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Installing Redhat Linux (9 and above) with just the ISO Images.

Normally, people who have fast connection like to download their favorite linux distros instead of wasting time in searching for CDs and buying them. However, even if we download the ISOs we might not always have a burner to burn the CDs, and lets face it, you cannot really "trust" the cds you burn at times, you never know when they just become unreadable.

So, installing linux with just the ISOs only has the following benefits:

1. A lot faster than installing from CDs, hence saving time
2. No problems like "cannot read from the media" will arise during installation.

So, lets get down to business...
I am assuming that you have a vFAT(FAT32) parition at `/dev/hda2` and lets say, in M$ Window$ langauge, it is `D: drive`. It might be a different partition in your case.

I tested this with Fedora Core 1 and Redhat 9, but should be similar for other recent versions. From FC3 onwards, it seems to have many files missing, so you might want to refer to FC1's FTP mirror to get the files i mention here, because they will work for FC3+ also.

Steps:

1. Download the ISOs from redhat.com or its mirrors.

2. In your vFat parition, make a folder called lets say, `redhat`.

3. Place all the ISOs in that folder and "do not change the filenames".

4. Also make a folder called `install_loader` (in whichever vfat partition you feel comfortable).

5. Inside `install_loader` put the folder called `pxeboot` which you will find in the 1st CD ISO or just by browsing thru the online FTP. 

[You might also want to look for DOS executable called `loadlin`. 
All these files except pxeboot folders are missing in FC3+, so you might need to bring them from redhat's FC1 mirrors.]

6. In most cases you will also find `autoboot.bat`, place that file in the `install_loader` folder.

7. If you cant find autoboot.bat, just make a file called `autoboot.bat` with the content 

`loadlin pxeboot\vmlinuz initrd=pxeboot\initrd.img ramdisk_size=9216 %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9`

8. As you can see the executable `loadlin` also must lie in `install_loader` together with `autoboot.bat`

9. Now, make a Typical Windows 98 DOS Boot floppy, or just any boot floppy that can let you boot in DOS atleast.

10. Boot into DOS, go to the path and run `autoboot.bat`

11. Your installation will start

12. Choose Installation from Local Drive option

13. Give them the vfat path where all the ISO reside. For this case it would be `/dev/hda2/redhat`.

14. Proceed with normal installation. good luck.


Coming Soon... Installing Mandrivia Linux from HDD which is a bit tricky.