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Methods, Problems and Solutions

Linux Information for Crystallography

Installing a secure Redhat 6.2 Linux and Win95 Dual Boot System via CD-ROM Install on a Toshiba Laptop

The CCP14 Homepage is at http://www.ccp14.ac.uk

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[Introduction] | [Backing up your stuff] | [Noting down the System Config] | [Getting Redhat CD-ROMs] | [Strategies for the Boot Manager and Partitioning the Hard-disk] | [Creating Linux Boot Floppies] | [Setup Hard-disk Partitions] | [Redhat Install] | [Post Install Fixups] | [Post Install Things]

As of 2000/2001 - Redhat 7.0, then 7.1 and then 7.2 have been released. The installation given below is still pretty much valid - and when differences happen they are pretty obvious. Tutorials for installing 7.2 will be done once a spare computer and (more difficult in London) some office space for the computer becomes available.

Note: As of early March 2000, Redhat 6.2 was released. Workarounds have now been determined in doing an equivalent secure 6.0 type install. Overall, Redhat 6.2 install is quite good, but there are still some post install fixups to do after the install. Please note that a significant change for a laptop install Redhat Linux 6.2 (compared to Redhat 6.0) is that the pcmcia.img is now the boot floppy disk to use. One problem with doing a CD-ROM install with Redhat 6.2 is that Redhat can forget to prompt for the internet information. This is covered in the post install fixup information.

Disclaimer

The following install and configuration should leave no open services for potential hackers to scan. This is consistent with setting up a client system or getting ready to create a server. In the following, the text based install is used as this gives the option to install scientific crystallography important options such as the Fortran Compiler. (If you are running X, use of port 6000 by X can be disabled by adding the flag '-nolisten tcp' to the X server command line.)

Note: Because of variations in install, multiple toolsets, (never knowing whether a previous install might have affected the next one); some/all(?) of the following information might be wrong; and there are probably better methods for doing the following. Keep this in mind and feel free to think a bit before blindly following the instructions. Note 2: Redhat does have a reputation of loading more than you really need and running deamons that you may not really need. After installing, doing a security audit and removing deamons you do not require is pretty much mandatory. Some of this is explained at the end of install file. As stated above, this installation tutorial has been modified to try and have this as hacker safe an installation as possible with by default, no scannable ports open.

Warning: (was advised by local department network support group to insert the following) In some organisations and departments, installing unauthorized software or operating systems such as Linux could be a sackable offence. If in doubt, check with your network support group. Also, take note that some distributions and setup options may also install software deemed to be "hacker tools". Presence of "hacker tools" on a computer system could prompt management or criminal action against "offenders".

Also refer:


Backup your old stuff

The following method does the dual boot installation of Linux and Win95 from scratch using an unpartitioned disk. It is possible to install Linux on an existing Windows system without destroying the Windows area using FIPS or other similar non-destructive reformatting software (e.g., Partition Magic). However implementing that is possibly part of a "future" X hour hacking session; so we are doing "clean the disk - then install" method here.

"FIPS is a program for non-destructive splitting of harddisk partitions" - FIPs Webpage at: http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/people/chaffee/fips/fips.html. Note that an up to date FIPS is included in the Redhat Linux tools area.

Partition-Magic is a commercial program with a good reputation for repartitioning without destroying your data: http://www.partitionmagic.com/


If new to Linux, Expect to Initially Waste a Lot of Time

Like Austen Powers(?), "It's UNIX Baby Yeahhhh!"
Also refer Unix-haters handbook - http://catalog.com/hopkins/unix-haters/handbook.html


Noting down the PC System Information

Note down all the information on your system including chip-sets, monitor refresh rates, etc. If Linux makes a wrong choice, or prompts for a decision, you have to give it the correct information. If you have Win95/Win98 or WinNT installed, you can gain this information quite easily from the control panel (assuming the PC is setup with the correct drivers). This also includes all the network information; IP address, name, domain, gateway/router, NetMask, etc. Too much information does not hurt, only too little. For network cards and the like, you may have to go into Win95 or Win98 and get the memory addresses and the IRQs used. You tend to find out what extra information you need the hard way.

In this case:


Either buying or Creating your Own Install CD-ROM

Buying the Redhat CD-ROM would be the easiest option but the following installation used a home made CD-ROM by downloading the files from an FTP mirror. Most of these sites also have ISO CD-ROM images that can be used to create bootable CD-ROM images. Refer to Redhat Mirrors at http://www.redhat.com/mirrors.html.

Obtaining Redhat 6.2 ISO Images

Any decent CD burning software should be able to handle the following ISO images. Read the program help as it may require some special flags for burning ISO images (i.e., writing the File allocation table first).

If you want to make a hand crafted CD-ROM, the following directory structure should work (with extras to make it as freestanding as possible) (this CD will not be bootable):

Note: You may not have enough room to put all the updated rpms so may have to optimised the ones you don't think you will need.


Deciding now on the partitions

Summary: the old Redhat 5.2 manual recommends you partition the hard-disk into segments. An easy option is to just partition the disk into one large "/" partition that everything fits into. This can be much simpler but "might" hurt you in the future (though unlikely for a client crystallographic number crunching computer). I prefer to put everything on one partition with this laptop as expanding harddisk space is not a practical option - thus everything has to fit. (Please note that decisions made now can cause much pain and gnashing of teeth later - though using a single partition has not resulted in any problems so far).

The following decisions were made due to limitations of a 2 Gig Hard-disk (of which ~1 Gig is for Linux). An easy option is just to have a single Linux "/" partition. This will get you going without too many complications that other Linux partitioning strategies can cause.


Obtain the Ranish Partition Manager for DOS and create a Win95 Boot disk

After mucking around with a few utilities, the freeware Ranish Partition Manager for DOS is a work of genius for managing partitions and boot managing. Menu driven, it is a breeze to create and delete partitions, multiple primary partitions, configure the MBR area. It easily will fit on a Windows/DOS boot floppy with the rest of your boot utilities. (latest beta version at time of writing (27th April 2000) : was dated March 14, 2000)

New facilities in Ranish Partition Manager 2.38 not yet covered in these tutorials:

Now before you consider deleting Windows, create a boot disk (format a: /u/s) and copy over the required utility software.


Creating the LINUX Boot Images on Floppy Disk

If only installating Linux on a Laptop, all you require is the pcmcia.img based floppy install disk

If you burn up a Redhat 6.2 ISO image from a web or ftp site, this CD is bootable. However, depending on BIOS and Laptop nuances, the CD may not boot on the Laptop. Thus this will use a floppy to boot up the Laptop as this is more reproducable and reliable. Also, if you boot up using the CD-ROM, you will probably go into a GUI mode. The text based install can be more reliable, especially as some custom mods are required such as installing the Fortran compilers.

Using the files located on the Redhat Linux CD-ROM or a mirror, create the three Image disks depending on how you are installing (local or network) and hardware type; boot, netboot and pcmcia. You can try installing direct from the Redhat 6.2 CD-ROM if your system supports booting from the CD-ROM. In theory, you only have to create the pcmcia.img disk to install Redhat Linux 6.2 on a Laptop.
These are generally in the images directory of the media you intend to install from.

(choose closest Redhat Linux mirrors via: http://www.redhat.com/mirrors.html or ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/MIRRORS.html)

For example, via FTP, mirror.ac.uk:

Use rawrite or rawrite2 for DOS from the dosutils directory to write/burn the images onto the CD. Standard "copy" command will not work. Just type rawrite and answer the questions.

Also refer:

Alternatively, if you are already on a LINUX PC, you can use the command:


Determine the Install Process/Method you are going to Use

You have a variety of options to install the Redhat 6.2 Linux distribution. In this case, we are using a CD-ROM. Though a page on FTP/HTTP based network installation is also available.


Booting from Your DOS/Windows Floppy Boot Disk, Deleting Existing Partitions and Editing Master Boot Manager (MBR) Options

Boot from your DOS/Windows Floppy Boot Disk and run the menu driven Ranish Partition Manager.


Booting from Your DOS/Windows Floppy Boot Disk and Creating Partitions

Note: There are many possible permutations and combinations but the following seems to work for me. Despite the literature, setting active partitions and boot managers can be quite quirky due to limitations/nuances in PC hardware and the various pieces of software.

Boot from your DOS/Windows Floppy Boot Disk and run the menu driven Ranish Partition Manager.


Formatting the C: Drive - Windows FAT-32

Boot from your DOS/Windows Floppy Boot Disk and run the menu driven Ranish Partition Manager.

Also Refer:


Redhat Linux Install

(Note: This assumes the floppy disk will be boot before the CD-ROM. Also, remember to use the pcmcia.img, not the "desktop" boot.img floppy disk.)





Post Install Fixup for Redhat 6.2 Linux





Some other things


Things to do Now that Basic Linux has been Installed


[Introduction] | [Backing up your stuff] | [Noting down the System Config] | [Getting Redhat CD-ROMs] | [Strategies for the Boot Manager and Partitioning the Hard-disk] | [Creating Linux Boot Floppies] | [Setup Hard-disk Partitions] | [Redhat Install] | [Post Install Fixups] | [Post Install Things]

[To Problems and Solutions]
[To: BSD UNIX Information for Crystallography]
[To: Linux Information for Crystallography]
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