We now enter the software package installation itself. It first consists of selecting the installation media and then the packages to be installed.
If you are doing an installation from a CD, you are first asked to select the CDs you actually have available.
You can also copy all packages on your hard drive. This speeds up installation and eases later package installation as all packages are already available on your hard disk
Mandriva Enterprise Server 5 proposes quite a different way to install packages. This step is executed in two main steps:
Installation step: during the main installation you are able to choose and install packages dealing with the base system. This means the kernel stack, a minimal network stack and a graphical environment.
![[Note]](images/note.png) |
Note |
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Graphical environent graphique is not necessary for the proper functioning of a server. However, many administration tools can be accessed only from a graphical environment. |
Let's see what you can install during the installation process:
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Server A Remote access server (OpenSSH) and a minimal Mail Transport Agent (MTA) (postfix) are proposed.
Mandriva Server Setup (mmc-wizard package) is the installation wizard. It helps you to activate the batteries you need for your server through a web interface.
Graphical Environment : by default, Mandriva Enterprise Server 5 proposes to install a light Gnome graphical environment. You can also choose a very light one such as IceWM, but this system also operates smoothly without a graphical environment.
![[Tip]](images/tip.png)
You can check the Individual package selection box, which is useful if you're familiar with the packages being offered, or if you want to have total control over what will be installed.
If you start the installation in Upgrade mode, you can deselect all groups and prevent the installation of any new packages. This is useful to repair or update an existing system.
Minimal Installation
If you deselect all groups when performing a regular installation (as opposed to an upgrade), a new dialog shows up after clicking , suggesting different options for a minimal installation:
With X: installs the minimum number of packages possible to have a working graphical desktop.
With basic documentation: installs the base system plus basic utilities and their documentation. This installation is suitable to set up a server.
Truly minimal install installs the absolute minimum number of packages necessary to get a working Linux system. With this installation, you will only have a command-line interface. urpmi will not be installed !
If you choose to install packages individually, the installer presents a tree structure containing all packages classified by groups and subgroups. While browsing the tree, you can select entire groups, subgroups, or individual packages.
Whenever you select a package on the tree, a description appears on the right to tell you the purpose of that package.
![[Warning]](images/warning.png)
The Show automatically selected packages option is used to disable the warning dialog. These appear whenever the installer automatically selects a package to resolve a dependency issue. Some packages depend on others and the installation of one particular package may require the installation of others. The installer can determine which packages are required to satisfy a dependency and to successfully complete the installation.
The little floppy disk icon at the bottom of the list allows you to load or save the list of packages. This is useful if you have a number of machines that you wish to configure identically. Click on this icon and select whether you wish to Load or Save the list of packages, then select the medium in the following screen and click on .