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 and AMD64 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 installation 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.
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 diskette[1], 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 Media, 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.
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 Installation 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 installation CD. To create your own CD-ROM to boot the installation program, use the following instructions:
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 command, 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 installation CD. If you have problems booting from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD, you can write the images/bootdisk.img image to a diskette.
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 and AMD64 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 commands (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-- : |
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
| Note |
|---|---|
The rawrite utility only accepts 8.3-type file names, such as filename.img[2]. 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. |
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 mount[3] the 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.