Chapter 2. Preparing to Install Linux
Before installing Linux, you must first gather some data about your system. This chapter presents information you need to know and tasks you need to perform before the installation of Linux. It helps you make certain that your IBM-compatible PC meets the minimum hardware requirements for Linux. It shows you how to document your Windows operating system configuration so that you can respond to questions presented by the Linux install procedure. And, finally, it shows you how to prepare your hard disk for Linux.
Tip
Various Linux distributions have somewhat different hardware requirements. To avoid tedious repetition, I refer to Red Hat Enterprise WS 3 and Fedora as simply “Linux” throughout this chapter. But, please bear in mind that the information in this chapter may not accurately apply to Linux distributions other than Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 3 and Fedora.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
Linux supports a wide range of PC hardware, but not even Linux supports every known device and system. Your PC must meet certain minimum requirements in order to run Linux, which I describe in the following sections. For the latest and most complete information, you should check Red Hat’s hardware compatibility web site, http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl. This site will also help you determine whether Linux supports the devices installed in your system. If you’re not familiar with PC hardware, check out Robert and Barbara Thompson’s PC Hardware in a Nutshell: ...
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