5.11. Choose Packages to Install

It is now time to specify which programs you wish to install on your system. There are thousands of packages available for Mandrake Linux, and you are not supposed to know them all by heart.

If you are performing a standard installation from CDROM, you will first be asked to specify the CDs you currently have (in Expert mode only). Check the CD labels and highlight the boxes corresponding to the CDs you have available for installation. Click OK when you are ready to continue.

Packages are sorted in groups corresponding to a particular use of your machine. The groups themselves are sorted into four sections:

  1. Workstation: if you plan to use your machine as a workstation, select one or more of the corresponding groups.

  2. Development: if the machine is to be used for programming, choose the desired group(s).

  3. Server: finally, if the machine is intended to be a server, you will be able to select which of the most common services you wish to see installed on the machine.

  4. Graphical Environment: this is where you will choose your preferred graphical environment. At least one must be selected if you want to have a graphical workstation!

Tip

Moving the mouse cursor over a group name will display a short explanatory text about that group.

You can check the Individual package selection box, which is useful if you are familiar with the packages being offered or if you want to have total control over what will be installed.

If you started the installation in "Update" mode, you can unselect all groups to avoid installing any new package. This is useful for repairing or updating an existing system.

Finally, depending on your choice of whether or not to select individual packages, you will be presented a tree containing all packages classified by groups and subgroups. While browsing the tree, you can select entire groups, subgroups, or individual packages.

Whenever you select a package on the tree, a description appears on the right. When your selection is finished, click the Install button which will then launch the installation process. Depending on the speed of your hardware and the number of packages that need to be installed, it may take a while to complete the process. A time to complete estimate is displayed on the screen to help you gauge if there is sufficient time to enjoy a cup of coffee.

Warning

If a server package has been selected either intentionally or because it was part of a whole group, you will be asked to confirm that you really want those servers to be installed. Under Mandrake Linux, any installed servers are started by default at boot time. Even if they are safe and have no known issues at the time the distribution was shipped, it may happen that security holes are discovered after this version of Mandrake Linux was finalized. If you do not know what a particular service is supposed to do or why it is being installed, then click No. Clicking Yes will install the listed services and they will be started automatically by default.

Note

The Automatic dependencies option simply disables the warning dialog which appears whenever the installer automatically selects a package. This occurs because it has determined that it needs to satisfy a dependency with another package in order to successfully complete the installation.

Note

The tiny floppy disc icon at the bottom of the list allows to load the packages list chosen during a previous installation. Clicking on this icon will ask you to insert a floppy disk previously created at the end of another installation. See the second tip of last step on how to create such a floppy.


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