Red Hat Linux defines four installation types: Workstation, Laptop, Server, and Custom. In addition, you can upgrade an existing Red Hat Linux installation by selecting the Upgrade option.[1]
If you’re new to Linux, the Workstation installation type is the easiest to perform, especially if you currently run Windows. In that case, the procedure will automatically configure your system to dual boot—whenever you start your system, a Linux utility, GRUB (the Grand Unified Bootloader), will give you the choice of starting Windows or Linux. Both operating systems can reside on a single system as long as you have a large enough hard drive. A typical Linux Workstation installation requires about 1.2 GB of free disk space.
Red Hat Linux provides two primary desktop environments for use as a graphical user interface (GUI) to Linux: GNOME and KDE. These rival desktop managers provide generally similar capability and performance. GNOME is the default desktop option and has been the traditional favorite of Red Hat Linux users. If you’ve used KDE and like it, then you should choose the KDE option. If you prefer to keep your options open, you can select both the GNOME and KDE options, but you’ll need an extra 300 MB or so of disk space to accommodate both options simultaneously. Since this book covers both GNOME and KDE, you should select both desktop environments during the installation process.
Even though the Workstation installation type is generally the easiest, you should choose the Custom installation type, which is explained later. The Custom installation type is more flexible and therefore better able to help you cope with problems that may arise during installation.
Warning
You should not choose the Workstation installation type if your system currently runs Windows NT or 2000; doing so will break your existing Windows installation. You can easily remedy the damage, but this book doesn’t explain how to do so. If you are running Windows NT or 2000, you should use the Custom installation type.
The Laptop installation type resembles the Workstation installation type. It includes support for devices often found on laptops but seldom found on desktops, such as PCMCIA cards, wireless network adapters, and infrared data interconnection (IRDA) peripherals. Choosing the Laptop installation type doesn’t automatically install applications that use such devices; it merely installs a special kernel that supports common laptop device types and a handful of related utilities. You’ll need to install appropriate applications after you’ve installed and configured Red Hat Linux. Like the Workstation installation type, the Laptop installation type will break an existing Windows NT or 2000 installation. You’ll likely find it more convenient to install Red Hat Linux on your laptop by using a Custom installation rather than a Laptop installation.
The Server installation type is appropriate for systems that will be hosting a web server or other services. It does not include a GUI, so it’s not suitable for desktop use. You shouldn’t set up a system using the Server installation type until you’ve had significant experience with Red Hat Linux. A typical Server installation requires from 650 MB to 1.2 GB of free disk space.
The Custom installation type gives you complete control over the installation process. You can specify whether to configure your system for dual booting, which software packages to install, and so on. The Custom install is covered in detail in Chapter 3.
To perform a Custom installation, you should have from 300 MB to 2.4 GB of free disk space available. However, 300 MB is an absolute minimum, and 2.4 GB is needed only if you’re planning to install everything (including the kitchen sink). More realistically, you should have at least 1.2 GB of free space available. If you have the expertise and patience, you can omit certain packages that would otherwise be installed during a Custom installation so that your Linux system occupies less disk space. The Select Individual Packages option will be covered in Chapter 3.