12.6.  Beginning Installation

12.6.  Beginning Installation

12.6.  Beginning Installation

12.6.1. Installing from DVD/CD-ROM

To install Red Hat Enterprise Linux from a DVD/CD-ROM, place the DVD or CD #1 in your DVD/CD-ROM drive and boot your system from the DVD/CD-ROM.

The installation program then probes your system and attempts to identify your CD-ROM drive. It starts by looking for an IDE (also known as an ATAPI) CD-ROM drive.

If your CD-ROM drive is not detected, and it is a SCSI CD-ROM, the installation program prompts you to choose a SCSI driver. Choose the driver that most closely resembles your adapter. You may specify options for the driver if necessary; however, most drivers detect your SCSI adapter automatically.

Tip

A partial list of optional parameters for CD-ROM drives can be found in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Reference Guide, in the General Parameters and Modules appendix.

If the DVD/CD-ROM drive is found and the driver loaded, the installer will present you with the option to perform a media check on the DVD/CD-ROM. This will take some time, and you may opt to skip over this step. However, if you later encounter problems with the installer, you should reboot and perform the media check before calling for support. From the media check dialog, continue to the next stage of the installation process (refer to Section 12.12, “Welcome to Red Hat Enterprise Linux”).

12.6.1.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found?

If you have an IDE (ATAPI) DVD/CD-ROM but the installation program fails to find it and asks you what type of DVD/CD-ROM drive you have, try the following boot command. Restart the installation, and at the boot: prompt enter linux hdX=cdrom. Replace X with one of the following letters, depending on the interface the unit is connected to, and whether it is configured as master or slave (also known as primary and secondary):

  • a — first IDE controller, master

  • b — first IDE controller, slave

  • c — second IDE controller, master

  • d — second IDE controller, slave

If you have a third and/or fourth controller, continue assigning letters in alphabetical order, going from controller to controller, and master to slave.