Entry 50 - Installing Fedora: Linux Salad from Linux Shoite

Installing Fedora: Linux Salad from Linux Shoite

Installing Fedora: Linux Salad from Linux Shoite

Open source has its rough edges, but every time I feel like griping, I remember how much I paid for it, and the loads of hard work that people put in every day to make something like Fedora Core a reality. I suppose in this world of instant gratification, one might be tempted to dismiss Linux as inconvenient (as I often do in a hissy), but really, think of how much you'd pay for Windows, if you play by the rules. Anyhoo -- like I was saying - There are some rough spots you have to deal with. There are a couple things I recommend:

• If you are like me (that is, marginally sane) you will realize that installing Linux on your brand-new Pentium IIX 6.3GHz Pimp Rig that runs just fine with XP is a bad idea. Dual booting systems are notoriously jumpy, and messing with the Master Boot Record when you really have no idea how Linux does bootloading is a recipe for catastrophe. Find yourself a hinkybox -- That old piece of crap in your closet, perhaps. I do all my big-ticket item shopping in Lil' Tijuana -- my affectionate name for the local flea market.
• Know your system. I am a dork, so I have no trouble with the gruntwork; namely, finding and cataloging model numbers and chipset names for my hardware. This can be important. Though most times when I am doing a Linux installation the victim computer is still in chunks and open to the world, you might not be like me, and having this info handy is a godsend if you happen to run into a driver issue. (This becomes more likely the newer your hardware is, but especially if you are building a laptop.) Go online and download the manufacturer's manuals in PDF form if available, and make a note of any BIOS revisions and stuff like that they have recommended for your particular model.
• Right in hand with the "Hard-awareness" would be having a viable research tool. Maintain a second connected computer so you can do quick searches on seemingly arcane Linux phrases like e2fsck and "kernel panic: no init found". I'd like to think that it is my unswerving brilliance that allows me to bring a Linux box out of the dumper, but ~99.99% of the time, it is Google. There are numerous Linux Users Groups around the world, and many times that many mailing lists on which you can peruse other people's questions, and if all else fails, ask a question yourself. It is very rare that I do not find an answer with Google. They even have a special focused search for Linux people. Check it out. http://www.google.com?linux=
• Don't be like me. Download The ISO's of your chosen distro, and please, for your sake, run md5summer! No one likes to make coasters, and even fewer I suspect enjoy getting 3/4's of the way through an install and having it crash and burn. Network installs are great, if you have the bandwidth, but they are sort of complex and require some extra steps to complete successfully. I will cover that bit later.
• Chatrooms are useless. You might as well stab yourself in the head with a spork -- it will provide the same amount of help (repeatedly, and for effect).
• You could always email me. My mailbox is empty most days, and I am a talky bastard. Give me a holler.

Here's the part where you begin. I am going to assume that you are bright enough (that is, brighter than me my first time) and can follow the flow of the install. The guys 'n gals over at the Fedora Project have done an excellent job with Anaconda, and I would give you a 80% chance of getting through the process with a working machine. if not - well, there are options. more often than not you can correct any issue by passing a kernel parameter at the beginning. Consult the aforementioned Google for help, and if at all possible, type in the exact error string that Anaconda spit out at you before dying. If you succeed at this the first time, you can now move on to fattening up your new hotrod with some nifty programs. ◊