Fedora Installation Options

Dog-One · #1 31st October 2004, 04:52 AM

A commonly asked question among new users and some experienced users is how do I do get this or that during the installation of Fedora Core Linux. Below is a list of command line options that can be used when you first boot from your Fedora distro media--taken from Anaconda-10.0:

Code:

Boot time command args:
-----------------------
 
expert          Turns on special features:
                    - allows partitioning of removable media
                    - prompts for driver disk
 
noshell         Do not put a shell on tty2 during install.
 
lowres          Force GUI installer to run at 640x480.
 
resolution=<mode> Run installer in mode specified, '1024x768' for example.
 
nousb           Do not load USB support (helps if install hangs
                early sometimes).
 
nofb            Do not load the VGA16 framebuffer required for doing
                text-mode installation in some languages
 
nofirewire      Do not load support for firewire devices
 
askmethod       Do not automatically use the CD-ROM as the install
                source if we detect a Red Hat Linux CD in your CD-ROM drive.
 
nousbstorage    Do not load usbstorage module in loader.  May help with
                device ordering on SCSI systems.
 
noparport       Do not attempt to load support for parallel ports
 
noprobe         Do not attempt to detect hw, prompts user instead.
 
nopcmcia        Ignore PCMCIA controller in system.
 
skipddc         Skips DDC probe of monitor, may help if its handing system.
 
graphical       Force graphical install. Required to have ftp/http use GUI.
 
text            Force text mode install.
 
vnc             Enable vnc-based installation. You will need to connect
                to the machine using a vnc client application.
 
vncpassword=<password>  Enable a password for the vnc connection. This will
                prevent someone from inadvertantly connecting to the
                vnc-based installation.
 
                Requires 'vnc' option to be specified as well.
 
vncconnect=<host>[:<port>]   Once installation is up and running, connect to
                the vnc client named <host>, and optionally use port <port>.
 
                Requires 'vnc' option to be specified as well.
 
updates         Prompt for floppy containing updates (bug fixes).
 
isa             Prompt user for ISA devices configuration.
 
dd              Use a driver disk.
 
driverdisk      Same as 'dd'.
 
mediacheck      Activates loader code to give user option of testing integrity
                of install source (if an ISO-based method).
 
rescue          Run rescue environment.
 
nomount         Don't automatically mount any installed Linux partitions
                in rescue mode.
 
nopass          Don't pass keyboard/mouse info to stage 2 installer, good for
                testing keyboard and mouse config screens in stage2 installer
                during network installs.
 
 
serial          Turns on serial console support.
 
ksdevice        Takes an argument like 'eth0', tells install what network
                device to use for kickstart from network.
 
ks              Kickstart over NFS.
 
ks=cdrom:       Kickstart from CDROM
 
ks=nfs:<path>   Kickstart from NFS.
 
ks=<url>        Kickstart via HTTP.
 
ks=hd:<dev>     Kickstart via harddrive (dev = 'hda1', for example)
 
ks=file:<path>  Kickstart from a file (path = 'fd0/ks.cfg')
 
ks=ftp://<path> Kickstart from FTP.
 
ks=http://<path> Kickstart from HTTP.
 
kssendmac       Adds HTTP headers to ks=http:// request that can be helpful
                for provisioning systems.  Includes MAC address of all nics in
                a CGI environment variable of the form
                HTTP_X_RHN_PROVISIONING_0, HTTP_X_RHN_PROVISIONING_1, etc, for
                all nics.
 
dhcpclass=<class> Sends a custom DHCP vendor class identifier. ISC's dhcpcd can
                inspect this value using "option vendor-class-identifier".
 
upgradeany      Don't require an /etc/redhat-release that matches the
                expected syntax to upgrade.
 
lang=<lang>     Language to use for the installation.  This should be a
                language which is valid to be used with the 'lang' kickstart
                command.
 
keymap=<keymap> Keyboard layout to use.  Valid values are those which can be
                used for the 'keyboard' kickstart command.
 
ip=<ip>         IP to use for a network installation, use 'dhcp' for DHCP.
 
netmask=<nm>    Netmask to use for a network installation.
 
gateway=<gw>    Gateway to use for a network installation.
 
dns=<dns>       Comma separated list of nameservers to use for a network
                installation.
 
method=nfs:<path> Use <path> for an NFS installation.
 
method=http://<path> Use <path> for an HTTP installation
 
method=ftp://<path> Use <path> for an FTP installation
 
method=hd://<dev>/<path> Use <path> on <dev> for a hard drive installation
 
method=cdrom    Do a CDROM based installation.
 
vnc             Do graphical installation via VNC.  Instead of
                starting a normal X server, vncserver will be started
                and you can then connect remotely to do the
                installation.
 
vncpassword=<password>  Set a password for the vnc session.
 
vncconnect=<host>[:<port>]   Once installation is up and running, connect to
                the vnc client named <host>, and optionally, on port <port>.
                 Requires 'vnc' option to be specified as well.

Below is a list of undocumented commands that I found contained in the anaconda source:

Code:

test
debug           Start up pdb immediately
nofallback      If GUI fails exit
rootpath=       Where to install packages (default /mnt/sysimage)
pcic=           Specify pcmcia controller
overhead=       Override LVM overhead calculation
testpath=
mountfs
traceonly       Don't run, just list modules we use
kickstart=      Set serial install and kickstart file
kbdtype=        Set the type of keyboard
module=         Load additional kernel modules
class=          Choose install class to use
autostep        Make kickstart non-interactive
noselinux       Disable Security Enhanced Linux
selinux         Enable Security Enhanced Linux
vnc=
cmdline         Use command line installer
headless        Automate install for machines with no display
virtpconsole=
xfs             Allows the creation of a xfs filesystem
reiserfs        Allows the creation of a reiserfs filesystem
jfs             Allows the creation of a jfs filesystem
syslogd

ghaefb · #2 7th November 2004, 09:38 AM

Great info, thanks.

What about the other options like: selinux=0, reiserfs, xfs,..
You should add them too.

zAo · #3 9th November 2004, 04:15 PM

What about kernel versions like "linux24", do they still work with FC3?

Nice list btw, thanks

ridvan · #4 11th November 2004, 05:26 AM

thanks

nice document

Chris Cogdon · #5 18th November 2004, 01:43 AM

Thanks! I never knew Install-Via-FTP was available in Fedora Now... because there's no 'boot-only CD', it always wanted to continue with a full CD installation.

alphaproject · #6 23rd November 2004, 10:12 PM

wow! i never knew there were so many options

thanks for the list

herwin · #7 2nd February 2005, 12:37 AM

is it possible to use multiple options?
why?

I need to install FC3 onto USB hdd, which means need in 'linux expert' mode;
and also need the run the anaconda updates, which means 'linux updates' mode.

any idea how?

Lance_commandor · #8 5th February 2005, 02:12 AM

Hey,

Well First off Im an new user to the Linux world,and I would like to ask some questions about If anyone have had any luck using an "NTFS" partition In "FEDORA CORE 3"? Now the second question would be has anyone had any luck with the Audigy 2 ZS card running In Linux....AT ALL!!! LOL

Thank You

prashant · #9 5th February 2005, 05:40 AM

yes i had even the same luck for the NTFS partiotion they never used to maount in fedora core 3 but there are rpms for the mounting NTFS partitions in linux bcoz the linux kernel in built do not give the support for the NTFS partiotions so u wil have to down load the rpm for ur kernel version :
Just check the kernel version with the command :- #uname -r
and then simply download the appropriate rpm for mounting ur NTFS partition.
I did it from the following url:
http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat....i686.rpm.html
http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat/16/idka/28208
http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...group_id=13956
try it out

Lance_commandor · #10 6th February 2005, 02:36 AM

Alrighty cool Thanks alot Im finding out more,and more In this site...Thanks again...Umm I have another question anyone had alot of luck using an WineX for gaming using Direct X games?

Drunet · #11 10th March 2005, 09:12 PM

I am getting ready to find out. I am going to try and install BF1942 tonight and see what happens!

Has anyone got this running on FC3 yet?

wapgeek · #12 23rd March 2005, 01:55 PM

if i download fc4 test release do i need to download again final release? or will i able to update?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dog-One

I would highly recommend it, simply because there has been at least 600+ MBs of updates to FC4T3 since it's release. Plus, if you ever want to install FC4 to another machine, you'll want those new ISOs handy.

mukultripathi · #13 24th March 2005, 07:28 PM

yaa no doubt it was a nice list of commands and will suly help the newbies as well as be a quick reference for the Advanced users... coz some times even i tend to confuse with the spellings

wangandzy · #14 28th March 2005, 02:00 PM

well done!
thanks!

dubkat · #15 14th May 2005, 03:30 AM

thanks... what if you're using PPPoE... are there any options for that?