1.4. Can You Install Using the CD-ROM?

Boot CD-ROM

If you can boot using the CD-ROM drive, you can create your own CD-ROM to boot the installation program. This may be useful, for example, if you are performing an installation over a network or from a hard drive. See Section 1.4.2 Making an Installation Boot CD-ROM for further instructions.

Boot Diskette

If you need a boot diskette[1], you must create it. A boot diskette will be needed if you cannot boot from the CD-ROM. It can be used to boot from a network, block, or PCMCIA device (you will also need the corresponding driver diskette for your booting scenario).

The boot diskette image file, bootdisk.img, is located in the images directory on your Red Hat Linux CD-ROM. Refer to Section 1.4.3 Making an Installation Boot Diskette, for more information on making a boot diskette.

If you choose to create a boot diskette, you must also create the appropriate driver diskette if you are installing over a network or from a hard drive.

Driver Diskettes

If you are performing anything other than a IDE CD-ROM or hard disk installation and are using a boot diskette, you will need at least one driver diskette that you must make in advance. You will be prompted by the installation program to insert the driver diskette at the correct time.

For more information on driver diskettes, refer to Appendix F Driver Diskettes.

During your installation of Red Hat Linux, the following driver diskettes may be required:

Network Device Drivers Diskette

If you need a network device drivers diskette to boot from a network, you must create it. The network device driver diskette image file, drvnet.img, is located in the images/ directory on your Red Hat Linux CD-ROM. Refer to Section 1.4.3 Making an Installation Boot Diskette or Appendix F Driver Diskettes, for more information on making a diskette.

Block Device Drivers Diskette

If you need a block device driver diskette to boot from a block device (for example, a SCSI CD-ROM drive), you must create it. The block device driver diskette image file, drvblock.img, is located in the images/ directory on your Red Hat Linux CD-ROM. Refer to Section 1.4.3 Making an Installation Boot Diskette or Appendix F Driver Diskettes, for more information on making a diskette.

PCMCIA Device Drivers Diskette

You may need a PCMCIA device driver diskette if you are using a PCMCIA device to install Red Hat Linux. If you need a PCMCIA device driver diskette, you must create it.

The following checklist can help you determine if you must create a PCMCIA device driver diskette:

• You will install Red Hat Linux from a CD-ROM, and your CD-ROM drive is attached to your computer through a PCMCIA card.

• You will use a PCMCIA network adapter during the installation.

The PCMCIA device driver diskette image file, pcmciadd.img, is located in the images/ directory on your Red Hat Linux CD-ROM. Refer to Section 1.4.3 Making an Installation Boot Diskette or Appendix F Driver Diskettes, for more information on making a diskette.

1.4.3.1. Using the rawrite Utility

To make a diskette using MS-DOS, use the rawrite utility included on the Red Hat Linux CD-ROM in the dosutils directory. First, label a blank, formatted 3.5-inch diskette appropriately (such as "Boot Disk" or "Updates Disk"). Insert it into the diskette drive. Then, use the following commands (assuming your CD-ROM is drive D:):

C:\> d:
D:\> cd \dosutils
D:\dosutils> rawrite
Enter disk image source file name: ..\images\bootdisk.img
Enter target diskette drive: a:
Please insert a formatted diskette into drive A: and
press --ENTER-- : [Enter]
D:\dosutils>

First, rawrite asks you for the filename of a diskette image; enter the directory and name of the image you wish to write (for example, ..\images\bootdisk.img). Then rawrite asks for a diskette drive to write the image to; enter a:. Finally, rawrite asks for confirmation that a formatted diskette is in the drive you have selected. After pressing [Enter] to confirm, rawrite copies the image file onto the diskette. If you need to make another diskette, label that diskette, and run rawrite again, specifying the appropriate image file.

	Note
	The rawrite utility only accepts 8.3-type file names, such as filename.img[2]. If you download an update image from http://www.redhat.com/ named something similar to update-anaconda-03292002.img, you must rename it as updates.img before you run rawrite.

1.4.3.2. Using the dd Command

To make a diskette under Linux (or any other Linux-like operating system), you must have permission to write to the device representing a 3.5-inch diskette drive (known as /dev/fd0 under Linux).

First, label a blank, formatted diskette appropriately (such as "Boot Diskette" or "Updates Diskette"). Insert it into the diskette drive (but do not mount[3] the diskette). After mounting the Red Hat Linux CD-ROM, change to the directory containing the desired image file, and use the following command (changing the name of the image file and diskette device as appropriate):

dd if=bootdisk.img of=/dev/fd0 bs=1440k

To make another diskette, label that diskette, and run dd again, specifying the appropriate image file.