Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

CHAPTER 1Installing Red HatEnterprise LinuxThe Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation program isquite versatile. It can scale from an interactive programused to install the operating system on individual systemsto a scripted, non-interactive program for simultaneousinstallation on multiple systems. The installation processcan even be customized and scheduled via Red HatNetwork. All these installation methods can retrieve theinstallation software from a central installation source. Thischapter describes the different installation methods so thatan administrator can decide which method is best for hisorganization and his users’ needs. It details how to makethe installation files available to the systems to be installeddepending on the installation method. Then, it provides aguide through the installation program. If an automated,non-interactive installation is desired, this chapter providesa reference for the kickstart method. If the system to beinstalled includes a network interface card with PXEsupport, consider using PXE to start the installation insteadof a CD as discussed at the end of the chapter.IN THIS CHAPTER. Choosing an InstallationMethod. Creating the InstallationSource. Starting the Installation. Performing the Installation. Installing with Kickstart. Installing with PXE. Performing an Upgrade. Red Hat Network ProvisioningChoosing an Installation MethodOne of the many strengths of the Red Hat Enterprise Linuxinstallation program is that the installation files can beretrieved in a variety of ways. For example, if you are onlyinstalling one or two systems, performing a traditional CD-ROM installation is probably easiest because it requiresminimal setup time. However, if you are installing tens orhundreds of systems on the same network, the time it takesto set up a centralized installation source with the necessaryfiles will ultimately save the administrator time andallow the administrator to scale his efforts. The installation