% Linux Installation and Getting Started    -*- TeX -*-
% overview.tex
% Copyright (c) 1992-1994 by Matt Welsh <mdw@sunsite.unc.edu>
%
% This file is freely redistributable, but you must preserve this copyright 
% notice on all copies, and it must be distributed only as part of "Linux 
% Installation and Getting Started". This file's use is covered by the 
% copyright for the entire document, in the file "copyright.tex".

\subsection{Installation overview}

\index{installation!overview|(}

While each release of Linux is different, in general the method used to
install the software is as follows:
\begin{enumerate}

\item {\bf Repartition your hard drive(s).} If you have other operating 
systems already installed, you will need to {\em repartition\/} the drives 
in order to allocate space for Linux. This is discussed in 
Section~\ref{sec-install-prep-repartition}, below. 

\item {\bf Boot the Linux installation media.} Each distribution of Linux
has some kind of installation media---usually a ``boot floppy''---which
is used to install the software. Booting this media will either present
you with some kind of installation program, which will step you through
the Linux installation, or allow you to install the software by hand.

\item {\bf Create Linux partitions.} After repartitioning to allocate 
space for Linux, you 
create Linux partitions on that empty space. This is accomplished with 
the Linux {\tt fdisk} 
program, covered in Section~\ref{sec-install-linux-fdisk}.

\item {\bf Create filesystems and swap space.} At this point,
you will create one or more {\em filesystems}, used to store
files, on the newly-created partitions. In addition, if you plan to 
use swap space, you will create the swap space on one of your Linux partitions. 
This is covered in Sections~\ref{sec-install-linux-mkswap} 
and~\ref{sec-install-linux-mke2fs}.

\item {\bf Install the software on the new filesystems.} Finally, you will
install the Linux software on your newly-created filesystems. After this,
it's smooth sailing---if all goes well. This is covered in 
Section~\ref{sec-install-installing}. Later, in 
Section~\ref{sec-install-probs}, 
we describe what to do if anything goes
wrong.

\end{enumerate}

Many distributions of Linux provide an installation program
which will step you through the installation process, and automate
one or more of the above steps for you. Keep in mind throughout this
chapter that any number of the above steps may be automated for you,
depending on the distribution.

\ifodd\igsslack
The Slackware distribution of Linux, covered in this book,
only requires you to repartition your drive, using {\tt fdisk},
and use the {\tt setup} program to accomplish the other steps.
\fi

{\bf Important hint:} While preparing to install Linux, the best advice
that we can give is to {\em take notes\/} during the entire procedure. 
Write down everything that you do, everything that you type, and everything
that you see that might be out of the ordinary. The idea here is simple:
if (or when!) you run into trouble, you want to be able to retrace your
steps and find out what went wrong. Installing Linux isn't difficult, but
there are many details to remember. You want to have a record of all of
these details so that you can experiment with other methods if something
goes wrong. Also, keeping a notebook of your Linux installation experience
is useful when you want to ask other people for help, for example, when
posting a message to one of the Linux-related USENET groups. Your notebook
is also something that you'll want to show to your grandchildren 
someday.\footnote{The author shamefully admits that he kept
a notebook of all of his tribulations with Linux for the first few
months of working with the system. It is now gathering dust on his bookshelf.}

\index{installation!overview|)}
