RedHat 7.0 Install-HOWTO: Introduction

14. Package Group Selection

This is where you choose the groups of packages you want to install on your system. I would recommend installing many different things and experimenting with them, unless you are highly limited on hard drive space. Don't bother installing packages that you wont use because you can always add packages later when you need them.

14.1 Printer Support

Not to overstate the obvious, but this allows Linux to support printers. If you don't have a printer on the computer, don't bother installing this.

14.2 X Window System

This is the graphical user interface (GUI) that most Linux systems use. Although it is nice to have a GUI, it is certainly not required and can save you lots of space if this is not selected.

14.3 GNOME

A window manager for the X Window system. GNOME is unnecessary unless you have X Windows installed.

14.4 KDE

Another window manager for the X Window system. The K Desktop Environment is useless unless you have X Windows installed.

14.5 Mail/WWW/News Tools

As it says, these are general tools to use the Internet, mail, and news.

14.6 DOS/Windows Connectivity

If you want your Linux computer to interact with a Windows based PC, install these packages.

14.7 Graphics Manipulation

These are packages that are needed for graphics editing, such as The G.I.M.P. You can't use these tools without X Windows.

14.8 Games

Small programs that are great for wasting time. Many are graphical, so X is required.

14.9 Multimedia Support

Support for sound cards and audio equipment. If your computer doesn't have a sound card, don't install this.

14.10 Laptop Support

If your computer is a laptop, install these to enable various functions only useful on a laptop, such as battery management.

14.11 Networked Workstation

If your computer is going to be attached to a network, install these important tools.

14.12 Dialup Workstation

If your computer is going to dial in to a network, install these dialup tools.

14.13 News Server

A program for serving USENET news.

14.14 NFS Server

A server for serving NFS shares.

14.15 SMB (Samba) Server

A server for sharing files with Windows machines.

14.16 IPX/Netware Connectivity

Programs needed to interact with Windows and Netware computers.

14.17 Anonymous FTP Server

A server for serving FTP files.

14.18 Web Server

A server for serving webpages.

14.19 DNS Name Server

A server for translating domain names into IP addresses.

14.20 SQL Server

A server for serving SQL databases.

14.21 Network Management Workstation

Install these packages if this computer is going to be used to manage a network.

14.22 Authoring/Publishing

Install these packages for word processors and other publishing tools.

14.23 Emacs

Install these packages to get a very large and powerful editor and development environment.

14.24 Development

Install these packages to get compilers and libraries for many different languages.

14.25 Kernel Development

Install these packages to get the Linux kernel source and other necessary tools for Kernel development.

14.26 Utilities

Install this package for various other system utilities.

14.27 Everything

Check this option to install every package on all the RedHat CDs. Watch out though, as this is almost 2 GB of data and will require the optional CDs. I would not do this and instead select individual packages instead. After all, you probably don't need the documentation in 20 different languages anyway.

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