2.3. Text-Based Installer

Anaconda now automatically selects packages only from the base and core groups. These packages are sufficient to ensure that the system is operational at the end of the installation process, ready to install updates and new packages.

Anaconda still presents you with the initial screen from previous versions that allows you to specify where Anaconda will install Red Hat Enterprise Linux on your system. You can choose to use a whole drive, to remove existing Linux partitions, or to use the free space on the drive. However, Anaconda now automatically sets the layout of the partitions and does not ask you to add or delete partitions or file systems from this basic layout. If you require a customized layout at installation time, you must perform a graphical installation over a VNC connection or a Kickstart installation. More advanced options, such as logical volume management (LVM), encrypted filesystems, and resizable filesystems are still only available in graphical mode and Kickstart. Refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation Guide for more information on performing a graphical (VNC) installation.

Anaconda now performs boot loader configuration automatically in the text-based installer.

Text-mode installations using Kickstart are carried out in the same way that they were in previous versions. However, because package selection, advanced partitioning, and boot loader configuration are now automated in text mode, Anaconda cannot prompt you for information that it requires during these steps. You must therefore ensure that the Kickstart file includes the packaging, partitioning, and boot loader configurations. If any of this information is missing, Anaconda will exit with an error message.