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SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5

Installation Quick Start

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5

Publication Date: November 14, 2024

Lists the system requirements and guides you step-by-step through the installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from DVD, or from an ISO image.

Use the following procedures to install a new version of SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5. This document gives a quick overview on how to run through a default installation of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for the AMD64/Intel 64 architecture.

1 Welcome to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

For more detailed installation instructions and deployment strategies, see the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Documentation at https://documentation.suse.com/.

1.1 Minimum System Requirements

  • any AMD64/Intel* EM64T processor (32-bit processors are not supported)

  • 512 MB physical RAM (text mode installation only), 1 GB or more recommended

  • 3.5 GB available disk space (more recommended)

  • 800 x 600 display resolution (1024 x 768 or higher recommended)

1.2 Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Use these instructions if there is no existing Linux system on your machine, or if you want to replace an existing Linux system.

  1. Insert the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server DVD into the drive, then reboot the computer to start the installation program. On machines with a traditional BIOS you will see the graphical boot screen shown below. On machines equipped with UEFI, a slightly different boot screen is used. Secure boot on UEFI machines is supported.

    Use F2 to change the language for the installer. A corresponding keyboard layout is chosen automatically. See Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 6 “Installation with YaST”, Section 6.2.2.1 “The Boot Screen on Machines Equipped with Traditional BIOS” or Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 6 “Installation with YaST”, Section 6.2.2.2 “The Boot Screen on Machines Equipped with UEFI” for more information about changing boot options.

    Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
  2. Select Installation on the boot screen, then press Enter. This boots the system and loads the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server installer.

  3. The Language and Keyboard Layout are initialized with the language settings you have chosen on the boot screen. Change them here, if necessary.

    Read the License Agreement. It is presented in the language you have chosen on the boot screen. License Translations are available. You need to accept the agreement by checking I Agree to the License Terms to install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Proceed with Next.

    Welcome screen
  4. A system analysis is performed, where the installer probes for storage devices, and tries to find other installed systems. If the network could not be automatically configured while starting the installation system, the Network Settings dialog opens.

    After at least one network interface has been configured you can register your system at the SUSE Customer Center (SCC). Enter the e-mail address associated with your SCC account and the registration code for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. A successful registration is a prerequisite for getting product updates and being entitled to technical support. Proceed with Next.

    Registration
    Tip
    Tip: Installing Product Patches at Installation Time

    If SUSE Linux Enterprise Server has been successfully registered at the SUSE Customer Center, you are asked whether to install the latest available online updates during the installation. If choosing Yes, the system will be installed with the most current packages without having to apply the updates after installation. Activating this option is recommended.

    Note
    Note: Release Notes

    From this point on, the Release Notes can be viewed from any screen during the installation process by selecting Release Notes.

  5. After the system is successfully registered, YaST lists modules and extensions that are available for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from the SUSE Customer Center. The list contains free modules, such as the SUSE Linux Enterprise SDK, or extensions requiring a registration key that is liable for costs. Click an entry to see its description. Optionally select a module or extension for installation by activating its check mark. Proceed with Next.

    Extension Selection
  6. The Add-on Product dialog allows you to add additional software sources (so-called repositories) to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, that are not provided by the SUSE Customer Center. Such add-on products may include third-party products and drivers or additional software for your system.

    Tip
    Tip: Adding Drivers During the Installation

    You can also add driver update repositories via the Add-On Products dialog. Driver updates for SUSE Linux Enterprise are provided at http://drivers.suse.com/. These drivers have been created via the SUSE SolidDriver Program.

    If you want to skip this step, proceed with Next. Otherwise activate I would like to Install an Add-on Product. Specify a media type, a local path or a network resource hosting the repository and follow the on-screen instructions.

    Check Download Repository Description Files to download the files describing the repository now. If deactivated, they will be downloaded after the installation has started. Proceed with Next and insert a medium if required. Depending on the product's content it may be necessary to accept additional license agreements. Proceed with Next. If you have chosen an add-on product requiring a registration key, you will be asked to enter it at the Extension and Module Registration Codes page.

    Add-On Product
  7. Choose the System Role that meets your requirements best. Select Default System for physical machines or virtual guests. For a virtualization host that can run other virtual machines, select KVM Virtualization Host or Xen Virtualization Host.

    System Role
  8. Review the partition setup proposed by the system. If necessary, change it. You have the following options:

    Edit Proposal Settings

    Lets you change options for the proposed settings, but not the suggested partition layout itself.

    Create Partition Setup

    Select a disk to which to apply the proposal.

    Expert Partitioner

    Opens the Expert Partitioner described in Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 13 “Advanced Disk Setup”, Section 13.1 “Using the YaST Partitioner”.

    Warning
    Warning: Disk Space Units

    Note that for partitioning purposes, disk space is measured in binary units, rather than in decimal units. For example, if you enter sizes of 1GB, 1GiB or 1G, they all signify 1 GiB (Gibibyte), as opposed to 1 GB (Gigabyte).

    Binary

    1 GiB = 1 073 741 824 bytes.

    Decimal

    1 GB = 1 000 000 000 bytes.

    Difference

    1 GiB ≈ 1.07 GB.

    To accept the proposed setup without any changes, choose Next to proceed.

    Suggested Partitioning
  9. Select the clock and time zone to use in your system. To manually adjust the time or to configure an NTP server for time synchronization, choose Other Settings. See Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 6 “Installation with YaST”, Section 6.12 “Clock and Time Zone” for detailed information. Proceed with Next.

    Clock and Time Zone
  10. To create a local user, type the first and last name in the User’s Full Name field, the login name in the Username field, and the password in the Password field.

    The password should be at least eight characters long and should contain both uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. The maximum length for passwords is 72 characters, and passwords are case-sensitive.

    For security reasons it is also strongly recommended not to enable the Automatic Login. You should also not Use this Password for the System Administrator but rather provide a separate root password in the next installation step. Proceed with Next.

    Local User
  11. Type a password for the system administrator account (called the root user).

    You should never forget the root password! After you entered it here, the password cannot be retrieved. See Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 6 “Installation with YaST”, Section 6.14 “Password for the System Administrator root for more information. Proceed with Next.

    Authentication for the System Administrator
    Tip
    Tip: Passwords and Keyboard Layout

    It is recommended to only use US ASCII characters. In case of a system error or when you need to start your system in rescue mode, the keyboard may not be localized.

  12. Use the Installation Settings screen to review and—if necessary—change several proposed installation settings. The current configuration is listed for each setting. To change it, click the headline. Some settings, such as firewall or SSH can directly be changed by clicking the respective links.

    Tip
    Tip: Remote Access

    Changes you can make here, can also be made later at any time from the installed system. However, if you need remote access directly after the installation, you should adjust the Security settings according to your needs.

    Software

    The default scope of software includes the base system and X Window with the GNOME desktop. Clicking Software opens the Software Selection and System Tasks screen, where you can change the software selection by selecting or deselecting patterns. Each pattern contains several software packages needed for specific functions (for example, Web and LAMP server or a print server). For a more detailed selection based on software packages to install, select Details to switch to the YaST Software Manager. See Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 14 “Installing or Removing Software” for more information.

    Booting

    This section shows the boot loader configuration. Changing the defaults is only recommended if really needed. Refer to Book “Administration Guide”, Chapter 13 “The Boot Loader GRUB 2” for details.

    Security

    The CPU Mitigations refer to kernel boot command line parameters for software mitigations that have been deployed to prevent CPU side-channel attacks. Click the highlighted entry to choose a different option. For details, see Book “Administration Guide”, Chapter 13 “The Boot Loader GRUB 2” CPU Mitigations.

    By default, the Firewall is enabled with the active network interface configured for the external zone. See Book “Security and Hardening Guide”, Chapter 16 “Masquerading and Firewalls”, Section 16.4 “SuSEfirewall2” for configuration details.

    The SSH service is disabled by default, its port (22) is closed. Therefore logging in from remote is not possible by default. Click enable and open to toggle these settings.

    Kdump

    Kdump saves the memory image (core dump) to the file system in case the kernel crashes. This enables you to find the cause of the crash by debugging the dump file. Kdump is preconfigured and enabled by default. See Book “System Analysis and Tuning Guide”, Chapter 17 “Kexec and Kdump”, Section 17.7 “Basic Kdump Configuration” for more information.

    Default Systemd Target and Services

    By default, the system boots into the graphical target, with network, multiuser and display manager support. Switch to multi-user if you do not need to log in via display manager.

    System

    View detailed hardware information by clicking System. In the resulting screen you can also change Kernel Settings—see Book “Deployment Guide”, Chapter 6 “Installation with YaST”, Section 6.15.8 “System Information for more information.

    Installation Settings
  13. After you have finalized the system configuration on the Installation Settings screen, click Install. Depending on your software selection you may need to agree to license agreements before the installation confirmation screen pops up. Up to this point no changes have been made to your system. After you click Install a second time, the installation process starts.

    Starting the installation
  14. During the installation, the progress is shown in detail on the Details tab.

    Installation Process
  15. After the installation routine has finished, the computer is rebooted into the installed system. Log in and start YaST to fine-tune the system. If you are not using a graphical desktop or are working from remote, refer to Book “Administration Guide”, Chapter 5 “YaST in Text Mode” for information on using YaST from a terminal.

2 Legal Notice

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All information found in this book has been compiled with utmost attention to detail. However, this does not guarantee complete accuracy. Neither SUSE LLC, its affiliates, the authors, nor the translators shall be held liable for possible errors or the consequences thereof.