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\begin{center}
{\huge Getting Started with Linux and Slackware on MITnet}
\end{center}

Linux is a freely distributable implementation of UNIX for 80386,
80486 and Pentium machines. It supports a wide range of software
including X Windows, Emacs, TCP/IP networking (including SLIP and
PPP) and more. Before installing, you should: 

\begin{enumerate}

\item Attach the linux locker ({\tt attach linux}) and read the documents in
{\tt /mit/linux/docs/install}. Look at the {\tt README} file for more
information on the files located there.  You should definitely read
all of the files there.

\item Install an ethernet card listed in 
{\tt /mit/linux/docs/install/Hardware-HOWTO}.  The I/S recommended 
3Com 3C509 card works quite well. We recommend it too.
The {\it Hardware-HOWTO} also has (pointers to) specific
information on what hardware is compatible with Linux.

\item Get an IP Address from your RCC, ILG network representative 
or the Computing Help Desk.\footnote{MIT Departments
{\bf ONLY (We mean only!)} x3-4101} This address
will be of the form {\tt 18.b.c.d}.%
\footnote{For more information, see
{\tt http://web.mit.edu/afs/net/admin/residential/home.html} with your favorite
web browser.}

\item Have a Linux or DOS partition with at least 100MB (250MB recommended)
for Linux files. (A Linux only partition will generally require you to
repartition/reformat your drive.)

\end{enumerate}

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:

\begin{enumerate}

\item Read the documentation in the linux locker. Again.

\item 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. 
{\tt add linux} and then look in {\tt
/mit/linux/slackware/current/bootdsks.144} for a bootdisk
image and in {\tt /mit/linux/slackware/current/rootdsks} 
for a gzipped root disk
image. Use the {\tt 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:

\begin{tabular}{|l|l|}
\hline
{\bf Boot Disk} & {\bf Use for}\\
\hline
{\tt net}  & Machines with approved Ethernet cards (Recommended).\\
{\tt scsinet1} & Machines installing to SCSI hard drives.\\
{\tt scsinet2} & Machines installing to SCSI hard drives.\\
\hline
\hline
{\bf Root Disk} & {\bf Use to get}\\
\hline
{\tt color.gz} & An easy-to-use full screen installation program (Recommended).\\
{\tt text.gz}  & A text based installation program. Allows scroll back.\\
{\tt umsdos.gz} & A version of {\tt color.gz} which supports UMSDOS.\\
\hline
\end{tabular}

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

To write each image to a separate floppy, use:
\par
{\tt dd if=}{\it image} {\tt of=}{\it /dev/floppy} {\tt bs=18k}

Specify the image file ({\tt net} or {\tt color.gz}) in place of {\it image\/}
and use a value for {\it /dev/floppy\/} that is appropriate for the
type of machine you're on.  On a Dec or Vax, use {\tt /dev/rfd0a}.  On
a Sun, use \break{\tt /vol/dev/aliases/floppy0}.\footnote{You may want
to do a {\tt volcheck} first.}  On RS6000s, use {\tt
/dev/rfd0h}.\footnote{If these do not work, try asking SIPB or OLC.}
% Hm... if they have a linux box, they will be reading the howto upgrade
% ELF. Not this....
% On Linux boxes, it is usually {\tt /dev/fd0}.
Sun and RS6000 floppy drives seem to work slightly better on average.
Alternately, look at the {\it Linux Installation HOWTO} for
information on how to use {\tt RAWRITE.EXE} under MSDOS.

\item Partitioning:

We assume you know how to partition a drive now, having read the
documentation. You may wish to look into using FIPS, which is
usually non-destructive. FIPS is distributed with Slackware in its install
directory.

If you plan to use a separate partition for Linux, follow the
instructions in the {\it Linux Installation HOWTO} for partitioning
your drive and installing Linux.  Remember, you will want one
partition for swap and one partition for your Linux files. If you
want, you should also make one partition for your original OS. You
will want a minimum of 8 MB for your swap partition; if you plan on
running X windows, you should have a total of at least 24 MB of memory
(real and swap).

If you plan to use UMSDOS (so a Linux and DOS filesystem can coexist
on a single partition), you will need to use the {\tt umsdos.gz} root
disk.  Read {\tt /mit/linux/docs/HOWTO/UMSDOS-HOWTO} before
attempting a UMSDOS installation.

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

\item Boot your machine with the boot disk you have prepared. If it
boots successfully, you will be prompted
to insert the root disk.
Linux will eventually present some instructions and
a login prompt. Type {\tt setup} and follow the
instructions in the {\it 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 {\tt 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:

% Yonah says everything is class B
\begin{tabular}{|l|r|r|}
\hline
Parameter & Form & Example\\
\hline
IP Address & {\tt 18.b.c.d} & {\tt 18.242.0.198}\\
Netmask & {\tt 255.255.0.0} & {\tt 255.255.0.0}\\
Network & {\tt 18.b.0.0} & {\tt 18.242.0.0}\\
Broadcast & {\tt 18.b.255.255} & {\tt 18.242.255.255}\\
Gateway & {\tt 18.b.0.1}       & {\tt 18.242.0.1}\\
\hline
\end{tabular}

If asked for a nameserver, you can use
18.70.0.160, 18.71.0.151 or 18.72.0.3.  When
prompted for the name of the machine from which to do the NFS install,
enter {\tt 18.177.0.248} (which is small-gods.mit.edu).  When asked which
directory the files are located in, answer with {\tt
/slackware/current}. Select the disksets you wish to install --- you
will definitely need the A and N disksets --- and use prompt mode with
a custom tagfile extension of ``{\tt .ath}''. 

\item 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 {\bf strongly} recommend that you setup
your own nameserver. For more information on properly configuring
your Linux machine for use on MITnet, look at
{\it Inessential Linux-Athena},
available in {\tt /afs/sipb/project/doc/current/linux-athena.dvi} or
in the SIPB office (W20-557, x3-7788).
\end{enumerate}

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

\vfill
{\noindent\it This document was assembled by Erik Nygren (nygren@mit.edu), 
Emil Sit (sit@mit.edu) and Kevin Fu (fubob@mit.edu).  It contains
information from the Linux Installation HOWTO by Matt Welsh\break
(mdw@sunsite.unc.edu)}

{\noindent\it This document is \verb!$Revision: 1.10 $!. Last modified
\verb!$Date: 1996/02/21 19:13:02 $!}.

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