Appendix B. Installing Without Partitioning

This chapter explains installing Red Hat Linux without creating Linux partitions on your system.

Note

This is a great way to explore the world of Red Hat Linux without putting Linux partitions on your system. However, please note that you will still have to perform a full Red Hat Linux installation as outlined in this manual.

You must currently have a formatted DOS (FAT) filesystem in order to perform this type of installation. Users who have Windows 95/98 installed should have no problems with this type of installation. Users who have NTFS partitions (such as those using Windows NT) will have to create and format a DOS (FAT) filesystem before this installation can be performed. This installation will not work unless the DOS (FAT) filesystem has been formatted prior to starting the Red Hat Linux installation.

	Warning
	If you choose to perform a partitionless installation, you must create a boot disk. Without this diskette, you will not be able to boot into Red Hat Linux. If you lose or destroy this diskette, you will not be able to boot into Red Hat Linux.

The Ups and Downs of a Partitionless Installation

There are valid reasons for performing a partitionless installation, but there also are some drawbacks (depending on how you look at them). We will discuss these potential drawbacks in this section. This section also covers the basics of what will happen during a partitionless installation and as a result of this type of installation, and how your system will be affected.

Basic Installation

You will perform a basic Red Hat Linux installation. However, instead of adding Linux partitions to your system, you will edit an existing, formatted DOS (FAT) partition (with enough free space) to be named root (/).

Unlike a typical Red Hat Linux installation, you will not need to format any partitions, since you will not be adding any partitions to your system.

LILO (LInux LOader) and Boot Disk

During a partitionless installation, you will not configure LILO. (During a typical installation, you are able to choose where you would like LILO to be installed — either on the master boot record (MBR) or on the first sector of your root partition — or you can choose not to install LILO at all.)

You must create a boot disk in order to access Red Hat Linux, and you will be prompted to create a boot disk at the end of the installation.

Note

In order to boot Red Hat Linux with a boot disk after a partitionless installation, your BIOS must be configured correctly. Your BIOS must be set to boot from the floppy drive (A) in order to use the boot disk.

To change your BIOS settings, take note of the instructions displayed when your computer first begins to boot. Often you will see a line of text telling you to press the [Del] or [F1] key to enter the BIOS settings.

Next, you must find the section that allows you to alter your boot sequence. The default is often C, A or A, C (depending if you boot from your hard drive [C] or a floppy drive [A]). Change this sequence so that the floppy drive (A) is first in your boot order and that your hard drive (C) is second. This instructs the computer to first look at the floppy drive for bootable media, if it cannot be found there, it will look at your hard drive next.

Make sure to save your changes before exiting the BIOS. For more information, refer to the documentation that came with your system.

Performance Implications

Red Hat Linux will be slower than it would be if it had its own dedicated partitions. However, if speed is not a primary consideration, a partitionless installation is a great way of seeing what Red Hat Linux has to offer without having to deal with partitioning your system.