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diff --git a/en/using-d-i/using-d-i.xml b/en/using-d-i/using-d-i.xml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..95fa6b10f --- /dev/null +++ b/en/using-d-i/using-d-i.xml @@ -0,0 +1,378 @@ +<!-- retain these comments for translator revision tracking --> +<!-- $Id$ --> + + + <chapter id="d-i-intro"><title>Using the Debian Installer</title> + + <sect1><title>How the Installer Works</title> +<para> + +The Debian Installer consists of a number of special-purpose +components to perform each installation task. Each component performs +its task, asking the user questions as necessary to do its job. +The questions themselves are given priorities, and the priority +of questions to be asked is set when the installer is started. + +</para><para> + +When a default installation is performed, only essential (high priority) +questions will be asked. This results in a highly automated installation +process with little user interaction. Components are automatically run +in sequence; which components are run depends mainly on the installation +method you use and on your hardware. The installer will use default values +for questions that are not asked. + +</para><para> + +If there is a problem, the user will see an error screen, and the +installer menu may be shown in order to select some alternative +action. If there are no problems, the user will never see the +installer menu, but will simply answer questions for each component +in turn. Serious error notifications are set to priority +<quote>critical</quote> so the user will always be notified. + +</para><para> + +Some of the defaults that the installer uses can be influenced by passing +boot arguments when &d-i; is started. If, for example, you wish to +force static network configuration (DHCP is used by default if available), +you could add the boot parameter <userinput>netcfg/disable_dhcp=true</userinput>. +See <xref linkend="installer-args"/> for available options. + +</para><para> + +Power users may be more comfortable with a menu-driven interface, +where each step is controlled by the user rather than the installer +performing each step automatically in sequence. To use the installer +in a manual, menu-driven way, add the boot argument +<userinput>debconf/priority=medium</userinput>. + +</para><para> + +If your hardware requires you to pass options to kernel modules as +they are installed, you will need to start the installer in +<quote>expert</quote> mode. This can be done by either using the +<command>expert</command> command to start the installer or by adding +the boot argument <userinput>debconf/priority=low</userinput>. +Expert mode gives you full control over &d-i;. + +</para><para> + +The normal installer display is character-based (as opposed to the now +more familiar graphical interface). The mouse is not operational in +this environment. Here are the keys you can use to navigate within the +various dialogs. The <keycap>Tab</keycap> or <keycap>right</keycap> +arrow keys move <quote>forward</quote>, and the <keycombo> <keycap>Shift</keycap> +<keycap>Tab</keycap> </keycombo> or <keycap>left</keycap> arrow keys +move <quote>backward</quote> between displayed buttons and selections. +The <keycap>up</keycap> and <keycap>down</keycap> arrow select +different items within a scrollable list, and also scroll the list +itself. In addition, in long lists, you can type a letter to cause the +list to scroll directly to the section with items starting with the +letter you typed and use <keycap>Pg-Up</keycap> and +<keycap>Pg-Down</keycap> to scroll the list in sections. The +<keycap>space bar</keycap> selects an item such as a checkbox. Use +&enterkey; to activate choices. + +</para><para arch="s390"> + +S/390 does not support virtual consoles. You may open a second and third +ssh session to view the logs described below. + +</para><para> + +Error messages are redirected to the third console. +You can access this console by +pressing <keycombo><keycap>Left Alt</keycap><keycap>F3</keycap></keycombo> +(hold the left <keycap>Alt</keycap> key while pressing the +<keycap>F3</keycap> function key); get back to +the main installer process with +<keycombo><keycap>Left Alt</keycap><keycap>F1</keycap></keycombo>. + +</para><para> + +These messages can also be found in +<filename>/var/log/messages</filename>. After installation, this log +is copied to <filename>/var/log/debian-installer/messages</filename> on your +new system. Other installation messages may be found in +<filename>/var/log/</filename> during the +installation, and <filename>/var/log/debian-installer/</filename> +after the computer has been booted into the installed system. + +</para> + </sect1> + + + <sect1 id="modules-list"><title>Components Introduction</title> +<para> + +Here is a list of installer components with a brief description +of each component's purpose. Details you might need to know about +using a particular component are in <xref linkend="module-details"/>. + +</para> + +<variablelist> +<varlistentry> + +<term>main-menu</term><listitem><para> + +Shows the list of components to the user during installer operation, +and starts a component when it is selected. Main-menu's +questions are set to priority medium, so if your priority is set to +high or critical (high is the default), you will not see the menu. On +the other hand, if there is an error which requires your intervention, +the question priority may be downgraded temporarily to allow you +to resolve the problem, and in that case the menu may appear. + +</para><para> + +You can get to the main menu by selecting the <quote>Back</quote> button +repeatedly to back all the way out of the currently running component. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry condition="sarge"> + +<term>languagechooser</term><listitem><para> + +Shows a list of languages and language variants. The installer will +display messages in the chosen language, unless the translation for +that language is not complete. When a translation is not complete, +English messages are shown. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry condition="sarge"> + +<term>countrychooser</term><listitem><para> + +Shows a list of countries. The user may choose the country he lives +in. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry condition="etch"> + +<term>localechooser</term><listitem><para> + +Allows the user to select localization options for the installation and +the installed system: language, country and locales. The installer will +display messages in the selected language, unless the translation for +that language is not complete in which case some messages may be shown +in English. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>kbd-chooser</term><listitem><para> + +Shows a list of keyboards, from which the user chooses the model which +matches his own. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>hw-detect</term><listitem><para> + +Automatically detects most of the system's hardware, including network +cards, disk drives, and PCMCIA. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>cdrom-detect</term><listitem><para> + +Looks for and mounts a Debian installation CD. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>netcfg</term><listitem><para> + +Configures the computer's network connections so it can communicate +over the internet. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>iso-scan</term><listitem><para> + +Looks for ISO file systems, which may be on a CD-ROM or on the +hard drive. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>choose-mirror</term><listitem><para> + +Presents a list of Debian archive mirrors. The user may choose +the source of his installation packages. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>cdrom-checker</term><listitem><para> + +Checks integrity of a CD-ROM. This way the user may assure him/herself +that the installation CD-ROM was not corrupted. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>lowmem</term><listitem><para> + +Lowmem tries to detect systems with low memory and then does various +tricks to remove unnecessary parts of &d-i; from the memory (at the +cost of some features). + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>anna</term><listitem><para> + +Anna's Not Nearly APT. Installs packages which have been retrieved +from the chosen mirror or CD. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>partman</term><listitem><para> + +Allows the user to partition disks attached to the system, create file +systems on the selected partitions, and attach them to the +mountpoints. Included are also interesting features like a fully +automatic mode or LVM support. This is the preferred partitioning tool +in Debian. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>autopartkit</term><listitem><para> + +Automatically partitions an entire disk according to preset +user preferences. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>partitioner</term><listitem><para> + +Allows the user to partition disks attached to the system. A +partitioning program appropriate to your computer's architecture +is chosen. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>partconf</term><listitem><para> + +Displays a list of partitions, and creates file systems on +the selected partitions according to user instructions. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>lvmcfg</term><listitem><para> + +Helps the user with the configuration of the +<firstterm>LVM</firstterm> (Logical Volume Manager). + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>mdcfg</term><listitem><para> + +Allows the user to setup Software <firstterm>RAID</firstterm> +(Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks). This Software RAID is usually +superior to the cheap IDE (pseudo hardware) RAID controllers found on +newer motherboards. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>base-installer</term><listitem><para> + +Installs the most basic set of packages which would allow +the computer to operate under Linux when rebooted. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>os-prober</term><listitem><para> + +Detects currently installed operating systems on the computer and +passes this information to the bootloader-installer, which may offer +you an ability to add discovered operating systems to the bootloader's +start menu. This way the user could easily choose at the boot time +which operating system to start. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>bootloader-installer</term><listitem><para> + +Installs a boot loader program on the hard disk, which is necessary +for the computer to start up using Linux without using a floppy or +CD-ROM. Many boot loaders allow the user to choose an alternate +operating system each time the computer boots. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>base-config</term><listitem><para> + +Provides dialogs for setting up the base system packages according +to user preferences. This is normally done after rebooting the +computer; it is the <quote>first run</quote> of the new Debian system. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term>shell</term><listitem><para> + +Allows the user to execute a shell from the menu, or in the second +console. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> +<varlistentry> + +<term condition="sarge">bugreporter</term><term condition="etch">save-logs</term><listitem><para> + +Provides a way for the user to record information on a floppy +disk<phrase condition="etch">, network, hard disk, or other media</phrase> +when trouble is encountered, in order to accurately report installer +software problems to Debian developers later. + +</para></listitem> +</varlistentry> + +</variablelist> + + </sect1> + +&using-d-i-components.xml; + +</chapter> + |