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Chapter 28. Boot Options

28.1. Configuring the Installation System at the Boot Menu
28.1.1. Specifying the Language
28.1.2. Configuring the Interface
28.1.3. Updating anaconda
28.1.4. Specifying the Installation Method
28.1.5. Manually Configuring the Network Settings
28.2. Enabling Remote Access to the Installation System
28.2.1. Enabling Remote Access with VNC
28.2.2. Connecting the Installation System to a VNC Listener
28.2.3. Enabling Remote Access with Telnet
28.3. Logging to a Remote System During the Installation
28.3.1. Configuring a Log Server
28.4. Automating the Installation with Kickstart
28.5. Enhancing Hardware Support
28.5.1. Overriding Automatic Hardware Detection
28.6. Using the Maintenance Boot Modes
28.6.1. Verifying boot media
28.6.2. Booting Your Computer with the Rescue Mode
28.6.3. Upgrading your computer
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation system includes a range of functions and options for administrators. To use boot options, enter linux option at the boot: prompt.
If you specify more than one option, separate each of the options by a single space. For example:
linux option1 option2 option3

Anaconda Boot Options

The anaconda installer has many boot options, most are listed on the wiki http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Options.

Kernel Boot Options

The http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/KernelCommonProblems page lists many common kernel boot options. The full list of kernel options is in the file /usr/share/doc/kernel-doc-version/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt, which is installed with the kernel-doc package.

Rescue Mode

The Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation and rescue discs may either boot with rescue mode, or load the installation system. For more information on rescue discs and rescue mode, refer to Section 28.6.2, “Booting Your Computer with the Rescue Mode”.

28.1. Configuring the Installation System at the Boot Menu

You can use the boot menu to specify a number of settings for the installation system, including:
  • language
  • display resolution
  • interface type
  • Installation method
  • network settings

28.1.1. Specifying the Language

To set the language for both the installation process and the final system, specify the ISO code for that language with the lang option. Use the keymap option to configure the correct keyboard layout.
For example, the ISO codes el_GR and gr identify the Greek language and the Greek keyboard layout:
linux lang=el_GR keymap=gr

28.1.2. Configuring the Interface

To use a specific display resolution, enter resolution=setting as a boot option. For example, to set the display resolution to 1024×768, enter:
linux resolution=1024x768
To run the installation process in text mode, enter:
linux text
To enable support for a serial console, enter serial as an additional option.
Use display=ip:0 to allow remote display forwarding. In this command, ip should be replaced with the IP address of the system on which you want the display to appear.
On the system you want the display to appear on, you must execute the command xhost +remotehostname, where remotehostname is the name of the host from which you are running the original display. Using the command xhost +remotehostname limits access to the remote display terminal and does not allow access from anyone or any system not specifically authorized for remote access.

28.1.3. Updating anaconda

You can install Red Hat Enterprise Linux with a newer version of the anaconda installation program than the one supplied on your installation media.
The boot option
  linux updates
presents you with a prompt that asks you for a disk image containing anaconda updates. You do not need to specify this option if you are performing a network installation and have already placed the updates image contents in rhupdates/ on the server.
To load the anaconda updates from a network location instead, use:
  linux updates=
followed by the URL for the location where the updates are stored.

28.1.4. Specifying the Installation Method

Use the askmethod option to display additional menus that enable you to specify the installation method and network settings. You may also configure the installation method and network settings at the boot: prompt itself.
To specify the installation method from the boot: prompt, use the repo option. Refer to Table 28.1, “Installation methods” for the supported installation methods.
Table 28.1. Installation methods
Installation method Option format
DVD drive repo=cdrom:device
Hard Drive repo=hd:device/path
HTTP Server repo=http://host/path
FTP Server repo=ftp://username:password@host/path
NFS Server repo=nfs:server:/path
ISO images on an NFS Server repo=nfsiso:server:/path

28.1.5. Manually Configuring the Network Settings

By default, the installation system uses DHCP to automatically obtain the correct network settings. To manually configure the network settings yourself, either enter them in the Configure TCP/IP screen, or at the boot: prompt. You may specify the ip address, netmask, gateway, and dns server settings for the installation system at the prompt. If you specify the network configuration at the boot: prompt, these settings are used for the installation process, and the Configure TCP/IP screen does not appear.
This example configures the network settings for an installation system that uses the IP address 192.168.1.10:
linux ip=192.168.1.10 netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.168.1.1 dns=192.168.1.2,192.168.1.3