Linux Mandrake Installation and User Guide available

This freely available user's guide covers installation and use of Linux Mandrake.

As Linux Mandrake is based on Red Hat Linux, users of both distributions may find value in this documentation.

Table of Contents:

• Contents
• Legal notice
• Foreword
  • Linux
  • Free Software/Open Source
  • The K Desktop Environment
  • Linux-Mandrake
  • This manual...
  • Acknowledgements
• Installation of Linux-Mandrake
  • Before starting
    • Is my hardware compatible with Linux-Mandrake?
    • Do I have SCSI peripherals?
    • Do I have PCMIA peripherals?
    • What is the current set up for the various peripherals that I have?
    • How are the hard disks configured on my machine
  • Am I registered for installation support?
  • Installation disks
  • Launching the installation procedure
    • Choice of language for installation
    • Choice of keyboard type
    • Dealing with PCMIA ports.
    • Choice of installation method
    • Installation from local CD-ROM
    • Installation from NFS image
      • Description of the NFS server
    • Installation from a hard disk.
    • Installation by FTP
    • Installation by SMB
• Continuation of installation.
  • Choice of installation class
  • SCSI
  • Creation of partitions for Linux
    • Steps to take if another operating system is already present on your hard disk
      • Buy a new hard disk
      • Change the size of your old partitions
    • Choice of tool for handling Linux partitions
    • Use of Disk Druid
      • Steps to take:
      • The swap partition:
      • The principal partition:
      • Addition of an NFS partition:
    • Using fdisk
  • Continuation of installation
    • Installation from a local hard disk
    • Installation by SMB
    • Installation by FTP
  • Choice of partitions to format
  • Selection of programs (packages) to install.
    • The installation
• Completion of installation
  • Detection of the mouse
  • Choice of video card
  • Choice of monitor type
  • Completion of the video configuration
  • Network configuration
  • Configuration of the time zone
  • Specification of services to launch on start-up
  • Configuration of your printer
  • Choice of root password
  • Creation of a LILO boot disk
  • Creation of the multiboot LILO
  • Rebooting
• Problems that may occur during installation - who to contact ?
  • Different problems that may occur (non exhaustive list ;-) ):
    • You can't start the installation procedure.
    • Your network card is not recognized during a FTP or a NFS installation.
    • Unseen Linux-Mandrake system (CD-ROM, FTP, NFS, hard disk or SMB installation).
    • The procedure stops during the installation of packages.
    • You are unable to set up your video card.
    • You are unable to set up your network card/unrecognized by the system.
    • You are unable to set up your printer.
    • You are unable to create your LILO boot floppy.
    • You are unable to install LILO.
    • Once your system is installed, you can start your linux system (for example with the LILO boot floppy) but you're having module problems (for example: iso filesystem is not supported and you can't mount your CD-ROM drive).
    • You are not able to boot your old operating system.
    • The installation procedure stops with a SIGSEGV () signal or a SIGBUS () signal.
  • What can you do in case of a persistent problem ?
    • Details of the problem.
    • Contacting the Mandrake installation technical support.
    • Then wait...
• Linux-Mandrake settings.
  • Reinstallation and setting of LILO (LInux LOader)
  • Mouse installation
  • Installation of your video card
  • Configuration of your network
  • Installation of your printer
  • Installation of your sound card
  • Parametrization of the services: linuxconf
• How to use your new Linux system?
  • Booting and shutting down the system
    • Booting
    • The login procedure
    • Shutting down
  • Linux shells
  • Discovering the Bash shell
  • The Bash shell's basic commands
  • Using Linux multitask system
  • Redirection of program output
  • Understanding the processes
• System administration
  • The user and the groups
  • Users management
    • Special accounts
  • Packages management: RPM (tm)
    • RPM use with the command line
      • Programs installation
      • Programs updating
      • Programs uninstalling
      • Programs checking
    • Kpackage
  • How to solve a few classical problems?
    • When I want to launch a program/command, I get the ``Command not found'' message...
• The graphics suite KDE
  • General presentation of KDE
    • What exactly is KDE?
    • The KDE graphical interface
  • The file manager KFM
  • Other KDE applications found in Linux-Mandrake
  • How to mount and umount floppy disks and CD-ROM drives under Mandrake.
  • Some useful tips
• Applications supplied with Linux-Mandrake
  • Programs in console mode (text)
    • The Emacs text editor
    • The Apache Web server
    • Dosemu
  • Programs running under X Window (graphical mode)
    • XEmacs
    • Netscape Communicator
    • XV
    • Gimp
    • Games!
• Documentation
  • The HOWTOs
    • List of ``HOWTOs''
    • Mini-HOWTOs:
  • The man pages
  • Interesting documents on the Internet
  • Books
  • Linux-Mandrake FAQs
• Annexes
  • Linux-Mandrake specifications
  • List of hardware supported under Linux-Mandrake
  • List of packages supplied with Mandrake.
• About this document ...

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