Howto setup Novell Linux Desktop
From LDTP
Introduction
This document contains instructions on how to install NLD in a dual boot environment. The Current Operating System is XP with a single partition (in most cases) spanning the entire Hard Disk. This partition has to be reduced in size to create space for three new partitions,FAT32, Linux Reiser partition and a Linux swap partition. Follow the recommendations and instructions carefully for a successful install of NLD.
Recommendations
Ensure business critical data is backed up. Retain the primary partition, the C drive, which holds the Windows XP operating system. Resize this partition to 10GB.Ensure that the resized partition has 3GB of free space. Create a large FAT32 partition which will be accessible from Windows and Linux. Leave 10GB of free space for Linux partitions.
Example 1
Your HDD has one partition of 40GB,Drive C,Primary Partition. The used space is 7GB and free space is 33GB in drive C. You can then resize this partition to 10GB and this will give you free space of 3GB in drive C. The remaining space of 30GB can be used for creating other partitions. Create a FAT32 partition as a primary partition up to 20GB, leaving 10GB of free space for Linux partitions.
Example 2
Your HDD has one partition of 40GB,Drive C,Primary Partition. The used space is 10GB and free space is 30GB in drive C. You can then resize this partition to 13GB and this will give you free space of 3GB in drive C. The remaining space of 27GB can be used for creating other partitions. Create a FAT32 partition as a primary partition up to 17GB, leaving 10GB of free space for Linux partitions. The Linux raiser partition size will be 9GB with a 1GB partition for swap.
Installation of NLD
1. Insert the Novell Linux Destop CD 1 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 YaST installation program and starts the installation in normal mode. You can also select from the following additional options:
Boot from Hard Disk: Boots the system already installed on the hard drive (the system normally booted when the machine is started). Installation --- ACPI Disabled: If the normal installation fails, it could be because the system hardware doesn't support the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). If this seems to be the case, use this option to install without ACPI 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. Manual Installation:By default, drivers are loaded automatically during the installation. If this appears to cause problems, use this option to load drivers manually. This option does not work if you use a USB keyboard on your system. Rescue System: If you are unable to boot into your installed Linux system for some reason, 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: This option 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. Read the License agreement, then click I Agree to accept it and continue the installation.
4. Select the language to be used for the keyboard layout, then click Accept. YaST also uses this language setting to guess a time zone for the system clock.
5. Select your default desktop environment (GNOME or KDE), then click Accept. All regions with the exception of EMEA should choose GNOME as their default desktop environment.
GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is a graphical user interface intended to make a Linux operating system easy to use for non-programmers and generally corresponds to the Windows* desktop interface and its most common set of applications. KDE (K Desktop Environment) offers an intuitive graphics interface that is easy to use and highly configurable. If you do not know which environment your company prefers, ask your system administrator.
6. Use the Installation Settings screen to view the hardware detected and a number of proposed installation and partitioning options.
You can select any of the following items and configure them in the corresponding dialogs. After your changes have been made, 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.
Mode: Use this option to change the previously selected installation mode.
NOTE: This beta only offers the New Installation mode.
Keyboard Layout: Use this option to change the previously selected keyboard layout. By default, the layout corresponds to the selected language.
Mouse: Use this option to select a mouse type other than the one YaST detected automatically. After selecting a mouse type, press Alt+T to test whether the device works correctly without making the selection permanent.
Partitioning: Use this option to 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 "Partitioning" in the Novell Linux Desktop 9 Administration Guide
Software: Novell Linux Desktop offers several types of software packages with various installation scopes. Depending on the available disk space and the desktop environment you selected in Step 5, YaST selects one of the these predefined systems for you. Use this option to change the selected desktop environment and to add or removed packages and filters.
Booting: During the installation, YaST proposed 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.
Time Zone: Use this option to select a time zone. 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 Novell Linux Desktop to switch from standard time to daylight saving time and back automatically.
Language: Use this option to change the language you selected in Step 4. You can also set the language for the root user.
Default Runlevel: Use this option to define how the system is started after booting. The available runlevels include 5: Full Multiuser with Network and xdm (you will be prompted to log in directly under a graphical interface), 2: Local Multiuser without Remote Network, and 3: Full Multiuser with Network. Runlever 5 is the default runlevel for Novell Linux Desktop.
7.When you are finished configuring the installation settings, click Accept, then click Yes, Install to begin the installation.
The installation usually takes around 30 minutes, depending on your system performance and the software you selected. After completing the basic system setup and the installation of all selected software packages, YaST boots into the new Linux system, after which you can create users, configure the hardware and set up system services.
8. Enter a password for the system administrator account (called the root user), then click Next. It is recommended to use the expert options to set the password to MD5 or your password will be limited to 8 characters. 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 only be used for system administration, maintenance, and repair. Logging in as root for daily work is rather risky, as a single mistake could lead to irretrievable loss of many system files. For security reasons, the root password should be between five and eight characters long and should contain a mixture of both upper and lowercase letters and numbers. The maximum length for passwords is 128 characters, and password are case-sensitive. You should never forget the root password. After you enter it here, the password cannot be retrieved.
9. In the Network Configuration screen, view or change the network connections of your system, then click Next. If you have network devices, it is a good idea to configure them now, because an Internet connection allows YaST to retrieve any available updates and include them in the installation To skip the network configuration, click Skip Configuration, then click Next.
10. In the User Authentication Method screen, select one of the following options, then click Next. Novell users should choose Local.
NIS: User account data is managed centrally by a NIS server. LDAP: User account data is managed centrally by an LDAP server. Local (/etc/passwd): This setup is used for systems where no network connection is available, or where you will not be logging in from a remote location. Your user account will be managed using the local /etc/passwd file.
11. To create your user account, enter your first and last name in the Full User Name field, a username in the User Login field, and a password in the Password field. For security reasons, your password should be between five and eight characters long and should contain both upper and lowercase letters and numbers. The maximum length for passwords is 128 characters, and password are case-sensitive.
For local users, the following options are available:
Receive System Mail:Selecting this option sends you messages created by the system services. These are usually only sent to root, but this option is useful for the most frequently used account because we highly recommend logging in a root only in special cases.
Auto Login: This option is available only if KDE was selected as the default desktop environment. It automatically logs the current user into the system when it starts. This is useful if the computer is operated by only one user. When the automatic login is enabled, the system boots straight into your desktop with no authentication whatsoever. You should not enable this option if the computer can also be accessed by others.
12. Click Next to complete the User Authentication setup and start the system configuration.
13. After the system configuration has completed, view the release notes, then click Next.
If you have installed updated packages, you will be reading the most recent version of the readme file.
14. 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, YaST detects and configures the devices automatically. If you prefer not to perform this action right now, click Skip Configuration, then click Next. You can configure these items later, but we recommend that you configure the graphics card right away. Although the display settings autoconfigured by YaST should be generally acceptable, you might have strong preferences as far as resolution, color depth, and other graphics features are concerned.
15. Click Finish in the Installation Completed screen to close the YaST installation and continue to the login screen.
Click Start YaST Control Center to access the Novell Linux Desktop configuration modules after you click Finish. The Control Center does not have a back button to return to this installation sequence. You can access the YaST Control Center at any time after logging into your desktop.
16. Enter your username and password (see Step 14), then press Enter to log into the system (unless you enabled the automatic login feature).
