How to install Linux on your computer

In some cases, Linux is inevitable. For example, if you must write Qtapplications for practical work given without Microsoft Visual C + + , you can not use the non-commercial version of Qt for Windows. Under Linux, Qt is free for noncommercial use and works with a free compiler, for example G + + (GCC for C + +). The Linux installation also provides a unique exploration of your machine, and a more stable operating system than Windows.

Installation
If you perform a full format of your hard drive, we recommend you install Windows before installing Linux. This advice applies especially to Windows 95/98/Me which rewrite area Master Boot Record (MBR) of hard drive, where LILO is installed by default. Although it is possible to install Windows after Linux, this procedure leads to complications that would be better to avoid an initial installation.

The installation depends heavily on the distribution used and it would be tedious to explain the procedure to install each of them. With the large distributions, an installation manual is delivered or available for free on the website of the company producing the distribution. Check it out and read it carefully, it contains valuable information about how to install, configure and even an introduction to Linux.

Generally  the procedure is to boot your computer with the CD-ROM in the drive. With a little luck and the right settings in the BIOS Setup program installation appears. You can then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. It will be necessary to dedicate a partition for Linux, format it in ext2 and assign the mount point /. To maximize the chances that your installation is bootable, you must create this partition on the hard disk Primary Master if you have more than one hard drive in your computer. Under Linux, this disc is denoted by the special file / dev / hda. / Dev / hdb denotes the first slave is sometimes the CD-ROM or another hard drive.

As for / dev / hdc and / dev / hdd, they represent the components connected to the second IDE controller on your motherboard, are hard disks, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.. or nothing at all. To specify a partition on a hard drive, a number is added to the filename. For example, / dev/hda1 is the first primary partition of your hard drive. / Dev/hda5 is in turn reserved for the first logical partition on the disk. A swap partition, of arbitrary size, generally the size of the memory of your system is strongly recommended.

The configuration of the bootloader is also a delicate and important procedure. Proper configuration can facilitate future relocations, and increases the stability of the structure implemented. If you can not install the bootloader in the MBR (/ dev / hda), install it on the Linux partition. Like this, Windows will not know anything and will not disrupt your Linux system. The Linux partition will then be made active if the installer does it is not loaded. The boot manager will act as a switch to, depending on the choice of the user to activate Windows or Linux.

Currently, there are two managers in the field of free software, or LInux Loader (LILO) and Uniform GRand Bootloader (GRUB). You can choose between one or the other, in case of a dual boot with Windows, both do the job perfectly. After installing Linux, you need to add Windows Boot Manager chosen if not already. In the case of LILO, you must edit the file / etc / lilo.conf and then reinstall LILO with / sbin / lilo. In  case of GRUB, a modified / etc / grub.conf is enough.

6.4.6 Configuration
When your Linux system starts,  multitude of parameters remain to be established. In case of telephone access, it will configure the Internet connection. Adjustments will be necessary if you use a broadband connection using PPPoE. Drivers not included with the distributions will be installed while others must be configured. An entire book could be devoted to installing and configuring Linux. You should consult the manuals that came with your distribution to be aware of the different configuration tools provided.

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