Chapter 3. Installation with YaST

Contents

3.1. Choosing the Installation Method
3.2. The Installation Workflow
3.3. System Start-Up for Installation
3.4. The Boot Screen
3.5. Welcome
3.6. Media Check
3.7. Installation Mode
3.8. Clock and Time Zone
3.9. Create New User
3.10. Installation Settings
3.11. Performing the Installation
3.12. Configuration of the Installed System
3.13. Graphical Login

Abstract

Install your SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop system with YaST, the central tool for installation and configuration of your system. YaST guides you through the installation process and the basic configuration of your system. During the installation and configuration process, YaST analyzes both your current system settings and your hardware components and proposes installation settings based on this analysis. By default, YaST displays an overview of all installation steps on the left hand side of the window and provides online help texts for each step. Click Help to view the help text.

If you are a first-time user of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, you might want to follow the default YaST proposals in most parts, but you can also adjust the settings as described here to fine-tune your system according to your preferences. Many parts of the basic system configuration, such as user accounts or system language, can also be modified after the installation process.

3.1. Choosing the Installation Method

After having selected the installation medium, determine the suitable installation method and boot option that best matches your needs:

Installing from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Media

Choose this option if you want to perform a stand-alone installation and do not want to rely on a network to provide the installation data or the boot infrastructure. The installation proceeds exactly as outlined in Section 3.2, “The Installation Workflow”.

Installing from a Network Server

Choose this option if you have an installation server available in your network or want to use an external server as the source of your installation data. This setup can be configured to boot from physical media (Floppy, CD/DVD, or hard disk) or configured to boot via network using PXE/BOOTP. Refer to Section 3.1.1, “Installing from a Network Server Using SLP”, Section 3.1.2, “Installing from a Network Source without SLP”, or Chapter 11, Remote Installation for details.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop supports several different boot options from which you can choose, depending on the hardware available and on the installation scenario you prefer. Booting from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop media is the most straightforward option, but special requirements might call for special setups:

Table 3.1. Boot Options

Boot Option

Description

DVD

This is the easiest boot option. This option can be used if the system has a local DVD-ROM drive that is supported by Linux.

PXE or BOOTP

Booting over the network must be supported by the system's BIOS or firmware, and a boot server must be available in the network. This task can also be handled by another SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop system. Refer to Chapter 11, Remote Installation for more information.

Hard Disk

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop installation can also be booted from the hard disk. To do this, copy the kernel (linux) and the installation system (initrd) from the directory /boot/architecture/ on the installation media to the hard disk and add an appropriate entry to the existing boot loader of a previous SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop installation.


[Tip]Booting from DVD on UEFI machines

►amd64 em64t: DVD1 can be used as a boot medium for machines equipped with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). Refer to your vendor's documentation for specific information. If booting fails, try to enable CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in your firmware.

3.1.1. Installing from a Network Server Using SLP

If your network setup supports OpenSLP and your network installation source has been configured to announce itself via SLP (described in Section 11.2, “Setting Up the Server Holding the Installation Sources”), boot the system, press F4 in the boot screen and select SLP from the menu.

The installation program configures the network connection with DHCP and retrieves the location of the network installation source from the OpenSLP server. If the automatic DHCP network configuration fails, you are prompted to enter the appropriate parameters manually. The installation then proceeds as described below with the exception of the network configuration step that is needed prior to adding additional repositories. This step is not needed as the network is already configured and active at this point.

3.1.2. Installing from a Network Source without SLP

If your network setup does not support OpenSLP for the retrieval of network installation sources, boot the system and press F4 in the boot screen to select the desired network protocol (NFS, HTTP, FTP, or SMB/CIFS). Provide the server's address and the path to the installation media.

The installation program automatically configures the network connection with DHCP. If this configuration fails, you are prompted to enter the appropriate parameters manually. The installation retrieves the installation data from the source specified. The installation then proceeds as described below with the exception of the network configuration step needed prior to adding additional repositories. This step is not needed as the network is already configured and active at this point.

3.2. The Installation Workflow

The SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop installation is split into three main parts: preparation, installation, and configuration. During the preparation phase you configure some basic parameters such as language, time, desktop type, users, passwords, hard disk setup and installation scope. In the non-interactive installation phase the software is installed and the system is prepared for the first boot. Upon finishing the installation the machine reboots into the newly installed system and starts the final system configuration. You can choose whether to do a fully automatic or a manual configuration. In this stage, network and Internet access, as well as hardware components such as printers, are set up.

3.3. System Start-Up for Installation

You can install SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from local installation sources, such as the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop CDs or DVD, or from network source of an FTP, HTTP, NFS, or SMB server. Any of these approaches requires physical access to the system to install as well as user interaction during the installation. The installation procedure is basically the same regardless of the installation source. Any exceptions are sufficiently highlighted in the following workflow description. For a description on how to perform non-interactive, automated installations, refer to Part III, “Automated Installations”.

3.4. The Boot Screen

The boot screen displays a number of options for the installation procedure. Boot from Hard Disk boots the installed system and is selected by default, because the CD is often left in the drive. Select one of the other options with the arrow keys and press Enter to boot it. The relevant options are:

Installation

The normal installation mode. All modern hardware functions are enabled. In case the installation fails, see F5Kernel for boot options that disable potentially problematic functions.

Repair Installed System

Boots into the graphical repair system. More information on repairing an installed system is available in Section “Recovering a Corrupted System” (Chapter 29, Common Problems and Their Solutions, ↑Administration Guide).

Rescue System

Starts a minimal Linux system without a graphical user interface. For more information, see Section “Using the Rescue System” (Chapter 29, Common Problems and Their Solutions, ↑Administration Guide).

Check Installation Media

This option is only available when you install from media created from downloaded ISOs. In this case it is recommended to check the integrity of the installation medium. This option starts the installation system before automatically checking the media. In case the check was successful, the normal installation routine starts. If a corrupt media is detected, the installation routine aborts.

Firmware Test

Starts a BIOS checker that validates ACPI and other parts of your BIOS.

Memory Test

Tests your system RAM using repeated read and write cycles. Terminate the test by rebooting. For more information, see Section “Fails to Boot” (Chapter 29, Common Problems and Their Solutions, ↑Administration Guide).

Figure 3.1. The Boot Screen

The Boot Screen

Use the function keys indicated in the bar at the bottom of the screen to change the language, screen resolution, installation source or to add an additional driver from your hardware vendor:

F1Help

Get context-sensitive help for the active element of the boot screen. Use the arrow keys to navigate, Enter to follow a link, and Esc to leave the help screen.

F2Language

Select the display language and a corresponding keyboard layout for the installation. The default language is English (US).

F3Video Mode

Select various graphical display modes for the installation. Select Text Mode if the graphical installation causes problems.

F4Source

Normally, the installation is performed from the inserted installation medium. Here, select other sources, like FTP or NFS servers. If the installation is deployed on a network with an SLP server, select an installation source available on the server with this option. Find information about SLP in Chapter 22, SLP Services in the Network (↑Administration Guide).

F5Kernel

If you encounter problems with the regular installation, this menu offers to disable a few potentially problematic functions. If your hardware does not support ACPI (advanced configuration and power interface) select No ACPI to install without ACPI support. No local APIC disables support for APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controllers) which may cause problems with some hardware. Safe Settings boots the system with the DMA mode (for CD/DVD-ROM drives) and power management functions disabled.

If you are not sure, try the following options first: Installation—ACPI Disabled or Installation—Safe Settings. Experts can also use the command line (Boot Options) to enter or change kernel parameters.

F6Driver

Press this key to notify the system that you have an optional driver update for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. With File or URL, load drivers directly before the installation starts. If you select Yes, you are prompted to insert the update disk at the appropriate point in the installation process.

[Tip]Using IPv6 during the Installation

By default you can only assign IPv4 network addresses to your machine. To enable IPv6 during installation, enter one of the following parameters at the bootprompt: ipv6=1 (accept IPv4 and IPv6) or ipv6only=1 (accept IPv6 only).

After starting the installation, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop loads and configures a minimal Linux system to run the installation procedure. To view the boot messages and copyright notices during this process, press Esc. On completion of this process, the YaST installation program starts and displays the graphical installer.

[Tip]Installation without a Mouse

If the installer does not detect your mouse correctly, use Tab for navigation, arrow keys to scroll, and Enter to confirm a selection. Various buttons or selection fields contain a letter with an underscore. Use Alt-Letter to select a button or a selection directly instead of navigating there with the Tab button.

3.4.1. Providing Data to Access an SMT Server

By default, updates for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop are delivered by the Novell Customer Center. If your network provides a so called SMT server to provide a local update source, you need to equip the client with the server's URL. Client and server communicate solely via HTTPS protocol, therefore you also need to enter a path to the server's certificate if the certificate was not issued by a certificate authority. This information can either be entered at the boot prompt (as described here) or during the registration process as described in Section 3.12.2.3.1, “Local Registration Server”.

smturl

URL of the SMT server. This URL has a fixed format https://FQN/center/regsvc/ FQN has to be a fully qualified hostname of the SMT server. Example:

smturl=https://smt.example.com/center/regsvc/
smtcert

Location of the SMT server's certificate. Specify one of the following locations:

URL

Remote location (http, https or ftp) from which the certificate can be downloaded. Example:

smtcert=http://smt.example.com/smt-ca.crt
Floppy

Specifies a location on a floppy. The floppy has to be inserted at boot time, as you will not be prompted to insert it if it is missing. The value has to start with the string floppy followed by the path to the certificate. Example:

smtcert=floppy/smt/smt-ca.crt
local path

Absolute path to the certificate on the local machine. Example:

smtcert=/data/inst/smt/smt-ca.cert
Interactive

Use ask to open a pop-up menu during the installation where you can specify the path to the certificate. Do not use this option with AutoYaST. Example

smtcert=ask
Deactivate certificate installation

Use done if either the certificate will be installed by an add-on product, or if you are using a certificate issued by an official certificate authority. Example:

smtcert=done
[Warning]Beware of typing errors

Make sure the values you enter are correct. If smturl has not been specified correctly, the registration of the update source will fail. If a wrong value for smtcert has been entered, you will be prompted for a local path to the certificate.

In case smtcert is not specified, it will default to http://FQN/smt.crt with FQN being the name of the SMT server.

3.4.2. Configuring an Alternative Data Server for supportconfig

The data that supportconfig (see Chapter 2, Gathering System Information for Support (↑Administration Guide) for more information) gathers is sent to the Novell Customer Center by default. It is also possible to set up a local server to collect this data. If such a server is available on your network, you need to set the server's URL on the client. This information has to be entered at the boot prompt.

supporturl

URL of the server. The URL has the format http://FQN/Path/ FQN has to be full qualified hostname of the server, Path has to be replaced with the location on the server. Example:

supporturl=http://support.example.com/supportconfig/data/

3.5. Welcome

Start the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop by choosing your language. Changing the language will automatically preselect a corresponding keyboard layout. Override this proposal by selecting a different keyboard layout from the drop-down menu. The language selected here is also used to assume a time zone for the system clock. This setting—along with the selection of secondary languages to install on your system—can be modified later in the Installation Summary, described in Section 3.10, “Installation Settings”. For information about language settings in the installed system, see Chapter 10, Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST.

Read the license agreement that is displayed beneath the language and keyboard selection thoroughly. Use License Translations... to access translations. If you agree to the terms, check I Agree to the License Terms and click Next to proceed with the installation. If you do not agree to the license agreement, you cannot install SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop; click Abort to terminate the installation.

Figure 3.2. Welcome

Welcome

3.6. Media Check

The media check dialog only appears if you install from media created from downloaded ISOs. If you install from the original media kit, the dialog is skipped.

The media check examines the integrity of a medium. To start it, select the drive that contains the installation medium and click Start Check. The check can take some time.

To test multiple media, wait until a result message appears in the dialog before changing the medium. If the last medium checked is not the one you started the installation with, YaST prompts for the appropriate medium before continuing with the installation.

If using ISO images (for example, for installing add-on products), click Check ISO File and choose the image via the file dialog.

[Warning]Failure of Media Check

If the media check fails, your medium is damaged. Do not continue the installation because installation may fail or you may loose your data. Replace the broken medium and restart the installation process.

If the media check turns out positive, click Next to continue the installation.

3.7. Installation Mode

After a system analysis (where YaST probes for storage devices and tries to find other installed systems on your machine) the available installation modes are displayed.

New installation

Select this option to start a new installation from scratch.

Update

Select this option to update an existing installation to a newer version. For more information about system update, see Chapter 4, Updating SUSE Linux Enterprise.

Repair Installed System

Choose this option to repair a damaged system that is already installed. More information is available in Section “Recovering a Corrupted System” (Chapter 29, Common Problems and Their Solutions, ↑Administration Guide).

Figure 3.3. Installation Mode

Installation Mode

By default, the automatic configuration is used when performing a new installation. In this mode the system automatically configures your hardware and the network, so the installation is performed with minimal user interaction. If necessary, you can change every configuration that is set up later in the installed system using YaST. In repair mode the automatic configuration attempts to fix errors automatically. Uncheck Use Automatic Configuration if you prefer a manual configuration during the installation or to start the system's repair-process in expert mode.

Check Include Add-On Products from Separate Media to include add-on products during the installation. An add-on product can include extensions, third-party products and drivers or additional software for your system.

[Tip]Installing Product Patches from an SMT Server on Installation

In case your organization provides the update channel for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop via an SMT server, it is possible to specify this channel as an Add-On product by entering its HTTP address. As a consequence, the system will be installed with the most current packages without having to apply the updates at the end of the installation.

Click Next to proceed. If you selected to include an add-on product, proceed with Section 3.7.1, “Add-On Products”, otherwise skip the next section and advance to Section 3.8, “Clock and Time Zone”.

3.7.1. Add-On Products

Add-on products can be installed either from a local source (CD, DVD, or directory) or from a network source (HTTP, FTP, NFS, CIFS,...). When installing from a network source, you need to configure the network first (unless you are performing a network installation— in this case the existing network configuration is used). Choose Yes, Run the Network Setup and proceed as described in Section 3.7.1.1, “Network Setup”. If the add-on product is available locally, select No, Skip the Network Setup.

Click Next and specify the product source. Source types available are CD, DVD, Hard Disk, USB Mass Storage, a Local Directory or a Local ISO Image (if no network was configured). If the add-on product is available on removable media, the system automatically mounts the media and reads its contents. If the add-on product is available on hard disk, choose Hard Disk to install from an unmounted hard drive, or Local Directory/Local ISO Image to install from the local file system. Add-on products may be delivered as a repository or as a set of rpm files. In the latter case, check Plain RPM Directory. Whenever a network is available, you can choose from additional remote sources such as HTTP, SLP, FTP, etc. It is also possible to specify a URL directly.

Check Download Repository Description Files to download the files describing the repository now. If unchecked, they will be downloaded once the installation starts. Proceed with Next and insert a CD or DVD if required. Depending on the product's content it may be necessary to accept additional license agreements.

It is also possible to configure add-on products later. Using add-on products on the installed system is described in Chapter 7, Installing Add-On Products.

3.7.1.1. Network Setup

When invoking the network setup, YaST scans for available network cards. If more than one network card is found, you must choose the card to configure from the list.

If an ethernet network adapter is not already connected, a warning will open. Make sure the network cable is plugged in and choose Yes, Use It. If your network is equipped with a DHCP server, choose Automatic Address Setup (via DHCP). To manually set up the network choose Static Address Setup and specify IP Address, Netmask, Default Gateway IP, and the DNS Server IP.

Some networks require the use of a proxy server to access the Internet. Tick the check box Use Proxy for Accessing the Internet and enter the appropriate specifications. Click Accept to perform the network setup. The installation procedure will continue with the add-on products or repositories setup as described in Section 3.7.1, “Add-On Products”.

3.8. Clock and Time Zone

In this dialog, select your region and time zone. Both are preselected according to the selected installation language. To change the preselected values, either use the map or the drop down lists for Region and Time Zone. When using the map, point the cursor at the rough direction of your region and left-click to zoom. Now choose your country or region by left-clicking. Right-click to return to the world map.

Figure 3.4. Clock and Time Zone

Clock and Time Zone

To set up the clock, choose whether the Hardware Clock is Set to UTC. If you run another operating system on your machine, such as Microsoft Windows, it is likely your system uses local time instead. If you only run Linux on your machine, set the hardware clock to UTC and have the switch from standard time to daylight saving time performed automatically.

If a network is already configured, you can configure time synchronization with an NTP server. Click Change to either alter the NTP settings or to Manually set the time. See Chapter 23, Time Synchronization with NTP (↑Administration Guide) for more information on configuring the NTP service. When finished, click Accept to continue the installation.

3.9. Create New User

Create a local user in this step. Administrating local users is a suitable option for stand-alone workstations. If setting up a client on a network with centralized user authentication, click Change and proceed with the Section 3.9.1, “Expert Settings”.

After entering the first name and last name, either accept the proposal or specify a new Username that will be used to log in. Finally, enter a password for the user. Reenter it for confirmation (to ensure that you did not type something else by mistake). To provide effective security, a password should be between five and eight characters long. The maximum length for a password is 72 characters. However, if no special security modules are loaded, only the first eight characters are used to discern the password. Passwords are case-sensitive. Special characters (7-bit ASCII) and the digits 0 to 9 are allowed. Other special characters like umlauts or accented characters are not allowed.

Passwords you enter are checked for weakness. When entering a password that is easy to guess (such as a dictionary word or a name) you will see a warning. It is a good security practice to use strong passwords.

[Important]Username and Password

Remember both your username and the password because they are needed each time you log in to the system.

Figure 3.5. Create New User

Create New User

Three additional options are available:

Use this Password for the System Administrator

If checked, the same password you have entered for the user will be used for the system administrator root. This option is suitable for stand-alone workstations or machines in a home network that are administrated by a single user. When not checked, you are prompted for a system administrator password in the next step of the installation workflow (see Section 3.9.2, “Password for the System Administrator root).

Receive System Mail

Checking this box sends messages created by the system services to the user. These are usually only sent to root, the system administrator. This option is useful for the most frequently used account, because it is highly recommended to log in as root only in special cases.

The mails sent by system services are stored in the local mailbox /var/spool/mail/username, where username is the login name of the selected user. To read e-mails after installation, you can use any e-mail client, for example KMail or Evolution.

Automatic Login

This option automatically logs the current user in to the system when it starts. This is mainly useful if the computer is operated by only one user.

[Warning]Automatic Login

With the automatic login enabled, the system boots straight into your desktop with no authentication at all. If you store sensitive data on your system, you should not enable this option as long as the computer can also be accessed by others.

3.9.1. Expert Settings

Click Change in the Create User dialog to set up network authentication or, if present, import users from a previous installation. Also change the password encryption type in this dialog.

You can also add additional user accounts or change the user authentication method in the installed system. For detailed information about user management, see Chapter 9, Managing Users with YaST.

The default authentication method is Local (/etc/passwd). If a former version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop or another system using /etc/passwd is detected, you may import local users. To do so, check Read User Data from a Previous Installation and click Choose. In the next dialog, select the users to import and finish with OK.

Access to the following network authentication services can be configured:

LDAP

Users are administered centrally on an LDAP server for all systems in the network. More information is available in Section “Configuring an LDAP Client with YaST” (Chapter 4, LDAP—A Directory Service, ↑Security Guide).

NIS

Users are administered centrally on an NIS server for all systems in the network. See Section “Configuring NIS Clients” (Chapter 3, Using NIS, ↑Security Guide) for more information.

Windows Domain

SMB authentication is often used in mixed Linux and Windows networks. and Section “Configuring a Linux Client for Active Directory” (Chapter 5, Active Directory Support, ↑Security Guide).

eDirectory LDAP

eDirectory authentication is used in Novell networks.

Along with user administration via LDAP and NIS, you can use Kerberos authentication. To use it, select Set Up Kerberos Authentication. For more information on Kerberos, refer to Chapter 6, Network Authentication with Kerberos (↑Security Guide).

3.9.2. Password for the System Administrator root

If you have not chosen Use this Password for the System Administrator in the previous step, you will be prompted to enter a Password for the System Administrator root. Otherwise this configuration step is skipped.

root is the name of the superuser, or the administrator of the system. Unlike regular users (who may or may not have permission to access certain areas or execute certain commands on the system), root has unlimited access to change the system configuration, install programs, and set up new hardware. If users forget their passwords or have other problems with the system, root can help. The root account should only be used for system administration, maintenance, and repair. Logging in as root for daily work is rather risky: a single mistake could lead to irretrievable loss of system files.

For verification purposes, the password for root must be entered twice. Do not forget the root password. Once entered, this password cannot be retrieved.

The root can be changed any time later in the installed system. To do so run YaST and start Security and Users+User and Group Management.

[Warning]The root User

The user root has all the permissions needed to make changes to the system. To carry out such tasks, the root password is required. You cannot carry out any administrative tasks without this password.

3.10. Installation Settings

On the last step before the real installation takes place, you can alter installation settings suggested by YaST and also review the settings you made so far. Basic settings can be changed in the Overview tab, advanced options are available on the Experts tab. To modify the suggestions, either click Change and select the category to change or click on one of the headlines. After configuring any of the items presented in these dialogs, you are always returned to the Installation Settings window, which is updated accordingly.

Figure 3.6. Installation Settings

Installation Settings

[Tip]Restoring the Default Settings

You can reset all changes to the defaults by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. YaST then shows the original proposal again.

3.10.1. Partitioning (Overview)

Review and, if necessary, change the partition setup proposed by the system. Changing the partition setup either lets you partition a specific disk or, when choosing Custom Partitioning, apply your own partitioning scheme. Modifying the partition setup opens the Expert Partitioner described in Section 12.1, “Using the YaST Partitioner”.

3.10.2. Booting (Expert)

YaST proposes a boot configuration for your system. Other operating systems found on your computer, such as Microsoft Windows or other Linux installations, will automatically be detected and added to the boot loader. However, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop will be booted by default. Normally, you can leave these settings unchanged. If you need a custom setup, modify the proposal for your system. For information, see Section “Configuring the Boot Loader with YaST” (Chapter 11, The Boot Loader GRUB, ↑Administration Guide).

3.10.3. Software (Overview)

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop contains a number of software patterns for various application purposes. Click Software to start the pattern selection and modify the installation scope according to your needs. Select your pattern from the list and see a pattern description in the right part of the window. Each pattern contains a number of software packages needed for specific functions (e.g. Multimedia or Office software). For a more detailed selection based on software packages to install, select Details to switch to the YaST Software Manager.

You can also install additional software packages or remove software packages from your system at any later time with the YaST Software Manager. For more information, refer to Chapter 6, Installing or Removing Software.

Figure 3.7. Software Selection and System Tasks

Software Selection and System Tasks

3.10.4. Language (Overview)

Here you can change the system Language you defined in the first step of the installation. It is also possible to add additional languages. To adjust the system language settings, select Language. Select a language from the list. The primary language is used as the system language. You can also adapt keyboard layout and time zone to the primary language if the current settings differ. Details lets you modify language settings for the user root, set UTF-8 support, or further specify the language (e.g. select South African English).

Choose secondary languages to be able to switch to one of these languages at any time without having to install additional packages. For more information, see Chapter 10, Changing Language and Country Settings with YaST.

3.10.5. Add-On Products (Expert)

If you added a source for an add-on media earlier, it appears here. Add, remove, or modify add-on products here, if needed.This is the same configuration dialog as discussed earlier in Section 3.7.1, “Add-On Products”.

3.10.6. Keyboard Layout (Expert)

To change the keyboard layout, select Keyboard Layout. By default, the layout corresponds to the language chosen for installation. Select the keyboard layout from the list. Use the Test field at the bottom of the dialog to check if you can enter special characters of that layout correctly. Options to fine-tune various settings are available under Expert Mode. When finished, click Accept to return to the installation summary.

3.10.7. Time Zone (Expert)

Adjust time zone and clock settings here. Provided a network is configured, you can also set up a Network Time Protocol (NTP) client that automatically synchronizes your computer with a time server. This is the same configuration as shown earlier in Section 3.8, “Clock and Time Zone”.

3.10.8. Default Runlevel (Expert)

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop can boot to different runlevels. Normally, there should be no need to change anything here, but if necessary set the default runlevel with this dialog. Refer to Section “Configuring System Services (Runlevel) with YaST” (Chapter 10, Booting and Configuring a Linux System, ↑Administration Guide) for more information about runlevel configuration.

3.10.9. System (Expert)

This dialog presents all the hardware information YaST could obtain about your computer. When called, the hardware detection routine is started. Depending on your system, this may take some time. Select any item in the list and click Details to see detailed information about the selected item. Use Save to File to save a detailed list to either the local file system or a floppy. Advanced users can also change the PCI ID setup and Kernel Settings by choosing Kernel Settings.

3.11. Performing the Installation

After configuring all installation settings, click Install in the Installation Settings window to start the installation. Some software may require a license confirmation. If your software selection includes such software, license confirmation dialogs are displayed. Click Accept to install the software package. When not agreeing to the license, click I Disagree and the software package will not be installed. In the dialog that follows, confirm with Install again.

The installation usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the system performance and the selected software scope. After having prepared the hard disk and having saved and restored the user settings, the software installation starts. During this procedure a slide show introduces the features of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. Choose Details to switch to the installation log.

After the software installation has completed, the basic system is set up. Among others, Finishing the Basic Installation includes installing the boot manager, initializing fonts and more. Next YaST boots into the new Linux system to start the system configuration.

[Tip]Existing SSH Host Keys

If you install SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on a machine with existing Linux installations, the installation routine automatically imports the SSH host key with the most recent access time from an existing installation.

3.12. Configuration of the Installed System

The system is now installed, but not yet configured for use. The hardware, the network and other services are not yet set up. If you follow the default installation path, the system will be automatically configured. If you have deselected the Automatic Configuration, the manual system configuration starts.

3.12.1. Automatic System Configuration

Having rebooted, the system starts the Automatic Configuration. This routine attempts to configure your network and Internet access and sets up your hardware. This process does not need any interaction. You can change the settings made by Automatic Configuration at any time on the installed system with YaST. Continue with Section 3.12.2.3, “Novell Customer Center Configuration”.

3.12.2. Manual System Configuration

Having rebooted, the system starts the manual configuration. If the configuration fails at one of the steps of this stage, it restarts and continues from the last successful step.

3.12.2.1. Hostname and Domain Name

The hostname is the computer's name in the network. The domain name is the name of the network. A hostname and domain are proposed by default. If your system is part of a network, the hostname has to be unique in this network, whereas the domain name has to be common to all hosts on the network.

In many networks, the system receives its name over DHCP. In this case it is not necessary to modify the proposed hostname and domain name. Select Change Hostname via DHCP instead. To be able to access your system using this hostname, even when it is not connected to the network, select Assign Hostname to Loopback IP. Do n ot enable this option when your machine provides network services. If you often change networks without restarting the desktop environment (e.g. when switching between different WLANs), do not enable this option either, because the desktop system may get confused when the hostname in /etc/hosts changes.

To change hostname settings at any time after installation, use YaST Network Devices+Network Settings. For more information, see Section “Configuring the Network Card with YaST” (Chapter 21, Basic Networking, ↑Administration Guide).

3.12.2.2. Network Configuration

If you are installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on a laptop computer, Interfaces Controlled by NetworkManager is enabled. NetworkManager is a tool that enables automatic connection with minimal user intervention. It is ideal for WLAN and mobile computing. If you want to use the traditional method without NetworkManager, click Disable NetworkManager. Find detailed information about NetworkManager in Chapter 24, Using NetworkManager (↑Administration Guide). If you are installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop on any other type of machine, the traditional method without NetworkManager is selected by default. This configuration step also lets you configure the network devices of your system and make security settings, for example, for a firewall or proxy.

The network can also be configured after the system installation has been completed. If you skip it now, your system is left offline unable to retrieve any available updates. To configure your network connection later, select Skip Configuration and click Next.

The following network settings can be configured in this step:

General Network Settings

Enable or disable the use of NetworkManager as described above. Also change the IPv6 support here. By default the IPv6 support is enabled. To disable it, click Disable IPv6. For more information about IPv6, see Section “IPv6—The Next Generation Internet” (Chapter 21, Basic Networking, ↑Administration Guide).

Firewall

By default SuSEFirewall2 is enabled on all configured network interfaces. To globally disable the firewall for this computer, click on Disable. If the firewall is enabled, you may Open the SSH port in order to allow remote connections via secure shell. To open the detailed firewall configuration dialog, click on Firewall. See Section “Configuring the Firewall with YaST” (Chapter 15, Masquerading and Firewalls, ↑Security Guide) for detailed information.

Network Interfaces

All network cards detected by YaST are listed here. If you have already set up a network connection during the installation (as described in Section 3.7.1.1, “Network Setup”) the card used for this connection is listed as Configured. A click on Network Interfaces opens the Network Settings dialog, where you can change existing configurations, set up networks cards not configured yet, or add and configure additional cards. See Section 8.2, “Internet Connection Via Network” for checklists of configuration requirements for the various connection types and Section “Configuring the Network Card with YaST” (Chapter 21, Basic Networking, ↑Administration Guide) for configuration details.

DSL Connections, ISDN Adapters, and Modems

If your computer is equipped with an internal DSL modem, an internal ADSL Fritz Card, an ISDN card or a modem, clicking on the respective headline opens the configuration dialog. Refer to Chapter 8, Accessing the Internet for further information.

VNC Remote Administration

To enable remote administration of your machine via VNC, click VNC Remote Administration. Choose Allow Remote Administration in the following dialog and adjust your firewall settings accordingly.

Proxy

If you have a proxy server controlling the Internet access in your network, configure the proxy URLs and authentication details in this dialog.

[Tip]Resetting the Network Configuration to the Default Values

Reset the network settings to the original proposed values by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. This discards any changes made.

3.12.2.2.1. Test Internet Connection

After having configured a network connection, you can test it. For this purpose, YaST establishes a connection to the SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop server and downloads the latest release notes. Read them at the end of the installation process. A successful test is also a prerequisite for the automatic addition of the default repositories and for updating online.

If you have multiple network interfaces, verify that the desired card is used to connect to the Internet. If not, click Change Device.

To start the test, select Yes, Test Connection to the Internet and click Next. In the following dialog, view the progress of the test and the results. Detailed information about the test process is available via View Logs. If the test fails, click Back to return to the network configuration to correct your entries.

Proceed with Next. If the test was successful, the official software repositories for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and the update repository will be configured. Downloading the repository data for the first time may take some time.

If you do not want to test the connection at this point, select No, Skip This Test then Next. This also skips downloading the release notes, configuring the customer center and updating online. These steps can be performed any time after the system has been initially configured.

3.12.2.3. Novell Customer Center Configuration

To get technical support and product updates, you need to register and activate your product with the Novell Customer Center. The Novell Customer Center Configuration provides assistance for doing so. Find detailed information about Novell Customer Center at http://www.novell.com/documentation/ncc/.

If you are offline or want to skip this step, select Configure Later. This also skips SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop's online update.

In Include for Convenience, select whether to send unsolicited additional information, such as your Hardware Profile or Optional Information when registering. This simplifies the registration process. Click on Details to get in-depth information about how the data will be collected. In order to obtain information about which data will be sent for your specific product, the Novell server will be connected. Upon this initial connect no data other than the ID of your product will be sent to the Novell servers.

In order to become entitled for support, make sure to check Registration Code. You will be prompted to enter the code when proceeding with Next. Find more information about the technical support at http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/services_support.html.

[Note]Data Privacy

No information is passed to anyone outside Novell. The data is used for statistical purposes and to enhance your convenience regarding driver support and your Web account. Find a link to the detailed privacy policy by clicking on Details. View the information transmitted in the log file at /root/.suse_register.log.

Apart from activating and registering your product, this module also adds the official update repositories to your configuration. These repositories provide fixes for known bugs or security issues which can be installed via an online update.

To keep your repositories valid, select Regularly Synchronize with Customer Center. This option checks your repositories and adds newly available catalogs or removes obsolete ones. It does not affect manually-added repositories.

In addition to the update repositories, two more catalogs with official drivers for ATI and NVidia graphics cards are added. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ships with open source drivers for these cards, but the official drivers, provided directly by the graphics cards manufacturers, offer additional functionality. In order to add these repositories, you need to import their public GPG keys—these keys are used to ensure the repositories is provided by the owner of the catalog. Click Trust Key and then Import to add the catalog. Click Skip package and then Abort to prevent this specific repository from being added to your configuration.

Proceed with Next. A connection with the Novell server is established. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the registration.

3.12.2.3.1. Local Registration Server

If your organization provides a local registration server instead of using the Novell Customer Center, you need to specify the server's URL. Client and server communicate solely via HTTPS protocol, therefore you also need to enter a path to the server's certificate if the certificate was not issued by a certificate authority. Open the dialog with Advanced+Local Registration Server

Registration Server

URL of the registration server. The URL has a fixed format https://FQN/center/regsvc/ FQN has to be full qualified hostname of the registration server. Example:

https://smt.example.com/center/regsvc/
Server CA certificate location

Location of the registration server's certificate. Specify one of the following locations:

URL

Remote location (http, https or ftp) from which the certificate can be downloaded. Example:

http://smt.example.com/smt-ca.crt
Floppy

Specifies a location on a floppy. The floppy has to be inserted before proceeding. The value has to start with the string floppy followed by the path to the certificate. Example:

floppy/smt/smt-ca.crt
local path

Absolute path to the certificate on the local machine. Example:

/data/inst/smt/smt-ca.cert
Interactive

Use ask to open a pop-up menu where you can specify the path to the certificate. Do not use this option with AutoYaST. Example

ask
Deactivate certificate installation

Use done if either the certificate will be installed by an add-on product, or if you are using a certificate issued by an official certificate authority. Example:

done

3.12.2.4. Online Update

If an Internet connection has been established, and updates are available, select whether to perform a YaST online update. If there are any patched packages available on the servers, download and install them now to fix known bugs or security issues. For detailed instructions see Chapter 1, YaST Online Update (↑Administration Guide). Directives on how to perform an online update in the installed system are available at Section 6.5, “Keeping the System Up-to-date” or Chapter 1, YaST Online Update (↑Administration Guide). This step is skipped if no updates are available or no Internet connection has been established. Patches fixing security issues and recommended patches applying to your installation are automatically preselected. Click Accept to install them and Next to proceed with the system configuration.

[Important]Downloading Software Updates

The download of updates might take quite some time, depending on the bandwidth of the Internet connection and the size of the update files. In case the patch system itself is updated, the online update will restart and download more patches after the restart. If the kernel was updated, the system will reboot before completing the configuration.

3.12.2.5. New Local User

If no local user was created in step one, you can create one in this dialog. To create more users, manage groups, modify defaults for new users and set up network authentication, launch User Management. Refer to Chapter 9, Managing Users with YaST for more information about user management. To skip this step, click Next without entering any data.

3.12.2.6. Release Notes

After completing the user authentication setup, YaST displays the release notes. Reading them is recommended, because they contain important up-to-date information which was not available when the manuals were printed. If you successfully tested the Internet connection, read the most recent version of the release notes, as fetched from SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop's servers. Use Miscellaneous+Release Notes in YaST or start the SUSE Help Center to view the release notes after installation.

3.12.2.7. Hardware Configuration

At the end of the installation, YaST opens a dialog for the configuration of Graphics Cards Printer Sound and TV Card. Click the individual components to start the hardware configuration. For the most part, YaST detects and configures the devices automatically.

You can skip any peripheral devices and configure them later, as described in Chapter 5, Setting Up Hardware Components with YaST. To skip the configuration, select Skip Configuration and click Next.

However, when setting up a desktop system you should configure the graphics card right away. Although the display settings as configured by YaST should be generally acceptable, most users have very strong preferences as far as resolution, color depth, and other graphics features are concerned. To change these settings, select the respective item and set the values as desired.

[Tip]Resetting Hardware Configuration to the Default Values

You can cancel any changes to the hardware configuration by clicking Change+Reset to Defaults. YaST then shows the original proposal again.

3.12.2.8. Installation Completed

After a successful installation, YaST shows the Installation Completed dialog. In this dialog, select whether to clone your newly installed system for AutoYaST. To clone your system, select Clone This System for AutoYaST. The profile of the current system is stored in /root/autoyast.xml.

AutoYaST is a system for installing one or more SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop systems automatically without user intervention. AutoYaST installations are performed using a control file with installation and configuration data. Finish the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop with Finish in the final dialog.

3.13. Graphical Login

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is now fully installed and configured. Unless you enabled the automatic login function or customized the default runlevel, you should see the graphical login on your screen in which to enter a username and password to log into the system. On single user systems with automatic login enabled, the desktop starts automatically.

For a short introduction to the KDE or GNOME desktop environments, refer to the GNOME Quick Start (↑GNOME Quick Start) and the KDE Quick Start (↑KDE Quick Start). Find detailed information about both desktop environments and about the applications to run on KDE or GNOME in the KDE User Guide (↑KDE User Guide) and the GNOME User Guide (↑GNOME User Guide). These manuals can be accessed via the Help function in both KDE and GNOME.