INTRODUCTION

This Operating System is distributed in the form of ISO 9660 standard files. ISO 9660 is the file system used for storing data on CD-ROM disks.

Before the Operating System can be installed on a computer, the ISO files must be transfered (burned) to blank compact disk media (CD-R or CD-RW). This how-to document describes the necessary process.

It is assumed that the reader of this document has no experience of Linux, and is using using Microsoft Windows for the purpose of downloading and burning his/her first set of installation files.


DOWNLOADING

The ISO files are large, and downloading is likely to take a long time, especially when using a dial up modem. The use of download software such as GetRight is recommended. Download software is available inexpensively as shareware from sites such as http://www.tucows.com/ and enables lengthy downloads to be resumed after interruptions.

Five files are needed from the download server:-

  FCx-i386-disc1.iso
  FCx-i386-disc2.iso
  FCx-i386-disc3.iso
  FCx-i386-disc4.iso
  SHA1SUM

where FCx will be FC4, FC5 etc. as new releases are made available.

Make a new, empty directory on drive C and download all of the files into it.


CHECKING

There is always the possibility of errors during the download, so it is VERY IMPORTANT to check that the files have not been corrupted in any way. This is the purpose of the SHA1SUM file. It contains one line for each of the available ISO files, with a string of checking characters computed from the original ISO files.

A software download, sha1sum.exe, is required to do the checking. See the instructions and the link for downloading the program here:-

http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-announce/2004q4/000184.html

sha1sum.exe computes and displays check strings. It is actually a command prompt prompt program. To use it, save sha1sum.exe to the same directory as the ISO files. Start a Windows command prompt, and cd into the download directory. Run sha1sum with each ISO file like this:-

sha1sum.exe FCx-i386-disc1.iso
sha1sum.exe FCx-i386-disc2.iso
sha1sum.exe FCx-i386-disc3.iso
sha1sum.exe FCx-i386-disc4.iso

again where FCx is replaced by FC4 or FC5 etc.

Open the file SHA1SUM with a text editor such as Notepad to display its contents. Make sure the check string displayed by sha1sum.exe for EACH of the downloaded ISO files EXACTLY matches the corresponding check string in SHA1SUM.

So long as all of the check strings match, the ISO files can be burned to media. If any do not match, the file(s) will have to be downloaded again.


BURNING

The process of burning a CD is made almost invisible to the users of Windows software.

Windows applications let users burn data files such as mp3 and photographs by simply dragging the files into a box and clicking the Burn button. What happens in reality is, the CD burning software performs two operations. Firstly it creates an ISO 9660 standard file, just like the ones downloaded from Fedora, from the files that were dragged into the burn box. Secondly it transfers that ISO file onto the blank CD.

To create the Fedora installation CDs, it is VITAL that ONLY the SECOND operation is performed using the Fedora ISO files. The steps required to do this using two popular CD burning applications are listed below.

Using:-
Roxio Easy Media Creator 7
Under "Applications"
click "Creator Classic"
then under "Other Tasks"
use "Burn from Disc Image File"

Using:-
Nero Burning ROM 5
Just use
   File
     Burn Image

and browse for the ISO files in each case. You should now burn each of the Fedora ISO files to produce a working set of installation CDs. It might be reassuring to burn just disk 1 first, then:-

  reboot the computer
  press the Del key during booting to get into the BIOS setup menu
  make sure the BIOS is set up to boot from the CD drive first, then the hard disk drive
  make sure the Fedora disk 1 is in the CD drive
  exit the BIOS menu, saving your changes.

The computer should now boot from the CD drive, and start the Fedora installation program. It should offer to test the integrity of the installation media. If this works, all is well. Exit from the installer (it will change absolutely nothing on your computer unless it is explicitly told to do so) and reboot the computer. Remember to remove the Fedora disk 1 so that the computer boots Windows.

Burn the other three ISO images.

End.

David Fletcher

Registered Linux user number 393408