Learning Red Hat Linux, Second Edition

Chapter 2.  Preparing to Install Red Hat Linux

Before installing Linux, you must first gather some information about your system. This chapter presents information you need to know and tasks you need to perform before installing Linux. It helps you make certain that your IBM-compatible PC meets the minimum hardware requirements for Linux. It shows you how to document your Windows operating system configuration so you can respond to questions presented by the Red Hat Linux install procedure. It also describes the four types of Red Hat Linux installations. Finally, this chapter shows you how to prepare your hard disk for installing Linux.

Minimum Hardware Requirements

Linux supports a wide range of PC hardware, but not even Linux supports every known device and system. Your PC must meet certain minimum requirements in order to run Linux. The following sections present these minimum requirements; however, for the latest and most complete information, you should check Red Hat’s hardware compatibility web site,http://hardware.redhat.com. Red Hat’s web site will also help you determine whether Linux supports the devices installed in your system. If you’re not familiar with PC hardware, check out Robert and Barbara Thompson’s PC Hardware in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (O’Reilly & Associates, Inc.), an excellent introduction and reference to PC hardware.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Red Hat Linux 7.2 fully supports the Intel i486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, and Pentium ...