Chapter 2. Getting Ready for the Installation

This chapter explains how to prepare for the installation of Red Hat Linux. Installing Red Hat Linux is a fairly straightforward process, but taking time to prepare for it will make things go much more smoothly. In this chapter, we'll discuss what you need to do prior to starting the installation.

Please Note

If you currently use Red Hat Linux 2.0 (or greater), you can perform an upgrade. Skim this chapter to review the basics, and read the chapter containing the pre-installation information applicable to your architecture. Then read Chapter 5 and follow the directions. The upgrade procedure starts out identically to the installation procedure. Once you have chosen to perform an upgrade during the graphical installation process, refer to Chapter 7.

If you are an experienced user and do not need to review the basics, you can skip to the chapter containing the pre-installation information for your architecture.

	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'll find the FAQ online at: http://www.redhat.com/support/docs/faqs/rhl_general_faq/FAQ.html.

Do You Have the Right Red Hat Linux Components?

If you've purchased the Official Red Hat Linux boxed set, you're ready to go! However, mistakes occasionally happen, so now is a good time to double-check the contents of your boxed set.

A registration card is in your Red Hat Linux box. A list of the contents of your boxed set is on the back of that card. Please read over the list and check to make sure that you have all the CDs and manuals that are available with your version of Red Hat Linux.

If you've purchased the Official Red Hat Linux boxed set from Red Hat, Inc. (or one of its distributors), and you're missing one or more of the items listed, please let us know! Contact information is also available on the registration 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-xx-y

(The xx and y will be replaced with numbers which uniquely identify your particular product.) If your box has an ISBN number in this form, and you're missing something, please use the contact information included on the registration card.

Keep in mind that Red Hat partners with international and domestic companies so that we can make Red Hat Linux available to you in the most convenient form. Because of this, you might find that your Red Hat Linux boxed set may not have been actually produced by Red Hat.

If your box has a different ISBN number (or none at all), you'll need to contact the company that produced your boxed set. Normally, third-party producers will include their logo and/or contact information on the outside of the box; an official Red Hat Linux boxed set lists only our name and contact information.

No Boxed Set? No Problem!

Of course, not everyone purchases a Red Hat Linux boxed set. You can install Red Hat Linux using a CD created by another company, or even via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). In these cases, you may need to create one or more diskettes to get started.

For information on downloading Red Hat Linux via FTP, refer to http://www.redhat.com/download/howto_download.html.