1.3.1. How Do I Do That?
To install Fedora Core, you'll need the installation media and your computer. If you are going to use a local area network or broadband Internet connection, it's recommended that you have it connected during the installation process.
A Fedora installation will usually take 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the speed of your computer and the amount of optional software you choose to install.
1.3.1.1. Preparing for dual-boot
If your system already has Windows installed, and you intend to continue to use Windows, you will need to free up some space on the hard disk for Fedora Core. See Lab 10.1, 'Resizing a Windows Partition
There is an alternative to repartitioning your disk: you can install an additional disk drive in your system and use that drive for Fedora, or use an external USB or FireWire drive.
Be sure to check the system requirements in the release notes at http://fedora.redhat.com/docs/release-notes/ or in the root directory of the Fedora Core DVD or CD disc 1.
On your system, if you have any data that you want to preserve, back it up before installing Fedora Core, and test the integrity of the backup copy.
1.3.1.2. Starting the installation
Insert your installation media (DVD, CD, or USB stick, or plug your system into a network with a PXE network boot server) and turn your system on. If it does not boot from the installation media, change your system BIOS settings to boot from it.
The first thing you will see is the boot screen shown in Figure 1-1 .
Figure 1-1. Fedora Core installation boot screen
The boot: prompt at the bottom of the screen lets you configure special options. You can press Enter for a standard, graphical installation, or you can type linux followed by any of the keywords in Table 1-3 to specify particular options for the installation session. Table 1-4 lists hard disk device names.
Additional installation boot options are discussed in Chapter 10.
Table 1-3. Fedora Core basic installation options
| Option | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| lowres | Uses 640x480 screen resolution. | Use if you are installing with a very old monitor. |
| resolution= | Specifies a standard video resolution. | Use if the installer does not correctly detect your monitor capabilities and the video signal is out of range. |
| text | Uses text mode for installation (no graphics mode or mouse access). | Use this if graphics are garbled or slow when using the regular installer. |
| askmethod | Ask the user for the installation method (source of the software to be installed). | The installer will automatically ask if the boot media is a USB flash drive or a network boot. For a CD or DVD installation, the installer will assume that you're installing from the CD or DVD unless the askmethod or method= options are specified. |
| method= | Specifies the installation | For the hd installation method, take the hard disk device name from Table 1-4 and add the partition number at the end. For example, if the ISO file is in the folder |
| expert | Enables the use of a driver disk with additional device driver modules. | Use this to install onto hardware that requires driver modules not included in Fedora Core 6. |
Table 1-4. Hard disk device names
