Chapter 3. Installation with YaST

Contents

3.1. IBM POWER: System Start-Up for Network Installationsles
3.2. IBM System z: System Start-Up for Installationsles
3.3. System Start-Up for Installation
3.4. The Installation Workflow
3.5. The Boot Screen
3.6. Language
3.7. IBM System z: Hard Disk Configurationsles
3.8. Media Check
3.9. License Agreement
3.10. Installation Mode
3.11. Clock and Time Zone
3.12. Installation Settings
3.13. Performing the Installation
3.14. Configuration of the Installed System
3.15. Graphical Login

Abstract

After your hardware has been prepared for the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise® as described in the Architecture-Specific Information manual and after the connection with the installation system has been established, you are presented with the interface of SUSE Linux Enterprise's system assistant YaST. YaST guides you through the entire installation and configuration procedure.

3.1. IBM POWER: System Start-Up for Network Installation

For IBM POWER platforms, the system is initialized (IPL) as described in the Architecture-Specific Information manual. For a network installation, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server does not show a splash screen or boot loader command line on these systems. During the installation, load the kernel manually. YaST starts with its installation screen as soon as a connection has been established to the installation system via VNC, X, or SSH. Because there is no splash screen or boot loader command line, kernel or boot parameters cannot be entered on screen, but must be included in the kernel image using the mkzimage_cmdline utility. See the Preparation chapter in the Architecture-Specific Information manual for a description.

[Tip]IBM POWER: The Next Steps

To install, follow the description of the installation procedure with YaST starting from Section 3.6, “Language”.

3.2. IBM System z: System Start-Up for Installation

For IBM System z platforms, the system is initialized (IPL) as described in the Architecture-Specific Information manual. SUSE Linux Enterprise does not show a splash screen on these systems. During the installation, load the kernel, initrd, and parmfile manually. YaST starts with its installation screen as soon as a connection has been established to the installation system via VNC, X, or SSH. Because there is no splash screen, kernel or boot parameters cannot be entered on screen, but must be specified in a parmfile (see the parmfile information in Appendix Appendix (↑Architecture-Specific Information)).

[Tip]IBM System z: The Next Steps

To install, follow the description of the installation procedure with YaST starting from Section 3.6, “Language”.

3.3. System Start-Up for Installation

You can install SUSE Linux Enterprise from local installation sources, such as the SUSE Linux Enterprise CDs or DVD, or from the network source of an FTP, HTTP, SLP, or NFS server. Any of these approaches requires physical access to the system to install and user interaction during the installation. The installation procedure is basically the same regardless of the installation source.

3.3.1. Boot Options

Boot options other than CD or DVD exist and can be used if problems arise booting from CD or DVD. These options are described in Table 3.1, “Boot Options”.

Table 3.1. Boot Options

Boot Option

Description

DVD/CD-ROM

This is the easiest boot option. This option can be used if the system has a local CD/DVD-ROM drive that is supported by Linux.

Floppy

The images for generating boot floppies are located on CD/DVD 1 in the /boot directory. A README is available in the same directory.

PXE or BOOTP

This must be supported by the system's BIOS or firmware and a boot server must be available in the network. This task can also be handled by another SUSE Linux Enterprise system.

Hard Disk

SUSE Linux Enterprise can also be booted from the hard disk. To do this, copy the kernel (linux) and the installation system (initrd) from the directory /boot/loader on CD/DVD 1 to the hard disk and add the appropriate entry to the boot loader.


3.3.2. Installing from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Media

To install from the media, insert the first CD or DVD into the appropriate drive of the system to install. Reboot the system to boot from the media and open the boot screen.

3.3.3. Installing from a Network Server Using SLP

If your network setup supports OpenSLP and your network installation source has been configured to announce itself via OpenSLP (described in Section 4.2, “Setting Up the Server Holding the Installation Sources”), boot the system from the media or with another boot option. In the boot screen, select the desired installation option. Press F4 then select SLP.

The installation program retrieves the location of the network installation source using OpenSLP and configures the network connection with DHCP. If the DHCP network configuration fails, you are prompted to enter the appropriate parameters manually. The installation then proceeds as described below.

3.3.4. Installing from a Network Source without SLP

If your network setup does not support OpenSLP for the retrieval of network installation sources, boot the system from the media or with another boot option. In the boot screen, select the desired installation option. Press F4 then select the desired network protocol (NFS, HTTP, FTP, or SMB). Provide the server's address and the path to the installation media.

The installation program retrieves the location of the network installation source using OpenSLP and configures the network connection with DHCP. If the DHCP network configuration fails, you are prompted to enter the appropriate parameters manually. The installation then proceeds as described below.

3.4. The Installation Workflow

The SUSE Linux Enterprise installation is split into three main parts: preparation, installation, configuration. During the preparation phase you configure some basic parameters such as language, time, and desktop type. In the installation phase you decide which software to install, where to install it and how to boot the installed system. Upon finishing the installation the machine reboots into the newly installed system and starts the configuration. In this stage you set up users and passwords, and configure network and Internet access as well as hardware components such as printers.

3.5. The Boot Screen

The boot screen displays a number of options for the installation procedure. Boot from Hard Disk boots the installed system and is selected default, because the CD/DVD is often left in the drive. To install the system, select one of the installation options with the arrow keys. The relevant options are:

Installation

The normal installation mode. All modern hardware functions are enabled. All modern hardware functions are enabled.

Installation—ACPI Disabled

If the normal installation fails, this might be due to the system hardware not supporting ACPI (advanced configuration and power interface). If this seems to be the case, use this option to install without ACPI support.

Installation—Local APIC Disabled

If the normal installation fails, this might be due to the system hardware not supporting local APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controllers). If this seems to be the case, use this option to install without local APIC support.

If you are not sure, try one of the following options first: Installation—ACPI Disabled or Installation—Safe Settings.

Installation—Safe Settings

Boots the system with the DMA mode (for CD-ROM drives) and power management functions disabled.

Rescue System

Starts a minimal Linux system without a graphical user interface. For more information, see Section 51.6.3.2, “Using the Rescue System”.

Memory Test

Tests your system RAM using repeated read and write cycles. Terminate the test by rebooting. For more information, see Section 51.2.5, “Fails to Boot”.

Installation options from the menu disable only the most problematic functions. If you need to disable or set other functions, use the Boot Options prompt. Find detailed information about kernel parameters at http://en.opensuse.org/Linuxrc.

Use the function keys indicated in the bar at the bottom of the screen to change the language, resolution of the monitor, or installation source or to add an additional driver from your hardware vendor:

F1 Help

Get context-sensitive help for the active element of the boot screen.

F2 Language

Select the display language for the installation. The default language is English.

F3 Video Mode

Select various graphical display modes for the installation. Select Text Mode if the graphical installation causes problems.

F4 Source

Normally, the installation is performed from the inserted installation medium. Here, select other sources, like FTP or NFS servers. If the installation is carried out in a network with an SLP server, select one of the installation sources available on the server with this option. Find information about SLP in Chapter 31, SLP Services in the Network.

F5 Driver

Press this key to tell the system that you have an optional disk with a driver update for SUSE Linux Enterprise. With File, load drivers directly from CD before the installation starts. If you select Yes, you are prompted to insert the update disk at the appropriate point in the installation process. The default option is No—not to load a driver update.

After starting the installation, SUSE Linux Enterprise loads and configures a minimal Linux system to run the installation procedure. To view the boot messages and copyright notices during this process, press Esc. On completion of this process, the YaST installation program starts and displays the graphical installer.

[Tip]Installation without a Mouse

If the installer does not detect your mouse correctly, use Tab for navigation, arrow keys to scroll, and Enter to confirm a selection.

3.5.1. Providing Data to Access a SMT Server

If your network provides a SMT server to provide a local update source, you need to equip the client with the server's URL. Client and server communicate solely via HTTPS protocol, therefore you also need to enter a path to the server's certificate if the certificate was not issued by a certificate authority. This information has to be entered at the boot prompt.

smturl

URL of the SMT server. The URL has a fixed format https://FQN/center/regsvc/ FQN has to be full qualified hostname of the SMT server. Example:

smturl=https://smt.example.com/center/regsvc/
smtcert

Location of the SMT server's certificate. Specify one of the following locations:

URL

Remote location (http, https or ftp) from which the certificate can be downloaded. Example:

smtcert=http://smt.example.com/smt-ca.crt
Floppy

Specifies a location on a floppy. The floppy has to be inserted at boot time, you will not be prompted to insert it if it is missing. The value has to start with the string floppy followed by the path to the certificate. Example:

smtcert=floppy/smt/smt-ca.crt
local path

Absolute path to the certificate on the local machine. Example:

smtcert=/data/inst/smt/smt-ca.cert
Interactive

Use ask to open a pop-up menu during the installation where you can specify the path to the certificate. Do not use this option with AutoYaST. Example

smtcert=ask
Deactivate certificate installation

Use done if either the certificate will be installed by an add-on product, or if you are using a certificate issued by an official certificate authority. Example:

smtcert=done
[Warning]Beware of typing errors

Make sure the values you enter are correct. If smturl has not been specified correctly, the registration of the update source will fail. If a wrong value for smtcert has been entered, you will be prompted for a local path to the certificate.

In case smtcert is not specified, it will default to http://FQN/smt.crt with FQN being the name of the SMT server.

3.6. Language

YaST and SUSE Linux Enterprise in general can be configured to use different languages according to your needs. The language selected here is also used for the keyboard layout. In addition, YaST uses the language setting to guess a time zone for the system clock. These settings can be modified later along with the selection of secondary languages to install on your system.

You can change the language later during installation as described in Section 3.12, “Installation Settings”. For information about language settings in the installed system, see Section 8.1, “YaST Language”.

3.7. IBM System z: Hard Disk Configuration

When installing on IBM System z platforms, the language selection dialog is followed by a dialog to configure the attached hard disks. Select DASD, Fibre Channel Attached SCSI Disks (zFCP), or iSCSI for installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise.

After selecting Configure DASD Disks, an overview lists all available DASDs. To get a clearer picture of the available devices, use the entry field located above the list to specify a range of channels to display. To filter the list according to such a range, select Filter. See Figure 3.1, “IBM System z: Selecting a DASD”.

Figure 3.1. IBM System z: Selecting a DASD

IBM System z: Selecting a DASD

Now specify the DASDs to use for the installation by selecting the corresponding entries in the list then clicking Select or Deselect. After that, activate and make the DASDs available for the installation by selecting Perform Action+Activate. See Figure 3.2, “IBM System z: Activating a DASD”. To format the DASDs, select Perform Action+Format right away or use the YaST partitioner later as described in Section 8.5.7, “Using the YaST Partitioner”.

Figure 3.2. IBM System z: Activating a DASD

IBM System z: Activating a DASD

Figure 3.3. IBM System z: Overview of Available zFCP Disks

IBM System z: Overview of Available zFCP Disks

To use zFCP disks for the SUSE Linux Enterprise installation, select Configure zFCP Disks in the selection dialog. This opens a dialog with a list of the zFCP disks available on the system. In this dialog, select Add to open another dialog in which to enter zFCP parameters. See Figure 3.3, “IBM System z: Overview of Available zFCP Disks”.

To make a zFCP disk available for the SUSE Linux Enterprise installation, choose an available Channel Number from the drop-down list. Get WWPNs (World Wide Port Number) and Get LUNs (Logical Unit Number) return lists with available WWPNs and FCP-LUNs, respectively, to choose from. When completed, exit the zFCP dialog with Next and the general hard disk configuration dialog with Finish to continue with the rest of the configuration.

[Tip]Adding DASD or zFCP Disks at a Later Stage

Adding DASD or zFCP disks is not only possible during the installation workflow, but also when the installation proposal is shown. To add disks at that stage, click Expert and scroll down. The DASD and zFCP entries are shown at the very bottom.

After adding the disks, reread the partition table. Return to the installation proposal screen and choose Partitioning then select Reread Partition Table. This reads the new partition table and resets any previously entered information.

3.8. Media Check

The media check dialog appears only if you install from media created from downloaded ISOs. If you install from the original media set, the dialog is skipped.

The media check examines the integrity of a medium. To start the media check, select the drive in that contains the installation medium and click Start Check. The check can take some time.

To test multiple media, wait until a result message appears in the dialog before changing the medium. If the last medium checked is not the one with which you started the installation, YaST prompts for the appropriate medium before continuing with the installation.

[Warning]Failure of Media Check

If the media check fails, your medium is damaged. Do not continue the installation because installation may fail or you may lose your data. Replace the broken medium and restart the installation process.

If the result of the media check is positive, click Next to continue the installation.

3.9. License Agreement

Read the license agreement that is displayed on screen thoroughly. If you agree to the terms, choose Yes, I Agree to the License Agreement and click Next to confirm your selection. If you do not agree to the license agreement, you cannot install SUSE Linux Enterprise and the installation terminates.

3.10. Installation Mode

After a system analysis where YaST tries to find other installed systems or an already existing SUSE Linux Enterprise system on your machine, YaST displays the installation modes available:

New installation

Select this option to start a new installation from scratch.

Update an existing system

Select this option to update to a newer version. For more information about system update, see Chapter 10, Updating SUSE Linux Enterprise.

Other Options

This option provides an opportunity to abort installation and boot or repair an installed system instead. To boot an already installed SUSE Linux Enterprise, select Boot Installed System. If you have problems booting an already installed SUSE Linux Enterprise, see Section 51.3, “Boot Problems”.

To repair an installed system that fails to boot, select Repair Installed System. Find a description of the system repair options in Section 51.6.3.1, “Using YaST System Repair”.

[Note]Updating an Installed System

Updating is only possible if an older SUSE Linux Enterprise system is already installed. If no SUSE Linux Enterprise system is installed, you can only perform a new installation.

You can choose to install add-on products together with your SUSE Linux Enterprise system during the initial installation process or at any time later as described inSection 8.3.2, “Installing Add-On Products”. Add-on products are extensions for your SUSE Linux Enterprise. An add-on product can include proprietary third-party products or additional software for your system.

To include add-on products during the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise, select Include Add-On Products from Separate Media and click Next. In the next dialog, click Add to select the source from which to install the add-on products. Many source types are available, such as CD, FTP, or a local directory. After adding the add-on media, you may need to agree to additional license agreements for third-party products.

3.11. Clock and Time Zone

In this dialog, select your region and time zone from the lists. During installation, both are preselected according to the selected installation language. Choose between Local Time and UTC (GMT) for Hardware Clock Set To. The selection depends on how the BIOS hardware clock is set on your machine. If it is set to GMT, which corresponds to UTC, your system can rely on SUSE Linux Enterprise to switch from standard time to daylight saving time and back automatically. Click Change to set the current date and time. When finished, click Next to continue the installation.

3.12. Installation Settings

After a thorough system analysis, YaST presents reasonable suggestions for all installation settings. Basic settings can be changed in the Overview tab, advanced options are available on the Experts tab. To modify the suggestions, either click Change and select the category to change or click on one of the headlines. After configuring any of the items presented in these dialogs, you are always returned to the summary window, which is updated accordingly.

Figure 3.4. Installation Settings

Installation Settings

[Tip]Resetting the changes to default values

You can reset all changes to the defaults by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. YaST then shows the original proposal again.

3.12.1. Overview

The options that sometimes need manual intervention in common installation situations are presented in the Overview tab. Modify Partitioning, Software selection and Locale settings here.

3.12.1.1. Keyboard Layout

To change the keyboard layout, select Keyboard Layout. By default, the layout corresponds to the language chosen for installation. Select a keyboard layout from the list. Use the Test field at the bottom of the dialog to check if you can enter special characters of that layout correctly. Find more information about changing the keyboard layout in Section 8.4.10, “Keyboard Layout”. When finished, click Accept to return to the installation summary.

►zseries: On the IBM System z platforms, the installation is performed from a remote terminal. The host as such has no keyboard or mouse locally connected to it.

3.12.1.2. Partitioning

In most cases, YaST proposes a reasonable partitioning scheme that can be accepted without change. YaST can also be used to customize the partitioning, but only experienced users should change partitioning.

When you select the Partitioning for the first time, the YaST partitioning dialog displays the proposed partition settings. To accept these settings, click Accept Proposal.

To make small changes in the proposal, select Base Partition Setup on This Proposal and adjust partitioning in the next dialog. For a completely different partitioning, select Create Custom Partition Setup. In the next dialog, choose a specific disk to partition or Custom Partitioning if you want to have access to all disks. For more information about custom partitioning, refer to Section 8.5.7, “Using the YaST Partitioner”the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server documentation. The YaST partitioner also provides a tool for LVM creation. To create an LVM proposal, select Create LVM Based Proposal. See Section 7.1, “LVM Configuration” for more information on LVM.

[Note]Using Minidisks in z/VM

If SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is installed on minidisks in z/VM, which reside on the same physical disk, the access path of the minidisks (/dev/disk/by-id/) is not unique but rather the ID of the physical disk. So if two or more minidisks are on the same physical disk, they all have the same ID.

To avoid problems when mounting the minidisks, always mount them either "by path" or "by UUID".

3.12.1.3. Software

SUSE Linux Enterprise contains a number of software packages for various application purposes. Click Software in the suggestion window to start the software selection and modify the installation scope according to your needs. Select your pattern from the list in the middle and see the description in the right part of the window. Each pattern contains a number of software packages needed for specific functions (e.g. Multimedia or Office software). For a more detailed selection based on software packages to install, select Details to switch to the YaST Software Manager. See Figure 3.5, “Installing and Removing Software with the YaST Software Manager”.

Figure 3.5. Installing and Removing Software with the YaST Software Manager

Installing and Removing Software with the YaST Software Manager

You can also install additional software packages or remove software packages from your system at any time later. For more information, refer to Section 8.3.1, “Installing and Removing Software”.

[Note]Default Desktop

The default desktop of SUSE Linux Enterprise is GNOME. To install KDE, click Software and select KDE Desktop Environment from Graphical Environments.

3.12.1.4. Language

To change the system language or to configure support for secondary languages, select Language. Select a language from the list. The primary language is used as the system language. Choose a secondary languages to be able to switch to one of these languages at any time without having to install additional packages. For more information, see Section 8.5.15, “Language Selection”.

3.12.2. Expert

If you are an advanced user and want to configure booting or change the time zone or default runlevel, select the Expert tab. It shows the following additional entries not contained on the Overview tab:

System

This dialog presents all the hardware information YaST could obtain about your computer. Select any item in the list and click Details to see detailed information about the selected item. Advanced users can also change the PCI ID setup and Kernel Settings by choosing System Settings.

Add-On Products

The added source for add-on media appears in the overview. Before you start the installation of the SUSE Linux Enterprise, add, remove, or modify add-on products here if needed.

Booting

►zseries: This module cannot be used to configure the boot loader (zipl) on the IBM System z platforms.

YaST proposes a boot configuration for your system. Normally, you can leave these settings unchanged. However, if you need a custom setup, modify the proposal for your system. For information, see Section 21.3, “Configuring the Boot Loader with YaST”.

Time Zone

This is the same as the configuration shown earlier in Section 3.11, “Clock and Time Zone”.

Default Runlevel

SUSE Linux Enterprise can boot to different runlevels. Normally there should be no need to change anything here, but if necessary, set the default runlevel with this dialog. Refer to Section 20.2.3, “Configuring System Services (Runlevel) with YaST” for information about runlevel configuration.

3.13. Performing the Installation

After making all installation settings, click Accept in the suggestion window to begin the installation. Confirm with Install. Some software may require a license confirmation. If your software selection includes such software, license confirmation dialogs are displayed. Click Accept to install the software. When not agreeing to the license, click I Disagree and the software will not be installed.

The installation usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the system performance and the software selected. During this procedure a slide show introduces the features of SUSE Linux Enterprise. Choose Details to switch to the installation log. As soon as all packages are installed, YaST boots into the new Linux system, after which you can configure the hardware and set up system services.

3.13.1. IBM System z: IPLing the Installed System

In most cases, YaST automatically reboots into the installed system on the IBM System z platform. Known exceptions to this are installations wherein the bootloader resides on an FCP device in environments with LPAR on a machine older than z9 or with z/VM older than release 5.3. The bootloader gets written to the device that holds the /boot directory. If /boot is not on a separate partition, it is on the same partition as the root file system /.

In cases where an automatic reboot is not possible, YaST will show a dialog box containing information about from which device to do an IPL. Accept the shutdown option and perform an IPL after the shutdown. The procedure varies according to the type of installation:

LPAR Installation

In the IBM System z HMC, select Load, select Clear, then enter the loading address (the device address of the device holding the /boot directory with the bootloader). If using a ZFCP disk as the boot device, choose Load from SCSI and specify the load address of your FCP adapter as well as WWPN and LUN of the boot device. Now start the loading process.

z/VM Installation

Log in to the VM guest (see Example “Configuration of a z/VM Directory” (↑Architecture-Specific Information) for the configuration) as LINUX1 and proceed to IPL the installed system:

IPL 151 CLEAR

151 is an example address of the DASD boot device, replace this value with the correct address.

If using a ZFCP disk as the boot device, specify both the ZFCP WWPN and LUN of the boot device before initiating the IPL. The parameter length is limited to eight characters. Longer numbers must be separated by spaces:

SET LOADDEV PORT 50050763 00C590A9 LUN 50010000 00000000

Finally, initiate the IPL:

IPL FC00

FC00 is an example address of the ZFCP adapter, replace this value with the correct address.

3.13.2. IBM System z: Connecting to the Installed System

After IPLing the installed system, establish a connection with it to complete the installation. The steps involved in this vary depending on the type of connection used at the outset.

3.13.2.1. Using VNC to Connect

A message in the 3270 terminal asks you to connect to the Linux system using a VNC client. This message is easily missed, however, because it is mixed with kernel messages and because the terminal process might quit before you become aware of the message. If nothing happens for five minutes, try to initiate a connection to the Linux system using a VNC viewer.

If connecting using a Java-capable browser, enter the complete URL, consisting of the IP address of the installed system along with the port number, in the following fashion:

http://<IP of installed system>:5801/

3.13.2.2. Using X to Connect

When IPLing the installed system, make sure that the X server used for the first phase of the installation is up and still available before booting from the DASD. YaST opens on this X server to finish the installation. Complications may arise if the system is booted up but unable to connect to the X server in a timely fashion.

3.13.2.3. Using SSH to Connect

[Important] IBM System z: Connecting from a Linux or UNIX System

Start SSH in an xterm. Other terminal emulators lack complete support for the text-based interface of YaST.

A message in the 3270 terminal asks you to connect to the Linux system with an SSH client. This message is easily missed, however, because it is mixed with kernel messages and because the terminal process might quit before you become aware of the message.

Once the message appears, use SSH to log in to the Linux system as root. If the connection is denied or times out, wait a few minutes then try again.

When the connection is established, execute the command /usr/lib/YaST2/startup/YaST2.ssh. yast does not suffice in this case.

YaST then starts to complete the installation of the remaining packages and create an initial system configuration.

3.14. Configuration of the Installed System

The system is installed now but not configured for use. No users, hardware, or services are configured, yet. If the configuration fails at one of the steps of this stage, it restarts and continues from the last successful step.

First, provide a password for the account of the system administrator (the root user). Configure your Internet access and network connection. With a working Internet connection, you can perform an update of the system as part of the installation. You can also connect to an authentication server for centralized user administration in a local network. Finally, configure the hardware devices connected to the machine.

3.14.1. Password for the System Administrator root

root is the name of the superuser, the administrator of the system. Unlike regular users, who may or may not have permission to do certain things on the system, root has unlimited power to do anything: change the system configuration, install programs, and set up new hardware. If users forget their passwords or have other problems with the system, root can help. The root account should only be used for system administration, maintenance, and repair. Logging in as root for daily work is rather risky: a single mistake could lead to irretrievable loss of system files.

For verification purposes, the password for root must be entered twice. Do not forget the root password. Once entered, this password cannot be retrieved.

When typing passwords, the characters are replaced by dots, so you do not see the string you are typing. If you are unsure whether you typed the correct string, use the Test Keyboard Layout field for testing purposes.

SUSE Linux Enterprise can use the DES, MD5, or Blowfish encryption algorithms for passwords. The default encryption type is Blowfish. To change the encryption type, click Expert Options+Encryption Type and select the new type.

The root can be changed any time later in the installed system. To do so run YaST and start Security and Users+User Management.

3.14.2. Hostname and Domain Name

The hostname is the computer's name in the network. The domain name is the name of the network. A hostname and domain are proposed by default. If your system is part of a network, the hostname has to be unique in this network whereas the domain name has to be common to all hosts on the network.

In many networks, the system receives its name over DHCP. In this case it is not necessary to modify the hostname and domain name. Select Change Hostname via DHCP instead. To be able to access your system using this hostname, even when it is not connected to the network, select Write Hostname to /etc/hosts. If you often change networks without restarting the desktop environment (e.g. when switching between different WLANs), do not enable this option, because the desktop system may get confused when the hostname in /etc/hosts changes.

To change hostname settings at any time after installation, use YaST Network Devices+Network Card. For more information, see Section 30.4.1, “Configuring the Network Card with YaST”.

3.14.3. Network Configuration

[Tip]IBM System z: Network Configuration

For the IBM System z platforms, a working network connection is needed at installation time to connect to the target system, the installation source, and the YaST terminal controlling the process. The steps to set up the network are discussed in the network configuration chapter of the Architecture-Specific Information manual (Chapter Preparing for Installation (↑Architecture-Specific Information)). The IBM System z platforms only support the types of network interfaces mentioned there (OSA Token Ring, OSA Ethernet, OSA Gigabit Ethernet, OSA Express Fast Ethernet, Escon, IUCV, and OSA Express High-Speed Token Ring). The YaST dialog simply displays the interface with its settings as already configured. Just confirm this dialog to continue.

By default, Traditional Method without NetworkManager Applet is enabled. If desired, you can also use NetworkManager to manage all your network devices. However, the traditional method is the preferred option for server solutions. Find detailed information about NetworkManager in Section 30.6, “Managing Network Connections with NetworkManager”.

This configuration step also lets you configure the network devices of your system and make security settings, for example, for a firewall or proxy. To configure your network connection later, select Skip Configuration and click Next. Network hardware can also be configured after the system installation has been completed. If you skip the network device configuration, your system is left offline and is unable to retrieve any available updates.

Apart from the device configuration, the following network settings can be configured in this step:

Network Mode

Enable or disable the use of NetworkManager as described above.

Firewall

By default SuSEfirewall2 is enabled on all configured network interfaces. To globally disable the firewall for this computer, click on disable. If the firewall is enabled, you may open the SSH port in order to allow remote connections via secure shell. To open the detailed firewall configuration dialog, click on Firewall. See Section 43.4.1, “Configuring the Firewall with YaST” for detailed information.

IPv6

By default, the IPv6 support is enabled. To disable it, click Disable IPv6. For more information about IPv6, see Section 30.2, “IPv6—The Next Generation Internet”.

VNC Remote Administration

To administer your machine remotely by VNC, click Change+VNC Remote Administration, enable remote administration, and open the port in the firewall. If you have multiple network devices and want to select on which to open the port, click Firewall Details and select the network device. You can also use SSH, a more secure option, for remote administration.

Proxy

If you have a proxy server controlling the Internet access in your network, configure the proxy URLs and authentication details in this dialog.

[Tip]Resetting the Network Configuration to the Defaults

Reset the network settings to the original proposed values by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. This discards any changes made.

3.14.3.1. Test Internet Connection

After having configured a network connection, you can test it. For this purpose, YaST establishes a connection to the SUSE Linux Enterprise server and downloads the latest release notes. Read them at the end of the installation process. A successful test is also a prerequisite for registering and updating online.

If you have multiple network interfaces, verify that the desired card is used to connect to the Internet. If not, click Change Device.

To start the test, select Yes, Test Connection to the Internet and click Next. In the next dialog, view the progress of the test and the results. Detailed information about the test process is available via View Logs. If the test fails, click Back to return to the network configuration to correct your entries.

If you do not want to test the connection at this point, select No, Skip This Test then Next. This also skips downloading the release notes, configuring the customer center, and updating online. These steps can be performed any time after the system has been initially configured.

3.14.4. Novell Customer Center Configuration

To get technical support and product updates, first register and activate your product. Novell Customer Center Configuration provides assistance for doing so.

If you are offline or want to skip this step, select Configure Later. This also skips SUSE Linux Enterprise online update.

In Include for Convenience, select whether to send unsolicited additional information when registering. This simplifies the registration process. Click on Details to obtain in-depth information about data privacy and the data collected.

Apart from activating and registering your product, this module also adds the official update catalog to your configuration. This catalog provides fixes for known bugs or security issues which can be installed via an online update.

To keep your catalogs valid, select Regularly Synchronize with Customer Center. This option checks your catalogs and adds newly available catalogs or removes obsolete ones. It does not touch manually added catalogs.

[Tip]Technical Support

Find more information about the technical support at http://www.novell.com/support/products/linuxenterpriseserver/.

3.14.5. Online Update

If the Novell Customer Center Configuration was successful, select whether to perform a YaST online update. If there are any patched packages available on the servers, download and install them now to fix known bugs or security issues. Directives on how to perform an online update in the installed system are available at Section 8.3.5, “YaST Online Update”

[Important]Downloading Software Updates

The download of updates might take quite some time, depending on the bandwidth of the Internet connection and the size of the update files. In case the patch system itself is updated, the online update will restart and download more patches after the restart. If the kernel was updated, the system will reboot before completing the configuration.

3.14.6. Network Services

Having configured the network, a dialog opens in which to enable and configure two important network services: a certificate authority and an OpenLDAP server. If preferred, you can skip this configuration proposal for now. After the installation is finished, configure and start the same services with the help of YaST.

Figure 3.6. Proposed Setup for Network Services

Proposed Setup for Network Services

CA Management

The purpose of a CA (certificate authority) is to guarantee a trust relationship among all network services communicating with each other. Without a CA, you can secure server communications with SSL and TLS separately for each individual service. By default, a CA is created and enabled during the installation. Find details about the creation of a CA with YaST in Chapter 42, Managing X.509 Certification.

OpenLDAP Server

You can run an LDAP service on your host to have a central facility manage a range of configuration files. Typically, an LDAP server handles user account data, but with SUSE Linux Enterprise it can also be used for mail, DHCP, and DNS data. Find details about LDAP and its configuration with YaST in Chapter 36, LDAP—A Directory Service.

[Tip]Resetting the Service Configuration to Defaults

Restore the defaults by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. This discards any changes made.

3.14.7. Users

If network access was configured successfully during the previous steps of the installation, you can now choose from several user management options. If a network connection has not been configured, create local user accounts. For detailed information about user management, see Section 8.9.1, “User Management”the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server documentation.

Local (/etc/passwd)

Users are administered locally on the installed host. This is a suitable option for stand-alone workstations. User data is managed by the local file /etc/passwd. All users who are entered in this file can log in to the system even if no network is available.

If YaST found a former version of SUSE Linux Enterprise or another system using /etc/passwd, it offers to import local users. To do so, check Read User Data from a Previous Installation and click Choose. In the next dialog, select the users to import and click OK.

LDAP

Users are administered centrally on an LDAP server for all systems in the network. More information is available in Section 36.6, “Configuring an LDAP Client with YaST”.

NIS

Users are administered centrally on a NIS server for all systems in the network. See Section 35.2, “Configuring NIS Clients” for more information.

Windows Domain

SMB authentication is often used in mixed Linux and Windows networks. Detailed information is available in Section 37.6, “Samba Server in the Network with Active Directory”.

[Note]Content of the Authentication Menu

If you use the custom package selection and one or more authentication methods are missing from the menu, the required packages probably are not installed.

Along with the selected user administration method, you can use Kerberos authentication. This is essential for integrating your SUSE Linux Enterprise to an Active Directory domain, which is described in Section 37.6, “Samba Server in the Network with Active Directory”. To use Kerberos authentication, select Set Up Kerberos Authentication.

3.14.8. Release Notes

After completing the user authentication setup, YaST displays the release notes. Reading them is recommended, because they contain important up-to-date information which was not available when the manuals were printed. If you tested the Internet connection, read the most recent version of the release notes, as fetched from SUSE Linux Enterprise's servers. Use Miscellaneous+Release Notes to view the release notes after installation.

3.14.9. Hardware Configuration

At the end of the installation, YaST opens a dialog for the configuration of the graphics card and other hardware components connected to the system. Click the individual components to start the hardware configuration. For the most part, YaST detects and configures the devices automatically.

[Tip]IBM System z: Hardware Configuration

On the IBM System z, there is no display that would be supported by XFree. Accordingly, you do not find a Graphics Cards entry on these systems.

You can skip any peripheral devices and configure them later, as described in Section 8.4, “Hardware” . To skip the configuration, select Skip Configuration and click Next.

However, you should configure the graphics card right away. Although the display settings as configured by YaST should be generally acceptable, most users have very strong preferences as far as resolution, color depth, and other graphics features are concerned. To change these settings, select the respective item and set the values as desired. To test your new configuration, click Test the Configuration.

[Tip]Resetting Hardware Configuration to Defaults

You can cancel changes by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. YaST then shows the original proposal again.

3.14.10. Completing the Installation

After a successful installation, YaST shows the Installation Completed dialog. In this dialog, select whether to clone your newly installed system forAutoYaST. To do so, select Clone This System for AutoYaST. The profile of the current system is stored in /root/autoyast.xml. Cloning is selected by default.

AutoYaST is a system for installing one or more SUSE Linux Enterprise systems automatically without user intervention. AutoYaST installations are performed using a control file with installation and configuration data. For detailed information, refer to Chapter 5, Automated Installation. Finish the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise with Finish in the final dialog.

3.15. Graphical Login

[Tip]IBM System z: No Graphical Login

The graphical login is not available on IBM System z platforms.

SUSE Linux Enterprise is now installed and configured. Unless you enabled the automatic login function or customized the default runlevel, you should see the graphical login on your screen in which to enter a username and password to log in to the system. If automatic login is activated, the desktop starts automatically.