Step 6 - Is a Workstation-Class Installation Best For You?
Although Red Hat Linux includes four different classes, or types of installations, this manual only discusses workstation-class installations.
What a Workstation-Class Installation Will Do
In choosing automatic partitioning, a workstation-class installation removes all Linux-related partitions on all installed hard drives (and uses all free unpartitioned disk space) to create the following partitions:
A 64MB swap partition.
A variable-sized root partition (mounted as /) in which all other files are stored (the exact size of this partition is dependent on your available disk space).
A 16MB partition (mounted as /boot) in which the Linux kernel and related files reside.
 | Please Note |
|---|---|
You'll need at least 900MB of free disk space in order to perform a workstation-class installation. |
This installation will remove all existing Linux partitions on all hard drives in your system; non-Linux partitions will not removed.
A workstation-class installation will install your choice of a GNOME or KDE (or both) desktop environment, and the X Window System.
What a Workstation-Class Installation Will Not Do
A workstation-class installation will not erase your Windows 3.1/95/98 configuration. Instead, it will automatically configure your system to dual-boot using LILO (the LInux LOader).
A workstation-class installation will not allow you to customize your group package selection. If you do not want the installation program to select packages for you, please choose a custom-class installation and refer to the Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide on the Documentation CD.
 | Caution |
|---|---|
A workstation-class installation will not install correctly if you plan to create a dual-boot system with Windows NT as the second OS. If you're sharing a system with Windows NT, you will be unable to boot Windows NT. LILO will write over NT's boot loader and you will be unable to boot NT. You must perform a custom-class installation and configure LILO so that it is not installed on the Master Boot Record (MBR). |
| Please Note |
|---|---|
Unlike earlier workstation-class installations, performing a Red Hat Linux 7.0 workstation-class installation will not install the network daemon xinetd (inet services). Withholding xinetd results in a more secure installation; however, in-bound[1], network-related services such as finger, telnet, talk, and FTP will not work. If you require these types of services, choose a server- or a custom-class installation. |