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Linux Pre-installation Check List

Next Installfest+ Sat. Mar. 20, 2010

Our next Installfest will be held Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 10:00 am–4:00 pm at Sinclair Community College. See details here. Our last Installfest was held Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at Sinclair.

All Linux distributions include a wide assortment of applications, tools, games, etc. Some distributions typically have many more than others, but most include at least two or three text editors, at least a couple web browsers, e-mail clients, FTP clients, music & video players, and so forth. Most, if not all, include a very powerful photo editor, the GIMP, which includes nearly all features found in PhotoShop, which sells for about $600. The GIMP is free! Most distros also include at least one office suite, including OpenOffice, which can read and write .doc, .xls, and .ppt files created by Microsoft Office. The distros we provide for $1 / CD (some distros we provide consist of as many as 5 CDs, but most are fewer) or $3 / DVD do not include StarOffice, which is essentially the same program, but includes support. It sells for about $80 - still a LOT less than MS Office. The CDs or DVDs we provide are generally either the same as, or similar to, but with fewer included applications, as what you could buy off the shelf at Micro Center, etc. for $30 to $90 or so, but don't include phone or web support, or a printed book. That's what user groups are for!

Below is a pre-install checklist, which you may find helpful with Linux installations.

Assumptions:

1. You are interested in installing Linux on a PC (Intel 386, 486, Pentium or compatible, or other supported CPU). Except for special applications, such as firewall, you will probably want to use an X server, which makes using a 386 or 486 impractical. A few specialty distros such as Damn Small Linux (a.k.a. DSL) will run reasonably well on a 486.
2. You have a CD-ROM or DVD drive on your PC. You have made sure that your proposed version of Linux supports this drive. Check latest version of Hardware HOW TO of the Linux Documentation Project (LDP). Most recent IDE (or ATAPI) CD-ROM & DVD drives are compatible. Most SATA drives are probably compatible as well, but SATA controllers are another issue. See Serial ATA (SATA) on Linux for more info.
3. If you wish to install Linux over a LAN, you have confirmed that your network interface card is supported by your version of Linux. Check latest version of Hardware HOW TO of LDP.
4. You have confirmed that your video card is supported by Xfree86 or X.Org if you intend to run an X server. For desktop use, you will need to run an X server.
5. You know what scan frequencies your monitor supports (or at least the exact name and model of your monitor), if you intend to run an X server.
6. If you're bringing your computer to an Installfest, bring the monitor and mouse you intend to use with it if you're planning to use X Windows. If that is impractical, at least bring your owner's manual for your monitor. It's possible to configure X later, but not recommended for newbies.
7. A typical installation takes about an hour on a reasonably fast PC. Be sure to allow sufficient time. Some installations may take much longer.
8. Read the Linux Partition HOWTO before attempting to define partitions the first time.
9. If you intend to dual boot Linux and Windows NT or XP on an NTFS file system, read this Linux Gazette article first. Apparently, if the MBR is changed in an NTFS system, that partition will no longer boot for security reasons.