Getting Started with Linux and Slackware on MITnet

1. Attach the linux locker (attach linux) and read the documents in /mit/linux/docs/install. Look at the README file for more information on the files located there. You should definitely read all of the files there.
2. Install an ethernet card listed in /mit/linux/docs/install/Hardware-HOWTO. The I/S recommended 3Com 3C509 card works quite well. We recommend it too. The Hardware-HowTo also has (pointers to) specific information on what hardware is compatible with Linux.
3. Get an IP Address from your RCC, ILG network representative or the Network Help Desk. This address will be of the form 18.b.c.d For dorms, c will usually be zero.

4. Have a Linux or DOS partition with at least 80MB (300MB recommended) for Linux files. (A Linux only partition will generally require you to repartition/reformat your drive.)

After you have read through the documentation, you are ready to begin installing Linux on your system. We recommend you use the following basic outline:

1. Read the documentation in the linux locker. Again.

2. Create boot disks:

   You will need a boot disk image and a root disk image to boot your Linux box. You can find these disk images on Athena. add linux and then look in /mit/linux/slackware/slackware/bootdsks.144 for a bootdisk image and in /mit/linux/slackware/slackware/rootdsks for a gzipped rootdisk image. Use the README files in those directories to help you determine which install disks you want. Since you will be doing a network installation, you will need a boot disk image which has network drivers installed. This table summarizes the disks which you might want to use:

   Boot Disk	Use for:
   net	Machines with approved Ethernet cards (recommended)
   scsinet1.gz	Machines installing to SCSI drives
   scsinet2.gz	Machines installing to SCSI drives

   Root Disk	Use for:
   color.gz	An easy-to-use full screen installation program (recommended)
   text.gz	A text based installation program. Allows scrollback.
   umsdos.gz	A version of color.gz which supports UMSDOS.

   If you have a SCSI controller, you will want to either scsinet1.gz or scsinet2.gz depending on its manufacturer. See the WHICH.ONE file in /mit/linux/slackware/slackware/bootdsks.144 for more information.

   To write each image to a separate floppy, use:

   dd if=image of=/dev/floppy bs=18k

   Specify the image file (net or color.gz) as image and use a value for /dev/floppy that is appropriate for the type of machine you're on. On a Dec or Vax, use /dev/rfd0a. On a Sun, use /vol/dev/aliases/floppy0. On RS6000s, use /dev/rfd0h.

   Sun and RS6000 floppy drives seem to work slightly better on average. Alternately, look at the /mit/linux/docs/HOWTO/UMSDOS-HOWTO before attempting a UMSDOS installation.

   Be sure to make backups of everything on the drive before you repartition --- repartitioning is a very destructive operation.

3. Boot your machine with the bootdisk you have prepared. If it boot successfully, you will be prompted to insert the root disk. If you boot successfully, Linux will present some instructions and a login prompt. Type setup and follow the instructions in the Linux Installation HowTo. You will need to setup your swap partition and format your Linux partition.

   When you are asked to select the source for the installation, choose NFS Install. When prompted, enter the network parameters (IP address, etc) provided to you by your network manager, RCC, or ILG network representative. For most students living in dorms and ILGs, your parameters will look something like:

   Parameter	Form	Example
   IP Address	18.b.c.d	18.242.0.199
   Netmask	255.255.0.0	255.255.0.0
   Network	18.b.0.0	18.242.0.0
   Broadcast	18.b.255.255	18.242.255.255
   Gateway	18.b.0.1	18.b.0.1

   If asked for a nameserver, use 18.70.0.160, 18.72.0.3, or 18.71.0.151. (You are strongly recommended to configure and use your own nameserver.) When prompted for the name of the machine from which to do the NFS install, enter 18.177.0.155 (which is maze.mit.edu). When asked which directory the files are located in, answer with /var/slckware. In selecting disk sets to install, you must install the A and N sets.

4. Once the installation is completed, you will be asked to configure certain aspects of your system. Most of the configuration options are fairly self-explanatory --- when asked to configure networking, you can enter the parameters above, but we strongly recommend that you setup your own nameserver. For more information on properly configuring your Linux machine for use on MITnet, look at Inessential Linux-Athena, available in /afs/sipb/project/doc/current/linux-athena.dvi or in the SIPB office (W20-557).

If you have any questions, send email to linux-help@mit.edu or post a message to one of the thecomp.os.linux.* newsgroups. (Probably you will want comp.os.linux.setup or comp.os.linux.hardware.) To receive announcements relating to Linux and Athena, subscribe to the linux-announce mailing list by typing: blanche -a $USER linux-announce.

This document was assembled by Erik Nygren (nygren@mit.edu), Kevin Fu (fubob@mit.edu), and Emil Sit (sit@mit.edu). It contains information from the Linux Installation HowTo by Matt Welsh (mdw@sunsite.unc.edu)

This document is $Revision: 1.2 $