The Mandrake Linux Installer

DrakX is Mandrake Linux's installation program. With DrakX, it does not matter whether you are a newbie or a Mandrake Linux guru –– DrakX's job is to provide you with a smooth installation and an easy transition into Mandrake Linux's latest version.

Warning

DrakX will work best if all of your hardware is connected to the 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 Mandrake Linux is being installed.

Figure 3.1. Very First Installation Welcome Screen

Very First Installation Welcome Screen

The first screen you will see will present you with some information and give you installation options (Figure 3.1). Letting the installation go on will simply begin the installation in normal or “linux” mode. Next we will 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). Here are some useful options to choose from:

Figure 3.2. Available Installation Options

Available Installation Options

Now that we have gone over what might go wrong, let's move on to the actual installation process. When the installer starts, you will see a nice graphical interface (Figure 3.3). On the left will be the various installation steps. You will notice that installation will occur in two distinct main steps: installation, then configuration. The list on the left shows all the steps. The current step is marked with a highlighted bullet.

Each step may present various screens. Surfing between those screens is made through the Next -> and <- Previous buttons. Additionally an Advanced button may be available to show more advanced configuration options.

Tip

The Help button will show explanations concerning the current step.