Installation Quick Start –  SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 SP2
 2. Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop
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Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop

Use these instructions if there is no existing Linux system on your machine or if you want to replace an existing Linux system. See Section 3, “Updating SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop” for information on updating a SLED 10 system.

  1. Insert the first SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Service Pack CD or the DVD into the drive, then reboot the computer to start the installation program.

  2. Select Installation on the boot screen, then press Enter.

    This loads the installation program and starts the installation in normal mode. You can also select from the following options:

    • Boot from Hard Disk:  Boots the system already installed on the hard drive (the system that is normally booted when the machine is started).

    • Installation—ACPI Disabled:  If the normal installation fails, it could be because the system hardware does not support the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). If this seems to be the case, use this option to install without ACPI support.

    • Installation—Local APIC Disabled:  If the normal installation fails, it could be because the system hardware does not support the local Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). If this seems to be the case, use this option to install without local APIC support.

    • Installation—Safe Settings:  Boots the system with the DMA mode (for CD-ROM drives) and any interfering power management functions disabled. You can also use the command line to enter or change kernel parameters.

    • Rescue System:  If you are unable to boot into your installed Linux system, you can boot the computer from the CD using this option. This starts a minimal Linux system without a graphical user interface, which lets you access disk partitions for troubleshooting and repairing the installed system.

    • Memory Test:  Tests your system RAM by means of repeated read and write cycles. This is done in an endless loop because memory corruption often shows up sporadically and many read and write cycles might be necessary to detect it. If you suspect that your RAM is defective, start this test and let it run for several hours. If no errors are found after a long period of time, you can assume that the memory is intact. End the test by rebooting the system.

  3. Select the language to be used during the installation and for the installed system, then click Next.

  4. Read the License Agreement, click Yes, I Agree to the License Agreement, then click Next.

  5. Select New Installation, then click Next:

  6. Select the clock and time zone to use in your system. You can also set the hardware clock to Local Time or UTC. If you set the hardware clock to UTC, your system can rely on SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop to switch between standard time and daylight saving time automatically. Set the clock to Local Time if you are dual booting. Click Next to proceed.

  7. Use the Installation Settings screen to view the hardware detected and to view a number of proposed installation and partitioning options, then select your desired options.

    The Overview tab contains options that sometimes need manual intervention (in most common installation situations). The Expert tab contains special options, described below.

    [Important]Important

    If you do not make any changes to the Software selections, GNOME is installed as the default desktop environment. To install KDE, click Software and select KDE. Depending on your available disk space, you can choose to install both the GNOME and KDE desktops.

    After configuring any of the items presented in these dialogs, you are always returned to the Installation Settings screen, which is updated accordingly.

    • System:  Detects system hardware and lets you save the results to a floppy or file.

    • Keyboard Layout:  Lets you change the keyboard layout. By default, the layout corresponds to the language you selected before.

    • Partitioning:  Lets you customize the partitioning. In most cases, YaST proposes a reasonable partitioning scheme that can be accepted without change.

      For more information on partitioning options, see “Section 3.7.1: Partitioning” in the Deployment Guide at http://www.novell.com/documentation/sled10/pdfdoc/sled10_deployment_sp2/sled10_deployment_sp2.pdf.

    • Add-On Products:  Use this option to install additional products from a separate media source. You can select various types of product media such as CD, DVD, or local directory. You can also work directly with .ISO files (select Local Directory+ISO Image).

    • Software:  SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop offers several types of software packages with various installation scopes. Use this option to change the selected desktop environment and to add or remove packages and filters.

    • Booting:  During the installation, YaST proposes a boot configuration for your system. You should normally leave these setting unchanged, but you can use this option if you need a custom setup.

      You can configure the boot mechanism to rely on a special boot floppy. Although this means that the boot floppy must be in the drive when booting, it leaves an existing boot mechanism untouched. This is usually unnecessary because YaST can configure the boot loader to also boot existing operating systems.

      You can also use the boot configuration to change the location of the boot mechanism on the hard disk.

      For more information, see “Section 17.3: Configuring the Boot Loader with YaST” in the Deployment Guide at http://www.novell.com/documentation/sled10/pdfdoc/sled10_deployment_sp2/sled10_deployment_sp2.pdf.

    • Time Zone:  Lets you change the previously selected a time zone.

    • Language:  Lets you change the language you selected in Step 3. You can also change the language when you log in.

    • Default Runlevel:  Lets you define how the system is started after booting. Use the default runlevel 5: Full Multiuser with Network and XDM (you will be prompted to log in directly under a graphical interface). Do not change the runlevel unless instructed to do so by your system administrator.

  8. Click Accept to accept any license agreements.

    If you made changes to the default Software selections in Step 7, you might also have to click Continue to resolve software dependencies.

  9. When you have finished configuring the installation settings, click Accept.

  10. Click Install to begin the installation.

    After completing the basic system setup and the installation of all selected software packages, the installation boots into the new Linux system, after which you can create users, configure the hardware, and set up system services.

    If you are installing from CD, leave CD 1 in your CD-ROM drive during the reboot and do not select any installation options, but Boot from Hard Disk. When the reboot is finished, the installation continues and you are prompted to insert the remaining CDs.

  11. Type a password for the system administrator account (called the root user, or root), then click Next.

    Unlike regular users who might or might not have permission to do certain things on the system, root has unlimited power to do anything, including change the system configuration, install programs, set up new hardware, and change user passwords. The root account should be used only for system administration, maintenance, and repair. Logging in as root for daily work can be risky, because a single mistake could lead to the irretrievable loss of system files.

    You should never forget the root password. After you enter it here, the password cannot be retrieved. It can only be reset with administrative assistance.

  12. Enter a name for this computer and the DNS domain that it belongs to, then click Next.

  13. In the Network Configuration screen, view or change the network connections of your system, then click Next.

    If you have network devices (for example, network or wireless cards, a DSL connection, ISDN adapter, or modem), it is a good idea to configure them now, because an Internet connection allows your product to retrieve any available updates and include them in the installation.

    To skip the network configuration, click Skip Configuration+ Next.

  14. To test your Internet connection, click Yes, Test Connection to the Internet, then click Next.

    This option also checks for the latest SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop release notes. If you don’t want to test the connection at this point (or check for updated release notes), click No, Skip This Test, click Next, then continue with Step 17.

  15. On the Running Internet Connection Test screen, view the results of the test, then click Next to continue.

  16. On the Novell Customer Center Configuration screen, click Configure Now+Next +Continue to enable your system for online updates.

    Click Configure Later+Next to skip this step and continue the installation. You can configure this option after the product has been installed.

  17. In the User Authentication Method screen, select Local (/etc/passwd), unless instructed otherwise by your system administrator, then click Next.

  18. To create your user account, type your first and last name in the User’s Full Name field, a username in the Username field, and a password (as recommended by your system administrator) in the Password field.

    For security reasons, your password should be at least eight characters long and should contain both uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. The maximum length for passwords is 72 characters, and passwords are case-sensitive.

  19. Click Next to complete the User Authentication setup and start the system configuration.

  20. After the system configuration has completed, view the Release Notes, then click Next.

  21. Use the Hardware Configuration screen to view or configure your graphics card and other hardware devices, then click Next.

    Click a component to start its configuration. For the most part, the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop installation detects and configures the devices automatically.

    If you prefer not to perform this action right now, click Skip Configuration +Next. You can configure these items later, but we recommend you to configure the graphics card now. Although the display settings automatically configured by YaST should be generally acceptable, you might have strong preferences as far as resolution, color depth, and other graphics features are concerned. For more information, see “Section 7.13: Sax2” in the Deployment Guide at http://www.novell.com/documentation/sled10/pdfdoc/sled10_deployment_sp2/sled10_deployment_sp2.pdf.

  22. On the Installation Completed screen, click Finish to close the installation and continue to the login screen.

  23. Type your username in the Username field, then press Enter.

  24. Type your password in the Password field, then press Enter.

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