Install Options

Please Note

Feature: Red Hat Linux 7.0 has a installation method known as a "partitionless" installation. If your system has a FAT (DOS/Windows) partition with sufficient free space, you can install Red Hat Linux without repartitioning your hard drive. This method is perfect for people who are new to Linux, and would like to try Red Hat Linux with a minimum of disruption to their computer. To learn more about this method, refer to Appendix B.

Red Hat Linux allows you to choose the installation type that best fits your needs. Your options include: Workstation, Server, Custom, or Upgrade.

	Warning
	Installing Red Hat Linux over another installation of Linux (including Red Hat Linux) does not preserve any information (files or data) from a prior installation. Make sure you save any important files! If you are worried about saving the current data on your existing system (without making a backup on your own), you should consider performing an upgrade instead (see Appendix A).

Choosing your specific installation type also determines where you should go for documentation on that choice.

• Graphical Workstation Installation -- Official Red Hat Linux Installation Guide, (this chapter, please continue reading)

• Graphical Server Installation -- Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide on the Documentation CD; Chapter: Installing Red Hat Linux via the GUI

• Graphical Custom Installation -- Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide on the Documentation CD; Chapter: Installing Red Hat Linux via the GUI

• Text Mode Workstation Installation -- Official Red Hat Linux Installation Guide; Chapter Installing in Text Mode

• Text Mode Server Installation -- Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide on the Documentation CD; Chapter: Installing Red Hat Linux via Text Mode

• Text Mode Custom Installation -- Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide on the Documentation CD; Chapter: Installing Red Hat Linux via Text Mode

Choosing a Workstation Installation

	Warning
	A workstation-class installation will erase all information in all Linux-related partitions from every one of your computer's hard drive(s).

You usually install Red Hat Linux on a clean disk partition or set of partitions, or over another installation of Linux.

Warning

Do not choose a workstation-class installation if you're sharing a disk with Windows NT; if you do, you will be unable to boot Windows NT. LILO will write over NT's boot loader and you will be unable to boot NT. You must perform a custom-class installation and configure LILO so that it is not installed on the Master Boot Record (MBR). To create a dual-boot environment on a system that currently has NT, you must install LILO on the first sector of the root partition, not the MBR. Please be sure to create a boot disk. In a case such as this, you will either need to use the boot disk, or configure the NT system loader to boot LILO from the first sector of the root partition. Be sure to check out http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+NT-Loader.html for more information on setting up LILO and NT.