Red Hat LINUX ADVANCED SERVER 2.1 - User manual

Red Hat Linux Advanced Server
2.1
The Official Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server Installation
Guide
For the Itanium®Processor

Red Hat Linux Advanced Server 2.1: For the Itanium®Processor
Copyright © 2002 by Red Hat, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................... v
1. Document Conventions......................................................................................................... v
2. How to Use This Manual ....................................................................................................vii
2.1. We Need Feedback! .............................................................................................vii
1. Steps to Get You Started................................................................................................................. 9
1.1. Do You Have the Right Components? ............................................................................... 9
1.1.1. Where to Find Other Manuals............................................................................. 9
1.1.2. Registering Your Product.................................................................................. 10
1.1.3. No Boxed Set? No Problem!............................................................................. 10
1.2. Is Your Hardware Compatible?........................................................................................ 10
1.3. Do You Have Enough Disk Space?.................................................................................. 10
1.3.1. Installation Disk Space Requirements .............................................................. 11
1.4. Which Installation Class is Best For You?....................................................................... 11
1.4.1. Advanced Server Installations .......................................................................... 12
1.4.2. Custom Installations ......................................................................................... 12
2. Before You Begin the Installation Process .................................................................................. 15
2.1. Installation Overview....................................................................................................... 15
2.1.1. Disk Space Requirements ................................................................................. 15
2.2. The EFI Shell ................................................................................................................... 15
2.2.1. EFI Device Names ............................................................................................ 15
2.2.2. EFI System Partition ......................................................................................... 16
2.2.3. Booting the Installation Program...................................................................... 16
3. Installing Red Hat Linux Advanced Server ............................................................................... 19
3.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface......................................................... 19
3.1.1. A Note about Virtual Consoles ......................................................................... 19
3.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface ....................................................... 20
3.2.1. Using the Keyboard to Navigate....................................................................... 21
3.2.2. Displaying Online Help .................................................................................... 22
3.3. Selecting an Installation Method ..................................................................................... 22
3.4. Installing from CD-ROM................................................................................................. 22
3.4.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found? .................................................... 23
3.5. Preparing for a Network Installation................................................................................ 24
3.5.1. Setting Up the Server........................................................................................ 24
3.6. Installing via NFS ............................................................................................................ 24
3.7. Installing via FTP............................................................................................................. 25
3.8. Installing via HTTP.......................................................................................................... 26
3.9. Welcome to Red Hat Linux.............................................................................................. 27
3.10. Language Selection........................................................................................................ 27
3.11. Keyboard Configuration................................................................................................. 28
3.12. Mouse Configuration ..................................................................................................... 29
3.13. Install Options................................................................................................................ 31
3.14. Disk Partitioning Setup.................................................................................................. 31
3.15. Automatic Partitioning................................................................................................... 32
3.16. Partitioning Your System ............................................................................................... 33
3.16.1. Graphical Display of Hard Drive(s)................................................................ 34
3.16.2. Disk Druid’s Buttons ..................................................................................... 34
3.16.3. Partition Fields ................................................................................................ 35
3.16.4. Recommended Partitioning Scheme............................................................... 35
3.16.5. Adding Partitions ............................................................................................ 35
3.16.6. Editing Partitions ............................................................................................ 37
3.16.7. Deleting a Partition ......................................................................................... 37
3.17. Partitioning with parted ................................................................................................ 38

3.18. Network Configuration .................................................................................................. 38
3.19. Firewall Configuration ................................................................................................... 40
3.20. Language Support Selection .......................................................................................... 42
3.21. Time Zone Configuration............................................................................................... 43
3.22. Account Configuration................................................................................................... 44
3.22.1. Setting the Root Password .............................................................................. 45
3.22.2. Setting Up User Accounts............................................................................... 46
3.23. Package Group Selection ............................................................................................... 46
3.23.1. Selecting Individual Packages ........................................................................ 47
3.23.2. Unresolved Dependencies............................................................................... 48
3.24. X Configuration — Video Card ..................................................................................... 49
3.24.1. Video Card Configuration............................................................................... 49
3.25. Preparing to Install......................................................................................................... 50
3.26. Installing Packages......................................................................................................... 50
3.27. X Configuration — Monitor and Customization ........................................................... 51
3.27.1. Configuring Your Monitor .............................................................................. 51
3.27.2. Custom Configuration..................................................................................... 52
3.28. Installation Complete..................................................................................................... 53
3.29. Booting Your Machine and Post-Installation Setup....................................................... 53
3.29.1. Specifying the Kernel ..................................................................................... 53
3.29.2. Post-Installation Boot Loader Options............................................................ 54
3.29.3. Using a Startup Script ..................................................................................... 54
A. Additional Resources about Itanium and Linux ....................................................................... 57
B. Troubleshooting Your Installation of Red Hat Linux Advanced Server................................. 59
B.1. You are Unable to Boot Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.............................................. 59
B.1.1. Is Your System Displaying Signal 11 Errors?.................................................. 59
B.2. Trouble Beginning the Installation.................................................................................. 59
B.2.1. Problems with Booting into the Graphical Installation.................................... 59
B.2.2. Is Your Mouse Not Detected? .......................................................................... 59
B.3. Trouble During the Installation ....................................................................................... 60
B.3.1. Partition Creation Problems ............................................................................. 60
B.3.2. Other Partitioning Problems............................................................................. 60
B.3.3. Are You Seeing Python Errors? ....................................................................... 60
B.4. Problems After Installation ............................................................................................. 61
B.4.1. Problems with Server Installations and X........................................................ 62
B.4.2. Problems When You Try to Log In .................................................................. 62
B.4.3. Your Printer Will Not Work Under X...............................................................62
B.4.4. Problems with Sound Configuration ................................................................ 62
C. An Introduction to Disk Partitions............................................................................................. 63
C.1. Hard Disk Basic Concepts............................................................................................... 63
C.1.1. It is Not What You Write, it is How You Write It............................................ 63
C.1.2. Partitions: Turning One Drive Into Many ........................................................ 65
C.1.3. Partitions within Partitions — An Overview of Extended Partitions...............68
C.1.4. Making Room For Red Hat Linux Advanced Server....................................... 69
C.1.5. Partition Naming Scheme................................................................................. 73
C.1.6. Disk Partitions and Other Operating Systems.................................................. 74
C.1.7. Disk Partitions and Mount Points..................................................................... 74
C.1.8. How Many Partitions?...................................................................................... 75
Index................................................................................................................................................... 77

Introduction
Welcome to the Official Red Hat Linux Advanced Server Installation Guide. This guide contains
useful information to assist you during the installation of Red Hat Linux Advanced Server. 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 Linux Advanced Server.
This manual will walk you through a typical installation using the Red Hat Linux Advanced Server
CD-ROMs. Once you have completed the installation as outlined in this manual, you will have a fully
functioning system.
1. Document Conventions
When you read this manual, you will see that certain words are represented in different fonts, type-
faces, 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 filenames). In these cases, they are considered
to be part of the command, so the entire phrase will be 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.
filename
Filenames, 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 Red Hat Linux
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 filesystems.
Install the webalizer RPM if you want to use a Web server log file analysis program.
application
This style should indicate to you that the program named is an end-user application (as opposed
to system software). For example:
Use Netscape Navigator 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 will
display 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 will exit your graphical session and return you to
the graphical login screen or the console.

vi Introduction
text found on a GUI interface
A title, word, or phrase found on a GUI interface screen or window will be shown in this style.
When you see text shown in this style, it 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
When you see a word in this style, it 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 Settings on a GNOME terminal, you will see the following menu items: Preferences,
Reset Terminal,Reset and Clear, and Color selector.
If you need to type in a sequence of commands from a GUI menu, they will be shown like the
following example:
Click on Programs=>Applications=>Emacs to start the Emacs text editor.
button on a GUI screen or window
This style indicates that the text will 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
When you see text in this style, it indicates text displayed by the computer on the command line.
You will see responses to commands you typed in, error messages, and interactive prompts for
your input during scripts or programs shown this way. For example:
Use the ls command to display the contents of a directory:
$ ls
Desktop axhome logs paulwesterberg.gif
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,
will be 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 will need to type in the text
command at the boot: prompt.
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 will be marked as note, tip,
important, caution, or a warning. For example:

Introduction vii
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
If you choose not to partition manually, a server installation will remove all existing partitions on all
installed hard drives. Do not choose this installation class unless you are sure you have no data you
need to save.
2. How to Use This Manual
This manual focuses on a CD-ROM based installation, so it is ideal for users (both new and old) who
want a quick and simple installation solution. It will help you prepare your system, walk you through
the installation, and assist you in the configuration of Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.
If you are an experienced user who wants to perform a Red Hat Linux Advanced Server CD-ROM
installation, and you do not need a review of the basics, you can skip ahead to Chapter 3 to begin the
installation process.
Tip
Refer to the Red Hat Frequently Asked Questions for answers to questions and problems that may
occur before, during, or after the installation. You will find the FAQ online at:
http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/faqs/rhl_general_faq/

viii Introduction
2.1. We Need Feedback!
If you spot a typo in the Official Red Hat Linux Advanced Server Installation Guide, or if you have
thought of a way to make this manual better, we would love to hear from you! Please submit a report
against the component rhl-ig-as-itanium in Bugzilla at:
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/
When submitting a bug report, be sure to mention the manual’s identifier:
rhl-ig-as-itanium(EN)-2.1-HTML-RHI (2002-09-19T10:24-0400)
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/

Chapter 1.
Steps to Get You Started
Note
Although this manual reflects the most current information possible, you should read the to Red Hat
Linux Advanced Server Release Notes for information that may not have been available prior to our
documentation being finalized. The Release Notes can be found on the Red Hat Linux Advanced
Server CD #1 and online at:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux
Before you install to Red Hat Linux Advanced Server, you should perform the following steps:
1.1. Do You Have the Right Components?
If you have purchased the Official Red Hat Linux Advanced Server boxed set, you are ready to go.
However, mistakes occasionally happen, so now is a good time to double-check the contents of your
product.
A black, red, and white Registration Information card is included with your product. A list of the
contents of your boxed set version is on the back of the card. Please read over the list and check to
make sure that you have all the CDs and manuals that are included with the version of Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server that you purchased.
If you have purchased the Official Red Hat Linux Advanced Server boxed set from Red Hat, Inc.
(or one of our distributors), and you are missing one or more of the items listed, please let us know.
Contact information is also available on the Registration Information card.
How to identify our official boxed set: The bottom of our box has an ISBN number next to one of the
bar codes. That ISBN number should be in this form:
1-58569-x-y
(The xand ywill be unique numbers.)
Red Hat partners with companies (international and domestic) so that we can make Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server available to you in the most convenient form. Because of these partnerships, you
might find that your Red Hat Linux Advanced Server product may not have been actually produced
by Red Hat.
If your product has a different ISBN number (or none at all), you will need to contact the company
that produced it. Normally, third-party producers will include their logo and/or contact information
on the outside of their box; an official Red Hat Linux Advanced Server boxed set lists only our name
and contact information.
1.1.1. Where to Find Other Manuals
If your particular product did not include all of the printed Red Hat Linux Advanced Server manuals,
or if you would like to referece other Red Hat Linux manuals, you can find them online or on the Red

10 Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started
Hat Linux Advanced Server Documentation CD included with your official Red Hat Linux Advanced
Server product.
To find the manuals in both HTML and PDF formats online, go to:
http://www.redhat.com/docs
1.1.2. Registering Your Product
If you have purchased the Official Red Hat Linux Advanced Server boxed set, you should register
your product. Registration offers many useful services, such as access to Red Hat Network and more.
To register your product, go to:
http://www.redhat.com/apps/activate/
You will find your Product ID on the Registration Information card in your Official Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server boxed set. Once registered, you will have access to all the extras that Red Hat
provides to its registered users.
1.1.3. No Boxed Set? No Problem!
Of course, not everyone purchases a Red Hat Linux Advanced Server boxed set. It is entirely possible
to install Red Hat Linux Advanced Server using a CD created by another company, or even via FTP.
In these cases, you may need to create one or more diskettes to get started.
For people installing Red Hat Linux Advanced Server from a CD-ROM not from Red Hat, you may
need a boot disk. You may also be able to start the installation directly from the CD. We will discuss
this in more detail when we outline the various installation methods.
For information on making diskettes, see Section 2.2.3.2.
1.2. Is Your Hardware Compatible?
Hardware compatibility is particularly important if you have an older system or a system that you built
yourself. Red Hat Linux Advanced Server 2.1 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.
The most recent list of supported hardware can be found at:
http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/
1.3. Do You Have Enough Disk Space?
Nearly every modern-day operating system (OS) uses disk partitions, and Red Hat Linux Advanced
Server is no exception. When you install Red Hat Linux Advanced Server, 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) read Appendix C before proceeding.
The disk space used by Red Hat Linux Advanced Server must be separate from the disk space used
by other OSes you may have installed on your system. At least three partitions (/,/boot/efi, and
swap) must be dedicated to Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.
Before you start the installation process, one of the following conditions must be met:

Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started 11
•Your computer must have enough unpartitioned1disk space for the installation of Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server.
•You must have one or more partitions that may be deleted, thereby freeing up enough disk space to
install Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.
1.3.1. Installation Disk Space Requirements
Note
These recommendations are based on an installation that only installs one language (such as En-
glish). If you plan to install multiple languages to use on your system, you should increase the disk
space requirements.
Advanced Server
An Advanced Server installation, without a desktop environment, requires at least 1.8 GB of free
disk space. Choosing to install GNOME or KDE, requires at least 2.3 GB of free space. Choosing
both GNOME and KDE requires at least 2.8 GB of free disk space.
Custom
A Custom installation requires 500 MB for a minimal installation and at least 4.2 GB of free
space if every package is selected.
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 Linux Advanced Server installation, please refer to Appendix C.
1.4. Which Installation Class is Best For You?
Usually, Red Hat Linux Advanced Server is installed on its own disk partition or set of partitions, or
over another installation of Linux.
Warning
Installing Red Hat Linux Advanced Server over another installation of Linux (including Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server) does not preserve any information (files or data) from a prior installation. Make
sure you save any important files! To preserve the current data on your existing system, you should
back up your data and/or consider performing an upgrade instead.
Red Hat Linux Advanced Server provides the following different types, of installations:
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 will behave like a separate disk
drive.

12 Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started
Advanced Server
Red Hat Linux Advanced Server includes technology and services appropriate for enterprise
servers hosting mission critical applications. Ideal for high-availability and failover solutions,
Advanced Server is a reliable and powerful server that delivers the best Red Hat innovations while
protecting the stability of your server applications. Advanced Server is intended for the contin-
uous operation of reliable, constant load internet and intranet applications (such as databases),
especially supported third-party software solutions.
Custom
A custom installation allows you the greatest flexibility during your installation. You choose your
boot loader, which packages you want, and more. Custom installations are most appropriate for
those users more familiar with Red Hat Linux installations and for those afraid of losing complete
flexibility.
These classes give you the option of simplifying the installation process (with some potential for loss
of configuration flexibility), or retaining flexibility with a slightly more complex installation process.
Next, take a detailed look at each class, so you can see which one is right for you.
1.4.1. Advanced Server Installations
A Red Hat Linux Advanced Server installation will install your choice of the GNOME or KDE desk-
top environments, or both, and the X Window System (the graphical software on which the desktop
environments are based).
Below are the minimum recommended disk space requirements for installations where only one lan-
guage (such as English) will be installed.
•Advanced Server without a desktop environment: 1.8 GB
•Advanced Server choosing GNOME or KDE : 2.3 GB
•Advanced Server choosing both GNOME and KDE: 2.8 GB
If you plan to choose all package groups (for example, GNOME is a group of packages), as well as
select additional individual packages, you may want to allow yourself 3 GB or more of disk space.
1.4.1.1. What an Advanced Server Installation Will Do
If you choose automatic partitioning, an installation will create the following partitions:
•A 100 MB partition (mounted as /boot/efi and formatted as type vfat) in which the Linux kernel,
the ELILO configuration files, and other related files reside.
•The size of the swap partition is determined by the amount of RAM in your system and the amount
of space available on your hard drive. For example, if you have 128 MB of RAM then the swap
partition created can be 128 MB - 256 MB (twice your RAM), depending on how much disk space
is available.
•A root partition (mounted as /) in which all other files are stored (the exact size of this partition is
dependent on your available disk space).
1.4.2. Custom Installations
The custom installation allows you the most flexibility during your installation.
The recommended disk space requirements for a custom installation are as follows:

Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started 13
•Custom (minimum): 500 MB
•Custom (choosing everything): 4.2 GB
1.4.2.1. What a Custom Installation Will Do
As you might guess from the name, a custom installation puts the emphasis on flexibility. You have
complete control over which packages will be installed on your system.
If you choose automatic partitioning, a custom installation will create the following partitions:
•A 100 MB partition (mounted as /boot/efi and formatted as vfat) in which the Linux kernel,
ELILO configuration files, and other related files reside.
•
The size of the swap partition is determined by the amount of RAM in your system and the amount
of space available on your hard drive. For example, if you have 128 MB of RAM then the swap
partition created can be 128 MB - 256 MB (twice your RAM), depending on how much disk space
is available.
•A root partition (mounted as /) in which all other files are stored (the exact size of this partition is
dependent on your available disk space).

14 Chapter 1. Steps to Get You Started

Chapter 2.
Before You Begin the Installation Process
2.1. Installation Overview
Installing Red Hat Linux Advanced Server on an Itanium system is different from installing Red
Hat Linux Advanced Server on an x86 machine. 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 can not boot from the CD-ROM and the system has an LS-120 or LS-240 drive, make an
LS-120 diskette from the boot image file provided with Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.
3. Using the EFI Shell and the ELILO boot loader, load and run the kernel, and boot into the Red
Hat Linux Advanced Server installation program.
2.1.1. Disk Space Requirements
Before you begin the installation, be aware that you will need certain amounts of free disk space to
install Red Hat Linux Advanced Server.
•At minimum, you will need 512 MB of RAM and 1 GB of free hard disk space to install.
•You should have 1024 MB of RAM and 4.2 GB or more of free hard disk space on your machine
for a full installation.
Depending upon what type of installation you are performing, you may need an LS-120 diskette.
2.2. The EFI Shell
Before you start to install Red Hat Linux Advanced Server on an Itanium, you will need a basic
understanding 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 Linux Advanced
Server installation program), load EFI protocols and device drivers, and execute simple scripts. It is
similar to a DOS console and can access media that is FAT16 (vfat) or FAT32 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. To see a list of utilities and other commands, type
help at the EFI Shell prompt.
Additional information on EFI can be found at the following URL:
http://developer.intel.com/technology/efi/index.htm
2.2.1. 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 or LS-240 drive (if it contains media)

16 Chapter 2. Before You Begin the Installation Process
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:
Shell

map
The output is listed in the order the system was probed. So, all FAT16 file systems 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.
2.2.2. EFI System Partition
When partitioning your hard drive for Linux, you must create a system partition that is FAT16 (vfat)
or FAT32 formatted and has a mount point of /boot/efi. This partition will contain the installed
Linux kernel(s) as well as the elilo configuration file (/boot/efi/EFI/redhat/elilo.conf).
The elilo.conf file contains a list of kernels from which you can boot your system.
2.2.3. Booting the Installation Program
Your Itanium system will probably be able to boot the Red Hat Linux Advanced Server installation
program directly from the Red Hat Linux Advanced Server CD 1. If your Itanium cannot boot the
installation program from the CD-ROM, you must boot from a diskette. See Section 2.2.3.2 for more
information on booting from a diskette.

Chapter 2. Before You Begin the Installation Process 17
2.2.3.1. Booting the Installation Program from the CD-ROM
To boot from Red Hat Linux Advanced Server CD 1 follow these steps:
1. Remove all media except Red Hat Linux Advanced Server CD 1.
2. From the Boot Option menu choose EFI Shell.
Note
On some systems, the EFI shell can be found under a System Utilities submenu.
3. At the Shell

prompt, change to the file system on the CD-ROM. For example, in the above
sample map output, the system partition on the CD-ROM is fs1. To change to the fs1 file
system, you would type fs1: at the prompt.
4. Type elilo linux to boot into the installation program.
5. Go to Chapter 3 to begin the installation.
2.2.3.2. Booting the Installation Program from an LS-120 Diskette
If your Itanium will not boot from Red Hat Linux Advanced Server CD 1, you may need to boot from
an LS-120 diskette.
Tip
The installation program supports passing the askmethod boot command to the installation program.
This command asks you to select the installation method you would like to use when booting from
the Red Hat Linux Advanced Server CD.
To boot from an LS-120 diskette follow these steps:
1. You will need to create an LS-120 boot image file diskette from the boot image file on CD 1:
images/boot.img. To create this diskette in Linux, insert a blank LS-120 diskette and type
the following command at a shell prompt:
dd if=boot.img of=/dev/hda bs=180k
Replace boot.img with the full path to the boot image file and /dev/hda with the correct
device name for the LS-120 diskette drive.
2. Insert the LS-120 diskette you made from the boot image file boot.img. If you are performing
a local CD-ROM installation but booting off the LS-120 diskette, insert the Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server CD 1 also. If you are performing an NFS image, FTP, or HTTP installation,
you do not need the CD-ROM.
3. From the Boot Option menu choose EFI Shell.
Note
On some systems, the EFI shell can be found under a System Utilities submenu.
4. At the Shell  prompt, change the device to the LS-120 drive by typing the command fs0:,
using the example map output above.
5. Type elilo linux to boot into the installation program.

18 Chapter 2. Before You Begin the Installation Process
6. If you are not performing a CD-ROM install, you will need to choose a few basic options for
your system and then you will need to select which installation method you would like to use.
7. Go to Chapter 3 for further instructions.
2.2.3.3. Boot Loader Options
To pass options to the boot loader, enter the following at the EFI Shell prompt:
Shell

elilo linux option
Acceptable options that can be passed to the installation program are as follows:
•text — use text mode installation program
•lowres — use 640 x 480 resolution
•dd — use a driver disk
•expert — expert mode
•askmethod — select the installation method you would like to use when booting from the CD

Chapter 3.
Installing Red Hat Linux Advanced Server
This chapter explains how to install Red Hat Linux Advanced Server from the CD-ROM using the
graphical, mouse-based installation program. The following topics are discussed:
•Getting familiar with the installation program’s user interface
•Starting the installation program
•Selecting an installation method
•Configuration steps during the installation (language, keyboard, mouse, etc.)
•Finishing the installation
3.1. The Graphical Installation Program User Interface
If you have used a graphical user interface (GUI) before, you will be familiar with this process;
simply 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, type the following command at the EFI Shell
prompt:
Shell> elilo linux text
3.1.1. A Note about Virtual Consoles
The Red Hat Linux Advanced Server 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.
These virtual consoles can be helpful if you encounter a problem while installing Red Hat Linux
Advanced Server . Messages displayed on the installation or system consoles can help pinpoint a
problem. Please see Table 3-1 for a listing of the virtual consoles, keystrokes used to switch to them,
and their contents.
Console Keystrokes Contents
1 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F1] installation dialog
2 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F2] shell prompt
3 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F3] install log (messages from
installation program)
4 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F4] system-related messages

20 Chapter 3. Installing Red Hat Linux Advanced Server
Console Keystrokes Contents
5 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F5] other messages
7 [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[F7] X graphical display
Table 3-1. Console, Keystrokes, and Contents
Generally, there is no reason to leave the default console (virtual console #7) unless you are attempting
to diagnose installation problems.
3.2. The Text Mode Installation Program User Interface
The Red Hat Linux Advanced Server text mode installation program uses a screen-based interface
that includes most of the on-screen "widgets" commonly found on graphical user interfaces. Figure
3-1, and Figure 3-2, illustrate the screens you will see.
Figure 3-1. Installation Program Widgets as seen in Boot Loader Configuration