3.1 Installing the Operating System and Applications

To install Red Hat 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 the system time.
Configure language support.
Configure user accounts and authentication.
Select packages.
Install packages.
Configure X.
Create a boot diskette.
Complete the video configuration.
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.