Introduction to the Mandrake Linux Installer

DrakX is Mandrake Linux's installation program. Its ease of use has been enhanced with a new graphical user interface, and a new installation scheme which separates installation and system configuration. With DrakX, it doesn't matter whether you're a new user to Mandrake Linux or an old pro – DrakX's job is to give you a smooth installation and an easy transition into Mandrake Linux.

Warning

DrakX will work best if all of your hardware is connected to the computer and powered up during the installation. Printers, modems, scanners and joysticks are just a few examples of peripherals that DrakX will automatically detect and configure for you as Mandrake Linux is being installed.

Figure 3.1. Very First Installation Welcome Screen

Very First Installation Welcome Screen

When you begin, the first screen that comes up will present some information and give you installation options. (Figure 3.1). Doing nothing will simply begin the installation in normal or “linux” mode. The next few paragraphs will go over some options and parameters that you can pass to the install 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've gone over what might go wrong, let's move on to the actual installation process. When the installer starts, you'll see a nice graphical interface (Figure 3.3). On the left will be the various installation steps. You can notice 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 an highlighted bullet.

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

Tip

The Help button will show explanations for the current step.