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 a CD-ROM, 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 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:
Workstation: if you plan to use your machine as a workstation, select one or more of the corresponding groups;
Development: if your machine is to be used for programming, choose the desired group(s);
Server: if your machine is intended to be a server, you will be able to select which of the most common services you wish to install on your machine;
Graphical Environment: finally, this is where you will choose your preferred graphical environment. At least one must be selected if you want to have a graphical workstation!
![]() | Moving the mouse cursor over a group name will display a short explanatory text about that group. If you deselect all groups when performing a regular installation (by opposition to an upgrade), a dialog will pop up proposing different options for a minimal installation:
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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 Upgrade 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 whether or not you selected 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
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. An estimate of the time it will take to install everything is displayed on the screen, to help you gauge if there is sufficient time to enjoy a cup of coffee.![]() | 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 . Clicking will install the listed services and they will be started automatically by default. |
![]() | 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. |
![]() | The tiny floppy disk icon at the bottom of the list allows to load the package 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. |