Entire disk
Simple
Advanced
Observations

The informations below show all you need to guarantee Dreamlinux 3.0 Desktop Edition installed onto a computer hardisk. If you still not confident after read
these informations, see our site or our forums to clarify your doubts.

Dreamlinux needs a partition with at least 3.8 GB and 200 MB for minimum swap. Verify if the selected partition has enough room to accommodate the distro.
This is a very important advice, since unpredictable behaviors can result from installing into a partition smaller than the expanded distro image.

Dreamlinux can be only installed on linux file systems, for this reason Dreamlinux Installer, DLI for short, does not show Windows partitions. In addition, if a
brand new hardisk completely unformatted or without partitions is the target of the install an error message will pop up with suggestions on what should
be done.

DLI provides the partition tools to create the conditions for your Dreamlinux installation or alternatively you can choose the Entire Disk option for a fresh installation.


Entire Disk

The Entire Disk option meet the needs of those who are wishing a full hardisk install.
DLI will manage the partitioning, formatting and other details, you do not need to worry about. For new hardisks not yet partitioned or formatted as well as
the already prepared hardisks.

This feature will erase all the contents of the hard drive if it is already partitioned and / or contains
other systems. Make sure you have a backup of your data!

*You can use one of the partitions tools to verify if your hardisk is really empty.


Box, Root & User Info

The password you choose for root must be different for the password you choose for user. The Box name "DL" is the default and you can replace it with a
name of your choice. Do not choose the name "dreamer" for user.

You can mix numbers, letters, uppercase, lowercase and the minus signal to separate words. Special characters (#%&@!$ etc) and empty spaces
are not encouraged, do it at your own risk.

If just a single user, you do not need to click on Add button. If added, keep it, there is no problem.


Simple

Box, Root & User Info must be filled following the same instructions mentioned on above paragraph.


The File System options can be selected by clicking on empty space below its column and selecting the desired option.

The Mount Point options must be selected by clicking on empty space below its column and selecting the desired option. Root (/) is mandatory
on any linux system.



A root (/) mount point is mandatory on linux and a swap (swap) is very important to have Dreamlinux installed onto computer hardisk.

This is the most usual kind of installation and recomended for new linux users.



Select partition on "Detected *nix partitions" and click on "add" button to send it to "Selected partitions" right box. Do this only for the partitions

you want Dreamlinux system installed. Right panel is where is placed the selected partitions of your future Dreamlinux system.

The format box option when checked will really format the partition and destroy previous data, if any.

Last steps: Dreamlinux default option is to install Grub on MBR, writing a new Grub and giving a nice boot splash for your computer.

(Grub options for DLI)


You can choose a name for your distro, if none, Dreamlinux will be the name. Click on Apply and a progress bar will show the status of installation

and then system configuration will start. The Quit button stops installation at any moment however you may find the partitions already formated and

partially wrote. It is not an undo option!

When installation finishes, a message pop up informing you can reboot your computer and have fun with Dreamlinux!

According with the picture above, Dreamlinux is being installed on MBR and the initial boot screen will be Dreamlinux splash. System is correctly
seted to install on root (/) and formatted as most the compatible linux filesystem: ext3. An essential swap also will be formatted. There is just a single
user and name on prompt terminal will be "andre@DL".

Existing one or more Windows operating systems installed and if you choose to install Grub on MBR, Dreamlinux will show them on the new initial
boot splash screen theme and you will be able to choose which one to boot up.



*If you never partitioned a hardisk before, we strongly recomend to read a how to on internet.



Please continue this reading if you want to know about advanced features of Dreamlinux Installer (DLI).



Advanced


DLI offers advanced options like the possibilities to install Dreamlinux with more than one regular user, the system splited onto various directories on different partitions (if you already have them) and each one with a different filesystem.

The recommended filesystem for root (/) is ext3 or reiserfs, for all the others (none, /boot, /home, /opt, /srv, /tmp, /usr, /var and /usr/local) it depends on user knowledges and preferences, but DLI and Dreamlinux can manage: none, ext2, ext3, reiserfs, reiser4, xfs and jfs.

The picture below shows DLI with three users, for each one an User name,  then an User password and confirmation, then the Add button to send user to
"Users" on right box and then to start the second user with this complete routine; and then the third user.





Three *nix type partitions were chosen for installation: the swap partition, one to accommodate the root of the distro, to be formatted in ext3 filesystem and a

separate /home partition to be formatted also in ext3 filesystem. (If already existed a /home partition to be preserved, the option to format should not be

checked in box to ensure that it would be maintened. On Selected partitions we would see under Format column the word no).

The Grub option to install on Root partition will install a complete Grub system on the root partition where the distro is being installed.

DLI also takes care of linking the entry of this “partition” Grub to the current master Grub bootloader on your hard disk, wherever it is located. This option is

interesting if you have, for instance, items bound specifically to your new distro box and you don't want to pollute the master running Grub with so many

different options that is linked solely to your new fresh installation.

(Grub options for DLI )



Observations:

Installing Dreamlinux via usb sticks (pen-drives)

Dreamlinux can run from usb sticks as a LiveCD. To learn how to proceed in this particular case, please
visit the tutorial page at Dreamlinux website.

Box, Root & User Info

1 - Box Name: is the name of the computer. "DL" is the default and you can replace it with a name of your choice. Insert it and press the Tab key, then you must create a password for this account.This is the administrative account, the account of the root, which configures the system settings. Enter a password, press the Tab key and repeat the password for confirmation.

2 – User Name: is the name of one or more users of the system. Here you can not use the default name "dreamer". Enter a new name for User, press Tab and do the registration of password.

If only one user for the system, you do not need to click on the Add button, but if you do it, no problem and keep the name in place Users.

2.1 – To add new users you must click the "New" button. This action will clean up the user's input of the box and give focus to the new user to be created.
Then just repeat the procedure for User Name and press the button Add to each new user you are creating. This action will send the new user name to
Users right box.

DLI's Grub Options

You have four options to establish a Grub bootloader related to the new installation you're about to begin.

The first option, “MBR”, that is marked by default, writes a complete new Grub in your computer, with a nice Dreamlinux themed Grub splashscreen.
This option correctly detects all the installed systems in your hard disk, including Windows.

The second option, “Root partition”, installs a complete Grub system on the root partition where the distro is being installed. DLI also takes care of linking the entry of this “partition” Grub to the current master Grub bootloader on your hard disk, wherever it is located. This option is interesting if you have, for instance, items bound specifically to your new distro box and you don't want to pollute the master running Grub with so many different options that is linked solely to your new fresh installation.

The third option, “Existing Grub” is one of the best DLI's characteristics, since it will install your box into the designated partition and will write an entry for it in the current Grub bootloader, wherever it is located. This option is targeted toward those users who already have a well established Grub system and don't want to have it replaced.

Finally, the fourth option, “Don't install”, does nothing related to Grub, leaving in your hands the responsibility for linking your new installed box to a bootloader. This option is the only one available in case someone needs to link the distro to a LILO bootloader.

Happy Dreams!

The Dreamlinux Team