_________SWAT MAGAZINE ISSUE TWENTY SIX FEBRARY 2000 __________ / \___________________________________________/ \ / Setting Up Linux for Newbies #1 \ / Midnight \ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Web Site: http://home.cyberarmy.com/military Table of Contents 1.) Introduction About This 2.) Obtaining Linux 3.) Installing Linux 4.) Getting Started 5.) Last Comments 1.) Well, here's my first ever article for SWAT. I assume most of you reading this won't know a lot about Linux, are using Windows 9*/NT and hate it. Why else would you read this? If you got any other suggestions sent them to me. Other shit I don't care about. This is included in the SWAT Magazine I would like to thank Firestarter for including this. 2.) First of all, you will have to decide how you would like to install it. By this I mean do you have a spare computer, want to format and partiition your computer with 2 operating systems or if you just want to try it out and see how you like it. I would choose the first choice because you system will run faster but I does mean partitioning if you want to keep more than one operating system on it. If you still like windows, I would suggest the second method until you are confident that you can handle partitioning and other stuff like that. First, I'll assume you want to try it out first. Your life will be made easier by the fact that Linux distributions made for UMSDOS (Unix MS-DOS file system). These you simply unzip it's contents in something like C:\linux, D:\linux, etc. The downside to there are that windows and dos viruses WILL AFFECT the linux system and you will notice a slow speed compared to a non-UMSDOS system. There are many "mini linux systems" as they are called available. The one I would recommend is ZipSlack from the makers of Slackware Linux. It may be big(about 30 or so MB) but it does include important stuff like GCC (C and C++ compiler and other developement programs), programs to get you on the internet and anything else for a running system. It does not include a graphical user interface (mouse and dumb icons shit) called X86 or just. I believe that you should master the console first before moving to X if you do decide to use it. Instructions for installing ZipSlack are include but basically, you just use something like Winzip and unzip it to C:\linux or D:\linux. Check that in the linux folder, you see files and other folders instead of another folder called linux. If you do, then you will have to rename the first one to something then move the one inside to the C:\ or D:\ again. This linux must not be in any other folders or in a top level directory. Once you have done all that, go into DOS. From there, go to the linux directory. You might find a file called linux.bat. The method of starting linux is to use loadlin vmlinuz root=/dev/hda* rw On linux, there is not C:\ and D:\, etc. Linux uses /dev/hda1 for C:\ and /dev/hda5 for D:\ assuming you have only one harddrive. Read the linux.bat file for more information. A the command to start linux basically tells loadlin that the kernel (heart of the system) is called vmlinuz, the root harddrive (where the linux folder is) is on the first drive first partition or first drive, second partition and that the harddrive should be set as read and write accessable. If you load linux and get something like a "Kernel Panic" something is wrong with the root=/dev/hda* part. Try different numbers till you get it right. If not, email me and I may be able to help. IF everything went ok, you'll see something like "Slackware Linux 2.2.30" and under that "login:". Congrats! You've successfully installed Linux. 4.) Now, Linux is designed to be used on a netwrok by many people unlike Windows 95/95 so you will have to login. Try root for the login. It should work and no password should be set. Please note this carefully. ROOT is like the ALMIGHTY GOD account. Root has the power to totally fuck over the system to a point of no recovery. Protect this account with your life. Make a personal account (described later) for your everyday life. Avoid using root unless system maintaince task like installing software. Also, you might want to set a password for root first thing. type passwd. It should ask for a password and ask you to confirm it. If you pick a shit password, it will yell at you and tell you it is weak and to type it again if you want to use it. Remember that password. Without it, you'll have to reinstall. For ZIPSLACK, it's easy. Not so easy for a pure slackware linux system. To make a account for yourself, type adduser. Then follow the prompts and there you go. You can setup the system by typing setup and you get a menu of options. Just use the system configuration one for now and forget about the rest until later. Here's a list of some commands and there DOS relative. Linux DOS Description ls dir Show the files and directories of the directory you are in. cd cd Changes the current directory (cd /usr/example). mv move/rename Does both a file move and rename. rm del Deletes a file, no undelete so watch it. rmdir deltree Removes directories If you want a file manager type thing, type mc (Midnight Commander, like Norton Commander). Soon, you should see a nice screen and you can navigate with that. 5.) If you are stuck, don't worry, more info will be published in the next article. If you really like this, stick around. You can find this in most SWAT magazines from 26 and up. You could also find it on my website as well. If you hate it, delete it and curse it to hell. For now, See ya. Midnight