Required configuration

• Pentium processor or compatible
• CDROM drive
• At least 32 MB RAM
• VESA 2.0 compliant graphics card

1. Boot directly from CD
2. Launch install from MS-DOS
3. Make a boot floppy with windows
4. Other install methods

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1. Boot directly from CD

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2. Launch install from MS-DOS

To do this (assuming your CD is drive D:), use the following commands:

C:\> D:
D:\> cd \dosutils\autoboot
D:\dosutils\autoboot> autoboot.bat

Note that this method will not work if run in a DOS window -- the autoboot.bat file must be executed with DOS as the only operating system. In other words, Windows cannot be running.

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3. Make a boot floppy with windows

• insert the CDROM, then open the icon "My Computer", right click on the CDROM drive icon and select "Open"
• go into the "dosutils" directory and double-click on the "rawwritewin" icon
• insert a blank floppy in the floppy drive
• select "D:\images\cdrom.img" in the "Image File" field (assuming that your CDROM drive is "D:", otherwise replace "D:" as needed)
• select "A:" in the "Floppy Drive" field then click on "Write".

To begin the installation, insert the CDROM in the drive, as well as the boot floppy if necessary, then restart the computer.

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4. Other install methods

Below are the main stages of installation:

 i. Mandrake Bootdisk Install
 

• Under Windows, follow the method described in point 3, but using xxxxx.img (see below) instead of cdrom.img.

• Under Linux (or others modern unix) do :

$ dd if=xxxxx.img of=/dev/fd0

• Under MS-Windows do (under command MS-DOS) :

E:\>..\dosutils\rawrite.exe ../images/xxxxx.img

xxxxx.image is the boot image :
 

DrakX (graphical) install	cdrom.img: hd.img:  network.img:  pcmcia.img:	install from CD-ROM install from hard-disk install from ftp/nfs/http install from pcmcia devices see http://www.linux-mandrake.com/drakx/README for more technical information
Text Install	txt_bootnet.img:  txt_boot.img:	DrakX supports a text mode installation. To use it, type: text  at prompt of syslinux. (it's on the boot just after the graphical logo).  If you want to use the old text mode install use : install from FTP and HTTP install from CD-Rom or Hard Drive
Rescue	rescue.img	You need 2 disks, one for an install image as explain above, and one you create with the image rescue Boot with the install image and at first prompt type "rescue". Wait to be prompted for the rescue image and insert it.

ii - insert your installation floppy disk and your Mandrake CD (if needed) in your drives and restart your machine.

iii - press 'enter' until the 'boot:' prompt appears and carefully follow the instructions which appear on the screen.

iv - after having chosen the installation language (such as French) and the keyboard (such as fr-latin1), chose " Disk Druid " in order to create/chose your Linux partitions. The minimum requirement is to create at least two distinct partitions:

• your main Linux partition, which will need to be loaded on " / " ("Mount point : / "). This will be the root directory (" root directory "). The size of this partition will need to be at least 300 Mb. More experienced users may load the /usr and /home directories on supplementary partitions.
• a swap Linux partition. This partition will need to be equal to approximately twice the size of the available RAM (Random Access Memory), or more for a server.

vi - when the installation is complete take out the floppy disk and the CD-ROM and restart your machine.

vii - Linux should start. " Log in " as " root ". If X-Window is correctly installed, you should be able to start up KDE by typing "startx " on the command line.

Important note : the " root " account will give you unrestricted access to your Linux system. Do not use it except to configure or administer Linux.  For every day use, use a normal user account with the " adduser USER " and " passwd USER " commands.
 
 

For installation support see the Mandrake diffusion list and FAQs at Mandrake web site