The Mandrakelinux Installer

With the Mandrakelinux DrakX installation program, it doesn't matter whether you're a newbie or a GNU/Linux guru. DrakX's job is to provide you with a smooth installation and an easy transition to Mandrakelinux's latest version.

[Warning]Warning

DrakX will work best if all of your hardware is connected to your computer and powered on during the installation. Printers, modems, scanners and joysticks are just a few examples of peripherals which DrakX can automatically detect and configure as Mandrakelinux is being installed.

Figure 3.1. Very First Installation Welcome Screen

Very First Installation Welcome Screen

The first screen you see displays information and installation options (Figure 3.1, “Very First Installation Welcome Screen”). Allowing the installation to continue will simply begin the installation in normal or “linux” mode. Next we'll go over some options and parameters which you can pass to the installation program if you run into problems.

Pressing F1 will open a help screen (Figure 3.2, “Available Installation Options”). Here are some useful options to choose from:

Figure 3.2. Available Installation Options

Available Installation Options

Now let's move on to the actual installation process. When the installer starts, you will see a nice graphical interface (Figure 3.3, “Choosing the Default Language”). On the left will be the various installation steps. The installation will occur in two phases: installation, then configuration. The list on the left displays all the steps. The current step is marked by a highlighted bullet.

Each step may present various screens. Surfing between those screens is made possible through the Next and Previous buttons. Additionally an Advanced button may be available to show more advanced configuration options. Note that most of the latter should only be handled by expert users. But there's no harm in looking at them!

[Tip]Tip

The Help button will show explanations concerning the current installation step.