[RULE] install guide-introduction

[Richard Kweskin]

Hello All

I suggest that the guide be broken down into parts for easier reading and 
understanding.

Introduction

The RULE install guide (version 0.3, 2003/03/08)


This guide describes how to install Red Hat Linux using the RULE installers,
boot floppies and ISO images. It mainly deals with the installation of Red Hat 
8.0, but most of the information is still valid with versions 7.x of the same 
distribution.

This version is (hopefully) quite usable, but still meant to stimulate 
feedback, even if several parts are already quite useful. Be warned, and 
please signal any problem on the RULE mailing list!

The Install guide has been built starting from the first install guide written
by Martin Stricker, which is still available at
http://www.rule-project.org/en/docs/rule_install_old.txt


WARNING:This is free software. It is provided as-is, without warranty of any
kind! This software may be used and redistributed under the terms of the GNU
General Public License version 2 or, at your decision, any later version.
Specifically, the RULE installer is still beta software and may or may not 
work!
Do not use it on important or production machines and backup all data
beforehand!

History of changes

2003/03/08: Added paragraph from C.D. Rigby on repartitioning
2003/02/23: Better formatting, boot floppy section rewritten, lot of material
added
2003/01/27: First version of the install guide in this form

Overview

The RULE installers enable you to install a very minimal Red Hat Linux system 
on your hard disk without the need of at least 32 MB (or 21 MB for text 
install). Currently Miniconda seems to work with as low as 12 MB of RAM. With 
some special cheating some testers could install with 8 MB of RAM, but for 
others it failed. Slinky seems to work in 6 MB.
You are on your own here!

Please note that the RULE installers were NOT made by Red Hat, so you cannot 
get installation support from Red Hat for a RULE install even if you paid for
installation support (i. e. bought a boxed set). If you have problems with a
RULE install or have any questions, please subscribe to the RULE mailing list.
Afer you successfully subscribed please provide as much information as 
possible in you mail so we actually can help you.

Prerequisites

Backup everything (everything!!)

Know your hardware (everything written about this issue in the official Red 
Hat installation guide also applies to installation with RULE.)

Register your computer in the RULE testing farm . This is a facultative step,
but knowing on which combination of hardware RULE works or fails will help a 
lot both the developers and other end users like yourself.

Check in the testing farm database, reachable from the test page above, if 
RULE has been already used on your particular combination of hardware. When
available, read the corresponding installation report to know about any 
specific trick that had to be used.

Have the official Red Hat CDs at hand.