Introduction to Red Hat Linux I: Easy Reference Index Page Easy Reference Topics Module Page Common installation troubleshooting issues 2 2 Installation classes 2 3 Contents of the usr directory 4 5 File type in GMC 4 6 Pico commands quick reference card 8 7 Linux labs: Frequently asked questions 1 9 Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1
Module 2 Common installation troubleshooting issues Troubleshooting tips Potential problem The GUI is not set up properly during installation. There is not enough disk space to install the packages you want or need to install. Disk Druid, fdisk, and FIPS are difficult to use. You are using LILO to manage your boot process, and the machine hangs upon reboot and displays only LI. The graphical installation program crashes or otherwise malfunctions. Solution Click the check box to skip the GUI setup. You can come back to it later after the system is installed. Install an additional hard drive. Or, clear out space in non- Linux partitions and shrink them down with a tool such as FIPS. Explore third-party programs such as Partition Magic; some users prefer these over the default options. Each the letters of the word LILO represent a stage in the boot process. If the machine hangs at LI, it means that the first stage of LILO was able to run properly, but while the second staged loaded, it could not execute. Try rebooting several more times. If the problem does not correct itself, use the boot disk you created during your installation to boot and then re-run LILO. There is a command-line installer available also. Where you are told to type expert in this module, type text instead. Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2
Module 2 Installation classes Method and function Description Partitions created and space requirements Value Workstation installations: GNOME and KDE Prepackaged end user Workstation Includes x Windows but not FTP, HTTP, or NFS Respects other operating systems: If the Windows operating system is detected on another partition, the Workstation class installation will configure the system to dual-boot either Linux or Windows using LILO, the LInux LOader. Removes Linux-related partitions: Uses available space to create the several partitions. Partitions: A 64MB swap partition A 16MB partition mounted as /boot A root partition of at least 700MB, with the remaining space available mounted as / Free disk Space: Requires approximately 700MB. If you simply want to experiment with Linux and mostly want to use average end-user tools and the GUI, then choose one of the Workstation options. This is especially true if you want to dualboot into Linux or Windows. Server installation: Linux-based server Prepackaged format Overrides other operating systems: Does not accommodate other operating systems. Removes Linux-related partitions: Uses available space to create the several partitions. Partitions: A 64MB swap partition A 16MB partition mounted as /boot A 256MB partition mounted as / If you intend to set up a network server or some other service that requires a dedicated machine, then choose the Server option. A partition of at least 900MB mounted as /usr Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3
A partition of at least 512MB mounted as /home A 256MB partition mounted as /var Free disk Space: Requires approximately 1.7GB. A Server class installation expects that you have much data to store. Custom installation: Function varies. Packages are selected either by groups (by function --for example, dev tools, x Windows) Single cluster of packages is installed and all others are selected Allows custom package selection: Allows the installer to select the packages to be installed. Requires partitioning: Requires the user to partition the hard drives. Partitions: Custom partitions Free disk Space requirements: Installing the full package complement requires 1.7GB of free disk space. If you want to do a lot of programming, a mix of server and workstation functions, or just want to be sure that you only have exactly what you want on your machine, choose the Custom option. This is the most flexible install. This is also the most challenging. Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4
Module 4 Contents of the usr directory Directory X11R6 bin dict doc etc include lib local Description Contains the files and programs used to run the X Window System. Contains the programs that users often need but are not necessary for the system to function. Contains various dictionaries used by different programs. Contains documentation that comes with the installed packages. Contains configuration files that are not used by critical system applications. Contains the C programming language, including files the system requires. Contains the libraries required by specific programs. Contains software that you can avoid having to reinstall if you otherwise reinstall Linux. Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5
Module 4 File type in GMC Type Symbol Color Device driver Pink Directory Blue Executable text file Asterisk (*) Black FIFO (First In, First Out--a pipe file) Black Links Green Socket = Black Text None Black Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6
Module 4 Pico commands quick reference card In order to: Type: Move forward one character Right arrow > Move backwards one character Left arrow < Start text string search Move to next line Move to start of current line Justify text Save (write out) Move down one page, including help screens Exit Pico Move up one page, including help screens Mark the beginning of the text to be cut, use the arrows to move to the end of the text you want to select, and then cut or remove the selected text from the document. Mark the beginning of the text to be cut, use the arrows to move to the end of the text you want to select, remove the selected text from the document, and then copy the text either exactly where it was cut from, or to another location you mark by moving with the arrows to it. Mark the beginning of the text to be cut, use the arrows to move to the end of the text you want to select, remove the selected text from the document, move the cursor to where you want the text located, and then paste the text back in. Save your work Ctrl-w Down arrow Ctrl-a Ctrl-j Ctrl-o Ctrl-v Ctrl-x Ctrl-v Ctrl-6 Right arrow > Ctrl-K Ctrl-6 Right arrow > Ctrl-K Ctrl-U Ctrl-6 > Ctrl-K Ctrl-U > Ctrl-U Ctrl-o Module 11 Linux installation quick tips Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7
1. Check all of your hardware against the Hardware Compatibility List. 2. Give some serious thought to how you plan to use this system. If you plan to experiment, you may need more hard drive space and packages than you might otherwise. 3. Ask your Linux-savvy friends for advice and to perhaps lend a hand while you do the install. 4. Know that this is a vocal community, and all Linux users seem to have an opinion; take advantage of this peer resource, but bear in mind that some users are more realistic than others. 5. Build a list of online and offline resources in which you find useful information. This list may become invaluable later. 6. If possible, have a separate machine connected to the Internet that you can use to research any problems that might arise. Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8
Module 1 Linux labs: Frequently asked questions Question How can I access the Linux lab? What is SSH? Where can I get the SSH program? How do I use SSH? How do I create my account? What is my password and login id? Answer Once you have created your account, you will use an SSH client to connect to the Linux lab. If you are behind a firewall, you may need to check with your systems administrator before installing and using SSH. The SSH client is a separate program that you install on your computer. SSH provides a secure terminal connection from your computer to the computer running the Linux lab. SSH runs on Windows 98/NT/95, Macintosh, and all major UNIX platforms. Although versions of the SSH client for Windows 98/NT/95, Macintosh, and all major UNIX platforms are freely available on the Internet, you may need to do some digging. Visit the Resources page for additional information on where to obtain a free copy of SSH. To access the Linux labs using SSH, you will need to launch this application as you do any other program. The screen will vary depending on what version of SSH you are using. Use the Create Account button in module one to create your account. Note that your account is automatically created with the default files and directories you will need to complete the exercises. Existing files and directories in that account will be overwritten. You will log in to the labs using your course login id and password. For security reasons, you may be required to change your password the first time you log in. What do I do if I accidentally erase my files in my project directory? The user directory structure (as shown below) is the default structure for all users. Since your files are not backed up, we recommend you make copies of important files and store them in a separate directory. Copyright DigitalThink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9