VenHw(Unknown Device:80)/HD(Part1,Sig00000000)
fs2 : VenHw(Unknown Device:FF)/CDROM(Entry1)/HD(Part1,Sig00000000)
blk0 : VenHw(Unknown Device:00)
blk1 : VenHw(Unknown Device:00)/HD(Part1,Sig00000000)
blk2 : VenHw(Unknown Device:80)
blk3 : VenHw(Unknown Device:80)/HD(Part1,Sig00000000)
blk4 : VenHw(Unknown Device:80)/HD(Part2,Sig00000000)
blk5 : VenHw(Unknown Device:80)/HD(Part3,Sig00000000)
blk6 : VenHw(Unknown Device:80)/HD(Part3,Sig00000000)/HD(Part1,Sig725F7772)
blk7 : VenHw(Unknown Device:FF)
blk8 : VenHw(Unknown Device:FF)/CDROM(Entry1)
blk9 : VenHw(Unknown Device:FF)/CDROM(Entry1)/HD(Part1,Sig00000000)
In this example, there is an LS-120 diskette in the LS-120 drive as well as a CD-ROM in the CD-
ROM drive. All the listings beginning with fs are FAT16 file systems that EFI can read. All the
listings beginning with blk are block devices that EFI recognizes. Both the file systems and block
devices are listed in the order they are probed. Therefore, fs0 is the system partition on the LS-120,
fs1 is the system partition on the hard drive, and fs2 is the system partition on the CD-ROM.
1.2.2. Itanium Systems — EFI System Partition
When partitioning your hard drive for Linux, you must create a system partition that is FAT16 (VFAT)
formatted and has a mount point of /boot/efi/. This partition contains the installed Linux kernel(s)
as well as the ELILO configuration file (elilo.conf). The elilo.conf file contains a list of kernels
from which you can boot your system.

Chapter 2.
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/
2.1. 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/
2.2. 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.
2.3. Is Your Hardware Compatible?
Hardware compatibility is particularly important if you have an older system or a system that you
built yourself. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 should be compatible with most hardware in systems that
were factory built within the last two years. However, hardware specifications change almost daily, so
it is hard to guarantee that your hardware will be 100% compatible.

4 Chapter 2. Steps to Get You Started
The most recent list of supported hardware can be found at:
http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/
2.4. 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 D 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, such as Windows, OS/2, or even a different version of
Linux. For x86, AMD64, and Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel® EM64T) systems, at
least two partitions (/and swap) must be dedicated to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. For Itanium systems,
at least three partitions (/,/boot/efi/, and swap) must be dedicated to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Before you start the installation process, one of the following conditions must be met:
•Your computer must have enough unpartitioned1disk space for the installation of Red Hat Enter-
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 4.17.4 Recommended Partitioning Scheme.
If you are not sure that you meet these conditions, or if you want to know how to create free disk
space for your Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation, refer to Appendix D An Introduction to Disk
Partitions.
2.5. Can You Install Using the CD-ROM?
There are several methods that can be used to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
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. Most new computers
allow booting from the CD-ROM. If your system supports booting from the CD-ROM, it is an easy
way to begin a local CD-ROM installation.
Your BIOS may need to be changed to allow booting from your CD-ROM drive. For more information
about changing your BIOS, refer to Section 4.3.1 Booting the Installation Program on x86, AMD64,
and Intel® EM64T Systems.
2.5.1. Alternative Boot Methods
Boot CD-ROM
If you can boot using the CD-ROM drive, you can create your own CD-ROM to boot the in-
stallation program. This may be useful, for example, if you are performing an installation over a
network or from a hard drive. Refer to Section 2.5.2 Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM for
further instructions.
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.

Chapter 2. Steps to Get You Started 5
If you choose to create a boot CD-ROM, it is not necessary to create a driver diskette.
If you cannot boot from the CD-ROM drive, the following alternative boot method is available:
Boot Diskette
If you need a boot diskette2, you must create it. A boot diskette is needed if you cannot boot from
the CD-ROM. It can be used to boot from a network, block, or PCMCIA device (you also need
the corresponding driver diskette for your booting scenario).
The boot diskette image file, bootdisk.img, is located in the images/ directory on the Red
Hat Enterprise Linux CD #1. Refer to Section 2.5.3 Making an Installation Boot Diskette, for
more information on making a boot diskette.
If you choose to create a boot diskette, you must also create the appropriate driver diskette if you
are installing over a network or from a hard drive.
Driver Diskettes
If you are performing anything other than a IDE CD-ROM or hard disk installation and are
using a boot diskette, you will need at least one driver diskette that you must make in advance.
You will be prompted by the installation program to insert the driver diskette at the correct time.
For more information on driver diskettes, refer to Appendix E Driver Media.
During your installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the following driver diskettes may be
required:
Network Device Drivers Diskette
If you need a network device drivers diskette to boot from a network, you must create it. The
network device driver diskette image file, drvnet.img, is located in the images/ directory
on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD #1. Refer to Section 2.5.3 Making an Installation Boot
Diskette or Appendix E Driver Media, for more information on making a diskette.
Block Device Drivers Diskette
If you need a block device driver diskette to boot from a block device (for example, a
SCSI CD-ROM drive), you must create it. The block device driver diskette image file,
drvblock.img, is located in the images/ directory on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD
#1. Refer to Section 2.5.3 Making an Installation Boot Diskette or Appendix E Driver Me-
dia, for more information on making a diskette.
PCMCIA Device Drivers Diskette
If you are using a PCMCIA device to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux you need a PCMCIA
device driver diskette. If you need a PCMCIA device driver diskette, you must create it.
The following checklist can help you determine if you must create a PCMCIA device driver
diskette:
•You will install Red Hat Enterprise Linux from a CD-ROM, and your CD-ROM drive is
attached to your computer through a PCMCIA card.
•You will use a PCMCIA network adapter during the installation.
2. A boot diskette can be a diskette you created to boot (or start) the installation program, or it can be a diskette
you create during the installation process that can later be used to boot the operating system. Normally, your
computer boots from a hard disk, but if the hard disk is damaged, you can boot the computer from a bootable
diskette.

6 Chapter 2. Steps to Get You Started
The PCMCIA device driver diskette image file, pcmciadd.img, is located in the images/
directory on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD #1. Refer to Section 2.5.3 Making an In-
stallation Boot Diskette or Appendix E Driver Media, for more information on making a
diskette.
Note
USB Diskette Drive — You can also boot the installation program using a boot diskette in a USB
diskette drive (if your system supports booting from a USB diskette drive).
2.5.2. Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM
isolinux (not available for Itanium systems) is used for booting the Red Hat Enterprise Linux in-
stallation CD. To create your own CD-ROM to boot the installation program, use the following in-
structions:
Copy the isolinux/ directory from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD #1 into a temporary directory
(referred to here as

path-to-workspace

) using the following command:
cp -r

path-to-cd

/isolinux/

path-to-workspace

Change directories to the

path-to-workspace

directory you have created:
cd

path-to-workspace

Make sure the files you have copied have appropriate permissions:
chmod u+w isolinux/*
Finally, issue the following command to create the ISO image file:
mkisofs -o file.iso -b isolinux.bin -c boot.cat -no-emul-boot \
-boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -R -J -v -T isolinux/
Note
The above command was split into two lines for printing purposes only. When you execute this com-
mand, be sure to type it as a single command, all on the same line.
Burn the resulting ISO image (named file.iso and located in

path-to-workspace

) to a CD-
ROM as you normally would.
2.5.3. Making an Installation Boot Diskette
isolinux (not available for Itanium systems) is used for booting the Red Hat Enterprise Linux in-
stallation CD. If you have problems booting from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD, you can write
the images/bootdisk.img image to a diskette.

Chapter 2. Steps to Get You Started 7
You may need to create a diskette from an image file; for example, you may need to use updated
diskette images obtained from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux errata page:
http://www.redhat.com/apps/support/errata/
An image file contains an exact copy (or image) of a diskette’s contents. Since a diskette contains file
system information in addition to the data contained in files, the contents of the image file are not
usable until they have been written to a diskette.
For x86, AMD64, and Intel® EM64T systems: You need a blank, formatted, high-density (1.44MB),
3.5-inch diskette and access to a computer with a 3.5-inch diskette drive.
For Itanium systems: You need an LS-120 diskette and an LS-120 diskette drive.
The computer must be able to run either an MS-DOS program or the dd utility found on most Linux-
like operating systems.
The images/ directory on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD #1 contains boot images. Once you have
selected the proper image (bootdisk.img), transfer the image file onto a diskette using one of the
following methods.
2.5.3.1. Using the rawrite Utility
To make a diskette using MS-DOS, use the rawrite utility included on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux
CD #1 in the dosutils/ directory. First, label a blank, formatted diskette appropriately (such as
Boot Disk or Updates Disk). Insert it into the diskette drive. Then, use the following com-
mands (assuming your CD-ROM is drive D:):
C:\

d:
D:\

cd \dosutils
D:\dosutils

rawrite
Enter disk image source file name: ..\images\bootdisk.img
Enter target diskette drive: a:
Please insert a formatted diskette into drive A: and
press --ENTER-- : [Enter]
D:\dosutils

First, rawrite asks you for the file name of a diskette image; enter the directory and name of the
image to write (for example, ..\images\bootdisk.img). Then rawrite asks for a diskette drive
to write the image to; enter a:. Finally, rawrite asks for confirmation that a formatted diskette is
in the drive you have selected. After pressing [Enter] to confirm, rawrite copies the image file onto
the diskette. To make another diskette, label that diskette, and run rawrite again, specifying the
appropriate image file.
Note
The rawrite utility only accepts 8.3-type file names, such as filename.img3. If you
download an update image from http://www.redhat.com/ named something similar to
update-anaconda-03292002.img, you must rename it as updates.img before you run rawrite.
3. The 8.3-type file name originates from the naming convention of eight characters, a period, and
three characters for a file name extension. This naming convention supports file names between 1 and
8 characters, which cannot have spaces, and may not contain ?or _characters at the start of the
name.

8 Chapter 2. Steps to Get You Started
2.5.3.2. Using the dd Command
To make a diskette under Linux (or any other Linux-like operating system), you must have permission
to write to the device representing a diskette drive (known as /dev/fd0 under Linux).
First, label a blank, formatted diskette appropriately (such as Boot Diskette or Updates
Diskette). Insert it into the diskette drive (but do not mount4the diskette). After mounting the
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD-ROM, change to the directory containing the desired image file, and
use the following command (changing the name of the image file and diskette device as appropriate):
dd if=bootdisk.img of=/dev/fd0 bs=1440k
To make another diskette, label that diskette, and run dd again, specifying the appropriate image file.
2.6. 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 perform-
ing 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 server,
/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/
4. When you mount a diskette or CD-ROM, you make that device’s contents available to you.