Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM System z

This chapter describes the installation process using the Anaconda installation program. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, the installation program allows you to configure individual installation steps in the order you choose, as opposed to a traditional fixed step-by-step installation. During the configuration, before the actual installation begins, you can enter various sections of the user interface from a central menu. In these sections, you can setup language support for your system, configure network and storage devices, or select packages for installation. You can later return to each section to review your settings before proceeding with the installation.

15.1. Installation Mode Options

You can install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 in graphical mode or in text mode. While the graphical mode is recommended and preferable for the installation and contains all options to configure, both modes follow the layout of a summary menu with various sections you can enter and reenter at your convenience, as displayed in the screenshots below.

Figure 15.1. The Installation Sum m ary Screen

Figure 15.2. The Installation Sum m ary screen in Text Mode

While text mode installations are not explicitly documented, those using the text mode installation program can easily follow the GUI installation instructions. Also see Section 15.1.2, “Installation in Non-Interactive Line Mode” and Section 15.1.3, “Installation in Text Mode”. Note that some installation options, such as custom partitioning, are not available in text mode.

15.1.1. Installation in Graphical Mode

If you have used a graphical user interface (GUI) before, you are already familiar with this process; use your mouse to navigate the screens, click buttons, or type into text fields.

You can also navigate through the installation using the keyboard. Use the T ab and Shift+T ab keys to cycle through active control elements on the screen, the Up and Down arrow keys to scroll through lists, and the Left and Right arrow keys to scroll through horizontal toolbars or table entries. Use the Space and Enter keys to select or remove a highlighted item from selection, or to expand and collapse drop-down lists. You can also use the Alt+X key command combination as a way of clicking on buttons or making other screen selections, where X is replaced with any underlined letter appearing within that screen after you press Alt.

15.1.2. Installation in Non-Interactive Line Mode

If the inst.cm dline option was specified as a boot option in your parameter file (see Section 18.4,

“Parameters for Kickstart Installations”) or the cm dline option was specified in your Kickstart file (see Chapter 23, Kickstart Installations), Anaconda starts with non-interactive text line mode. In this mode, all necessary information must be provided in the Kickstart file. The installation program will not allow user interaction and stops if there is unspecified installation information.

15.1.3. Installation in Text Mode

Apart from the graphical mode, Anaconda also includes a text-based mode.

If one of the following situations occurs, the installation uses text mode:

The installation system fails to identify the display hardware on your computer,

You chose the text mode installation by adding the inst.text option to the boot command line.

You used a Kickstart file to automate the installation, and the file you provided contains the text command.

Figure 15.3. The Installation Sum m ary screen in Text Mode

Important

Red Hat recommends that you install Red Hat Enterprise Linux using the graphical interface. If you are installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux on a system that lacks a graphical display, consider

performing the installation over a VNC connection – see Chapter 22, Installing Using VNC. The text mode installation program will prompt you to confirm the use of text mode if it detects that a VNC-based installation is possible.

If your system has a graphical display, but graphical installation fails, try booting with the inst.xdriver=vesa option – see Chapter 20, Boot Options.

Alternatively, consider a Kickstart installation. See Chapter 23, Kickstart Installations for more information.

Text mode presents you with a simpler installation process, and certain options that are available in graphical mode are not available in text mode. These differences are noted in the description of the installation process in this guide, and include:

configuring advanced storage methods such as LVM, RAID, FCoE, zFCP, and iSCSI, customizing the partition layout,

customizing the boot loader layout,

selecting package add-ons during installation,

configuring the installed system with the Initial Setup utility, language and keyboard settings.

Note

When related background tasks are being run, certain menu items may be temporarily unavailable or displaying the Processing... label. To refresh to the current status of text menu items, use the r option at the text mode prompt.

If you choose to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux in text mode, you can still configure your system to use a graphical interface after installation. See Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 System Administrator's Guide for instructions.

To configure options not available in text mode, consider using a boot option. For example, the ip option can be used to configure network settings. See Section 20.1, “Configuring the Installation System at the Boot Menu” for instructions.

15.2. Welcome Screen and Language Selection

The first screen of the installation program is the Welcom e to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 screen. Here you select the language that Anaconda will use for the rest of the installation. This selection will also become the default for the installated system, unless changed later. In the left panel, select your language of choice, for example English. Then you can select a locale specific to your region in the right panel, for example English (United States).

Note

One language is pre-selected by default on top of the list. If network access is configured at this point (for example, if you booted from a network server instead of local media), the pre-selected language will be determined based on automatic location detection using the GeoIP module.

Alternatively, type your preferred language into the search box as shown below.

Once you have made your selection, click the Continue button to proceed to the Installation Sum m ary screen.