Introducing UNIX and Linux

Installing Linux

Overview
Starting out
Preliminaries
      Collecting information about your system
      Installation options
Single boot
Dual boot
      Booting from CD/floppy
      Booting from your hard disk
      A partitionless install
      A dedicated Linux partition
Emulators
      VMware
      WINE
Installing Linux
      Installer software
      Linux partitioning
            Typical partitions
            User accounts
      LILO
The window manager
KDE
      Desktop help
      Applications
      The KDE Control Center
      File access and the command prompt
Summary

Dual boot

If you possess a more up-to-date computer, or you are keen not to lose the use of your previous operating system, then you should install Linux as a 'dual boot' system. This has the overwhelming advantage of allowing you to switch between operating systems (Windows and Linux for example) and being able to use the applications provided by each. There are a number of possible dual-boot set-up configurations, which we consider next.