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diff --git a/source/installer/sources/initrd/usr/lib/setup/FDhelp b/source/installer/sources/initrd/usr/lib/setup/FDhelp new file mode 100644 index 00000000..1c06d34e --- /dev/null +++ b/source/installer/sources/initrd/usr/lib/setup/FDhelp @@ -0,0 +1,256 @@ + +Slackware Linux Help +____________________ + +First, a little help on help. Whenever you encounter a text +viewer like this during the installation, you can move around +with these commands: + +PGDN/SPACE - Move down one page +PGUP/'b' - Move up one page +ENTER/DOWN/'j' - Move down one line +UP/'k' - Move up one line +LEFT/'h' - Scroll left +RIGHT/'l' - Scroll right +'0' - Move to beginning of line +HOME/'g' - Move to beginning of file +END/'G' - Move to end of file +'/' - Forward search +'?' - Backward search +'n' - Repeat last search (forward) + +Also, you're running a real multitasking operating system now, so +you're not confined to the installation program. You can log into +other consoles and look around at any time without disturbing the +installation process. To do this, you need to learn the commands +that control the Linux console. You'll use these commands all the +time when you're logged into Linux. + +"Virtual" consoles and scrollback: + +Right now, the screen you're looking at is probably VIRTUAL CONSOLE +NUMBER ONE, (or /dev/tty1 in Linux-speak). There are usually +several virtual consoles available. When you log into the install +disk, there are four consoles. To switch among them, use Alt-F1, +Alt-F2, Alt-F3, or Alt-F4 to select which of the four consoles you +wish to use. While you're using a console, you get a small amount +of text scrollback buffer. To scroll the console back, hold down +the right shift key and hit PageUp. To scroll the console forward, +hit PageDown while holding the right shift key down. This can be +especially useful for reading the boot messages, which can go by +too fast to read otherwise. + +On the install disk, the first three consoles are login consoles. +The fourth console is used to show informational messages during +installation, such as disk formatting status, kernel messages, and +so on. + +A useful trick is to log into the second virtual console during the +installation. Then you can use commands such as 'df' to check how +full your hard drive is getting. Also, once the Slackware CD-ROM +has been mounted on /cdrom, most of the commands in the disc's live +filesystem will be usable. + + +PARTITIONING YOUR DRIVE (MBR SYSTEMS) + +If you have a newer machine that uses GPT (all UEFI machines do), +or you wish to use GPT, skip to the section below on GPT PARTITIONING. + +Now lets take a look at how you progress through a typical Linux +installation with the Slackware distribution. First, you'll have +to make sure your hard drive has been partitioned to accept Linux. +The setup program does not do this for you. + +You will need at least one type Linux partition, and optionally a +swap partition. In my opinion, (if you have a fair amount of drive +space) it's easiest to manage a system that's partitioned along these +lines (ignoring any Windows or other partitions for the purposes +of this illustration): + + [ 8 gig or more for / ] + [ whatever space users need for /home ] + [ swap space (match the size of your RAM) ] + +Some people like a separate partition for /usr/local, but I find that +I usually regret dividing my free space when I don't have to... the +partition I want to add to is always full that way. :^) Besides, when +the time comes for an operating system upgrade you can always back up +/usr/local regardless of whether it occupies its own partition. In +fact, having a separate /home partition is also optional. Probably the +simplest way to approach things initially is with just a single root +Linux partition, and a swap partition of about 1-2 gigabytes. + +The amount of drive space you'll want to give Linux depends on what +software you plan to install, and how much space you have to spare. +My primary Linux partition is 23 gigabytes. If you've got that +kind of room to spare, it will make it easier to compile and try out +large pieces of software, or to work with large files such as might be +used in desktop publishing or CD-ROM mastering applications. + +The entire Slackware system (everything - all the X servers, Emacs, +the works) will use about 8 gigabytes of hard drive space, +so 10 - 15 gigs is sufficient for a complete installation. + +In the past, I've actually done development work on a single / +partition of 110 MB. (Of course, that was back in the days of Linux +version 0.99p11 or so...) Still, with careful selection you can still +squeeze a small Linux system onto a system, but this is not recommended +for beginners. It's more useful when utilizing Slackware as a base for +an embedded system. Most people should be going a full installation. +It's faster and easier, and less error-prone. + +Partitioning is done with a partitioning tool such as fdisk. There are +two versions of Linux fdisk available now. 'fdisk' is the standard +version, and 'cfdisk' is a friendlier full screen version. Most +people will probably want to use 'cfdisk' now, unless they're used +to the older version (like me). Either one will get the job done. + +Make sure you use Linux fdisk to tag partitions as type 83 (Linux, the +default) or type 82 (Linux swap) so the Slackware setup program will +recognize them. Use the 't' command for that, and 'w' to write out the +changes. + +If you prefer an easy to use graphical partitioning tool, you can make +all your Linux partitions directly from Linux 'cfdisk'. Or you can +make them with the older 'fdisk' using the 'n' command to create a +partition and the 'w' command to write out the changes when you're done. + +By default, 'fdisk' and 'cfdisk' will partition the first hard drive in +your machine, which is /dev/sda. To partition other drives, you'll +have to specify the drive to partition when you start 'cfdisk'. For +example, to partition the second IDE drive: + + # cfdisk /dev/sdb + + +SWAP SPACE + +If your machine doesn't have much memory, you might have already +learned how to activate a swap partition just to make it this far. +Normally you won't need to format or activate your swap space by +hand, but if you're installing on a machine with low memory you will +need to format and activate a swap partition to be able to install. +Once you've made the partition with fdisk, you need to use 'mkswap' +on it, and then activate it with 'swapon'. Checking the partition +table with 'fdisk -l', we see these lines: + + Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System +/dev/sda8 16650 16898 2000061 82 Linux swap + +So, the command to format would be: + + # mkswap /dev/sda8 + # sync + +And to activate it: + + # swapon /dev/sda8 + + +GPT PARTITIONING + +If you have a Windows partition that you'd like to keep and need to make +free space for Linux, boot the machine into Windows. Move the mouse into +the upper right corner, and select the search function (magnifying glass +icon). Enter diskmgmt.msc to start up the Disk Management tool. The disk +partitions will be displayed as a bar chart at the bottom of the window. +Mouse over the main Windows partition (probably the largest NTFS partition) +and right click to bring up a menu. Select "Shrink Volume..." from this +menu. Shrink the partition to make enough free space for Slackware's root, +swap, and other partitions. + +NOTE: Rather than creating true free space, this resizing operation may +leave the extra space in the form of a generic (but allocated) partition. +Take note of the size of the "free space". When it comes time to partition +on Linux, you may need to delete this partition to make actual free space +before you can install. + +If you are installing to a machine that has Windows installed, then you'll +already have an EFI System Partition (this is used to store boot files on +machines that use UEFI). To check this, you can use gdisk. We'll assume +that you'll be installing to /dev/sda. If you'll be installing to some other +device, use that in the command below. + +gdisk -l /dev/sda + +If you see a partition with Code EF00 listed, then you are good to go. +If not, you will need to make one. To do that, use cgdisk: + +cgdisk /dev/sda + +Select the free space from the menu using the up/down keys, and then select +"New" to make a new partition. Hit ENTER to accept the first sector. Then +enter 100M as the partition size. Give the new partition a hex code of EF00. +You make give the partition a name (such as "EFI System Partition"), or just +hit ENTER to use no name. A name is not required. + +At this point, you've got a GPT disk with an EFI System partition (with or +without Windows). The next step is to make the partitions for Linux. If +you're not already in cgdisk, start that up with "cgdisk /dev/sda" (or +whatever your install device is). Start by making a swap partition. A +good rule of thumb is to make the swap partition equal to the amount of RAM +in your machine. So, select the free space again, and then "New". Again, +hit ENTER to accept the default first sector for the new partition. Then, +enter an appropriate size, such as 2G. Enter the hex code for Linux swap, +which is 8200. Give the partition a name if you like. + +Make your root Linux partition (optionally if you leave some space you can make +any additional Linux partitions that you'll need). Select the free space, and +"New". Accept the default first sector by hitting ENTER. To make the +partition use the rest of the disk space, just hit ENTER again when asked for +a size. Or, you may choose a smaller size if you're planning to make more +Linux partitions. Hit ENTER to accept the default hex code, which is for a +Linux filesystem. Name the partition (if you like), or hit ENTER again. + +If you have any more free space and partitions to make, now is the time to +make them. + +When you're done, select "Write" to write the partition table changes to the +disk (verify by typing "yes" when prompted), hit a key to continue, and then +select "Quit" to leave cgdisk. + + +RUNNING THE SETUP PROGRAM + +Setup has quite a few options, which can be slightly confusing the +first time you look at the menu. It's not really that hard, though. +You just need to start at the top of the screen and work towards +the bottom through the menu options. When I install, I usually do +these options in order: + +ADDSWAP (set up my swapspace) +TARGET (set up my Linux/Windows partitions and /etc/fstab) +SOURCE (select the source location for the Slackware Linux + packages) +SELECT (pick the package categories to install) +INSTALL (install the software, generally with "full") +CONFIGURE (configure the newly installed system) + +Note that after I select the SWAP option, setup will allow me to +run through all of the other options without ever returning to the +main menu. + +I hope that these options will be mostly self-explanatory. Just read +the screen carefully as you install and you should do just fine. + + +REMAPPING YOUR KEYBOARD: + +KEYMAP: This option lets you remap your keyboard to one of the many +international maps provided with Linux. If you are using a US +keyboard, you can skip this option. + + +...WHEN YOU'RE DONE: + + +EXIT: This leaves Slackware Linux setup. + + +Have fun installing and running Linux! + +--- +Patrick Volkerding +volkerdi@slackware.com + |