Datasheet

4
Part I ✦ SUSE Linux Basics
The DVD included with this book provides the SUSE Linux 10 distribution.
You can install SUSE Linux in the following ways:
✦ Compact disc — The easiest and most common form of installation, because
almost every modern computer system includes a CD drive. This is the stan-
dard way to perform a fresh installation of SUSE Linux on a computer system.
✦ DVD — A popular form of installation that saves you from having to swap out
multiple CDs, but the computer system on which you are installing SUSE must
contain a DVD drive. Because of the amount of storage available on a DVD, the
SUSE Linux DVD also includes some packages that are not available on the CD
installation set.
✦ Manual installation — Manual installation requires that you boot from a SUSE
CD but provides more control over the source of the packages used when
installing SUSE Linux. For example, this installation method enables you to
install SUSE from a centralized network repository where the SUSE Linux
packages are located, using network protocols such as FTP (File Transfer
Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), NFS (Network File System),
SMB (Server Message Block, the Windows file sharing protocol), and even
TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol). This is a common installation method
Note
Different Installation Sources
This chapter focuses on installing SUSE Linux from the DVD that was packaged with this
book or from the installation discs you have purchased. However, your installation discs and
the installation DVD that is packaged with this book (like all SUSE installation media) also
support a number of other installation sources. If you want to make sure that you get the
latest SUSE installation on your system, you may want to select Manual Installation from
the initial menu of the boot DVD, select the Start Installation option, and then select the
Network source medium. This enables you to select from a variety of different installation
sources, including FTP installation, which enables you to install SUSE from a network
source, such as one of SUSE’s up-to-date repositories. (Other network installation mecha-
nisms include HTTP, NFS, SMB, and TFTP, although FTP is the most common.) To install
SUSE from a network source, you must have used the installer’s Network Modules screen
first to install the drivers for the network card in your computer, and the computer on which
you are installing SUSE must also be connected to the Internet. Although this requires some
knowledge about your computer system’s hardware, it is a great way to get the latest and
greatest version of SUSE Linux. As noted earlier, the DVD packaged with this book provides
the most recent version of SUSE Linux Professional Edition available at the time that this
book was written. To get the latest and greatest version of SUSE Linux and all of its patches,
you can always install this version and then update it using the YaST Online Update module
that is discussed in Chapter 9.
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