Slackware Linux Essentials
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3.4 The `setup` Program

+ +

Once you have created your partitions, you are ready to install Slackware. The next +step in the installation process is running the setup(8) +program. To do so, simply type setup at the shell prompt. setup is a menu-driven system for actually installing the Slackware +packages and configuring your system.

+ +

The setup process goes something like this: You step through each option in the setup program, in the order they are listed. (Of course, you are +free to do things in almost any order you choose, but chances are it isn't going to work +out very well.) Menu items are selected using the up and down arrow keys, and the +“Okay” and “Cancel” buttons can be chosen by using the left and +right arrow keys. Alternatively, each option has a corresponding key, which is +highlighted in the option name. Options which are flaggable (those indicated with a [X]) are toggled using the spacebar.

+ +

Of course, all of that is described in the “help” section of setup, but we believe in giving our readers their money's worth.

+ +

3.4.1 HELP

+ +

If this is your first time installing Slackware, you might want to take a look at the +help screen. It will give a description of each part of setup +(much like the one we're writing now, but less involved) and instructions for navigating +the rest of the install.

+ +

3.4.2 KEYMAP

+ +

If you require a keymap other than the United States “qwerty” layout, you +may want to take a look at this section. It offers a number of alternate layouts for your +keyboarding enjoyment.

+ +

3.4.3 ADDSWAP

+ +

If you created a swap partition (back in Section 3.3), this section will allow you to +enable it. It will autodetect and display the swap partitions on your hard drive, +allowing you to select one to format and enable.

+ +

3.4.4 TARGET

+ +

The target section is where your other (non-swap) partitions are formatted and mapped +to filesystem mount points. A list of the partitions on your hard disk will be displayed. +For each partition, you will be given the option of whether to format that partition or +not. Depending on the kernel used, you can choose between reiserfs (the default), ext3, +ext2, jfs, and xfs. Most people use either reiserfs or ext3. In the near future we may +see support for reiserfs4 slip in.

+ +

The first option in the target section is the selection of a partition on which to +install your root (/) filesystem. After that, you will be able +to map other partitions to filesystems as you choose. (For instance, you may want your +third partition, say /dev/hda3, to be your home filesystem. +This is just an example; map the partitions as you see fit.)

+ +

3.4.5 SOURCE

+ +

The source section is where you select the source media from which you are installing +Slackware. Currently there are four sources to choose from. These are CD-ROM, NFS, or a +premounted directory.

+ +

The CD-ROM selection enables a CD-ROM based installation. It will offer the option of +scanning for a CD-ROM drive or displaying a list from which you can pick your drive type. +Make sure you have the Slackware CD in your drive before allowing it to scan.

+ +

The NFS selection prompts for your network information and the network information for +your NFS server. The NFS server must be set up in advance. Also note that you cannot use +hostnames, you must use the IP addresses for both your machine and the NFS server (there +is no name resolver on the setup disk). Naturally you must have used the network.dsk floppy to add support for your network controller.

+ +

The premounted directory offers the most flexibility. You can use this method to +install from things such as Jaz disks, NFS mounts over PLIP, and FAT filesystems. Mount +the filesystem to a location of your choosing before running setup, then specify that +location here.

+ +

3.4.6 SELECT

+ +

The select option allows you to select the software series that you wish to install. +These series are described in Section 3.2.1. +Please note that you must install the A series to have a working base system. All other +series are optional.

+ +

3.4.7 INSTALL

+ +

Assuming that you have gone through the “target”, “source”, +and “select” options, the install option will allow +you to select packages from your chosen software series. If not, it will prompt you to go +back and complete the other sections of the setup program. This option allows you to +select from six different installation methods: full, newbie, menu, expert, custom, and tag path.

+ +

The full option will install every package from all the +software series that you chose in the “select” section. There is no further +prompting. This is the easiest installation method, since you do not need to make any +decisions on the actual packages to install. Of course, this option also takes up the +most hard drive space.

+ +

The next option is newbie. This option installs all of the +required packages in the selected series. For all other packages, it offers a prompt +where you can select “Yes”, “No”, or “Skip”. Yes and +No do the obvious, while Skip will go ahead to the next software series. Additionally, +you will see a description and size requirement for each package to help you decide if +you need it. We recommend this option for new users, as it ensures that you get all the +required packages installed. However, it is a little slow because of the prompting.

+ +

Menu is a faster and more advanced version of the newbie +option. For each series, a menu is displayed, from which you can select all the +non-required packages you want to install. Required packages are not displayed on this +menu.

+ +

For the more advanced user, install offers the expert +option. This allows you complete control over what packages get installed. You can +deselect packages that are absolutely required, resulting in a broken system. On the +other hand, you can control exactly what goes onto your system. Simply select the +packages from each series that you want installed. This is not recommended for the new +user, as it is quite easy to shoot yourself in the foot.

+ +

The custom and tag path options +are also for advanced users. These options allow you to install based upon custom tag +files that you created in the distribution tree. This is useful for installing to large +numbers of machines fairly quickly. For more information on using tag files, see Section 18.4.

+ +

After selecting your installation method, one of a few things will happen. If you +selected full or menu, a menu screen will appear, allowing you to select the packages to +be installed. If you selected full, packages will immediately start getting installed to +the target. If you selected newbie, packages will be installed until an optional package +is reached.

+ +

Note that it is possible to run out of space while installing. If you selected too +many packages for the amount of free space on the target device, you will have problems. +The safest thing to do is to select some software and add more later, if you need it. +This can easily be done using Slackware's package management tools. For this information, +see Chapter 18.

+ +

3.4.8 CONFIGURE

+ +

The configure section allows you to do some basic system configuration, now that the +packages have been installed. What you see here depends in large part upon which software +you have installed. You will, however, always see the following:

+ +

3.4.8.1 Kernel selection

+ +

Here you will be asked to select a kernel to install. You can install the kernel from +the boot disk you used to install, the Slackware CD-ROM, or from another floppy which you +(always thinking ahead) have prepared. Or you can elect to skip, in which case the +default kernel will be installed and play will continue to the dealer's left.

+ +

3.4.8.2 Make a boot disk

+ +

Making a boot disk for future use is probably a good idea. You will have the option of +formatting a floppy and then creating one of two types of boot disk. The first type, simple, simply (go figure) writes a kernel to the floppy. A more +flexible (and highly recommended) option is lilo, which will of +course create a lilo boot disk. See LILO in Section +7.1 for more information. Of course, you may also choose to simply continue, in which case no boot disk will be made.

+ +

3.4.8.3 Modem

+ +

You will be prompted for modem information. More specifically, you will be asked +whether you have a modem, and if so, what serial port it is on.

+ +

These next configuration subsections may or may not appear, depending on whether or +not you installed their corresponding packages.

+ +

3.4.8.4 Timezone

+ +

This one's pretty straightforward: you will be asked what time zone you are in. If you +operate on Zulu time, we are very sorry; the (extremely long) list is alphabetically +ordered, and you're at the bottom.

+ +

3.4.8.5 Mouse

+ +

This subsection simply asks what kind of mouse you have, and whether you want gpm(8) console mouse support enabled on bootup.

+ +

3.4.8.6 Hardware clock

+ +

This subsection asks if your computer's hardware clock is set to Coordinated Universal +Time (UTC or GMT). Most PCs are not, so you should probably say no.

+ +

3.4.8.7 Font

+ +

The font subsection allows you to choose from a list of custom console fonts.

+ +

3.4.8.8 LILO

+ +

Here you are prompted for installation of LILO (the LInux LOader; see Section 7.1 for more information).

+ +

If Slackware is to be the only operating system on your computer, simple should work just fine for you. If you are dual-booting, the +expert option is a better choice. See Section 7.3 for more information on dual-booting. The third +option, do not install, is not recommended unless you know what +you're doing and have a very good reason for not installing LILO. If you are performing +an expert install, you will be given a choice as to where LILO will be put. You may place +LILO in the MBR (Master Boot Record) of your hard drive, in the superblock of your root +Linux partition, or on a floppy disk.

+ +

3.4.8.9 Network

+ +

The network configuration subsection is actually netconfig. +See Section 5.1 +for more information.

+ +

3.4.8.10 X Window Manager

+ +

This subsection will allow you to choose a default window manager for X. See Chapter 6 for more details on X and window managers.

+ +

No matter which packages you installed, the last thing configure will do is ask you +whether you want to go ahead and set a root password. For +security reasons, this is probably a good idea; however, like almost everything else in +Slackware, this is your call.

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