3.1 Installing the Operating System and Applications

To install Linux, attach any optional devices you plan to use, such as a PCMCIA network card or external floppy drive, to your PC. Then, follow this simple step-by-step procedure:

Start the installation.
Select installation options.
Create partitions.
Configure the boot loader.
Configure networking.
Configure language support.
Configure the system time.
Set the root password.
Select packages.
Install packages.
Configure X (Red Hat Enterprise Linux only).
Complete the video configuration (Red Hat Enterprise Linux only).
Create boot diskette (Fedora Core only)
Complete the installation.

Although the Linux installation procedure is generally trouble-free, errors or malfunctions that occur during the installation of an operating system can result in loss of data. You should not begin the installation procedure until you have backed up all data on your system and determined that your backup is error-free. You should also create boot floppies or other media that enable you to boot your system even if the boot information on the hard disk is damaged.