This section will walk you through pre-installation hardware setup, if any, that you will need to do prior to installing Debian. Generally, this involves checking and possibly changing firmware settings for your system. The “firmware” is the core software used by the hardware; it is most critically invoked during the bootstrap process (after power-up). Known hardware issues affecting the reliability of Debian GNU/Linux on your system are also highlighted. Show
3.6.1. Invoking the BIOS Set-Up MenuBIOS provides the basic functions needed to boot your machine to allow your operating system to access your hardware. Your system probably provides a BIOS set-up menu, which is used to configure the BIOS. Before installing, you must ensure that your BIOS is setup correctly; not doing so can lead to intermittent crashes or an inability to install Debian. The rest of this section is lifted from the http://www.faqs.org/faqs/pc-hardware-faq/part1/, answering the question, “How do I enter the CMOS configuration menu?”. How you access the BIOS (or “CMOS”) configuration menu depends on who wrote your BIOS software: AMI BIOS Delete key during the POST (power on self test) Award BIOSCtrl-Alt-Esc, or Delete key during the POST DTK BIOSEsc key during the POST IBM PS/2 BIOSCtrl-Alt-Insert after Ctrl-Alt-Delete Phoenix BIOSCtrl-Alt-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-S or F1 Information on invoking other BIOS routines can be found in http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hard-Disk-Upgrade/install.html. Some Intel x86 machines don't have a CMOS configuration menu in the BIOS. They require a software CMOS setup program. If you don't have the Installation and/or Diagnostics diskette for your machine, you can try using a shareware/freeware program. Try looking in ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/. 3.6.2. Boot Device Selection Many BIOS set-up menus allow you to select the devices that will be used to bootstrap the system. Set this to look for a bootable operating system on If you have a newer SCSI controller and you have a CD-ROM device attached to it, you are usually able to boot from the CD-ROM. All you have to do is enable booting from a CD-ROM in the SCSI-BIOS of your controller. Another popular option is to boot from a USB storage device (also called a USB memory stick or USB key). Some BIOSes can boot directly from a USB storage device, but some cannot. You may need to configure your BIOS to boot from a “Removable drive” or even from “USB-ZIP” to get it to boot from the USB device. Here are some details about how to set the boot order. Remember to reset the boot order after Linux is installed, so that you restart your machine from the hard drive. 3.6.2.1. Changing the Boot Order on IDE Computers
3.6.2.2. Changing the Boot Order on SCSI Computers
3.6.3. Miscellaneous BIOS Settings3.6.3.1. CD-ROM Settings Some BIOS systems (such as Award BIOS) allow you to automatically set the CD speed. You should avoid that, and instead set it to, say, the lowest speed. If you get 3.6.3.2. Extended vs. Expanded MemoryIf your system provides both extended and expanded memory, set it so that there is as much extended and as little expanded memory as possible. Linux requires extended memory and cannot use expanded memory. 3.6.3.3. Virus ProtectionDisable any virus-warning features your BIOS may provide. If you have a virus-protection board or other special hardware, make sure it is disabled or physically removed while running GNU/Linux. These aren't compatible with GNU/Linux; moreover, due to the file system permissions and protected memory of the Linux kernel, viruses are almost unheard of[4]. 3.6.3.4. Shadow RAMYour motherboard may provide shadow RAM or BIOS caching. You may see settings for “Video BIOS Shadow”, “C800-CBFF Shadow”, etc. Disable all shadow RAM. Shadow RAM is used to accelerate access to the ROMs on your motherboard and on some of the controller cards. Linux does not use these ROMs once it has booted because it provides its own faster 32-bit software in place of the 16-bit programs in the ROMs. Disabling the shadow RAM may make some of it available for programs to use as normal memory. Leaving the shadow RAM enabled may interfere with Linux access to hardware devices. 3.6.3.5. Memory HoleIf your BIOS offers something like “15–16 MB Memory Hole”, please disable that. Linux expects to find memory there if you have that much RAM. We have a report of an Intel Endeavor motherboard on which there is an option called “LFB” or “Linear Frame Buffer”. This had two settings: “Disabled” and “1 Megabyte”. Set it to “1 Megabyte”. When disabled, the installation floppy was not read correctly, and the system eventually crashed. At this writing we don't understand what's going on with this particular device — it just worked with that setting and not without it. 3.6.3.6. Advanced Power ManagementIf your motherboard provides Advanced Power Management (APM), configure it so that power management is controlled by APM. Disable the doze, standby, suspend, nap, and sleep modes, and disable the hard disk's power-down timer. Linux can take over control of these modes, and can do a better job of power-management than the BIOS. 3.6.4. Hardware Issues to Watch Out ForUSB BIOS support and keyboards. If you have no AT-style keyboard and only a USB model, you may need to enable legacy AT keyboard emulation in your BIOS setup. Only do this if the installation system fails to use your keyboard in USB mode. Conversely, for some systems (especially laptops) you may need to disable legacy USB support if your keyboard does not respond. Consult your main board manual and look in the BIOS for “Legacy keyboard emulation” or “USB keyboard support” options. What is the software that is used to set up and install an operating system onto a device?A system installer is the software that is used to set up and install an operating system onto a device.
Which software is used for operating system?The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What may be used to install an operating system?The installation and initial booting of the OS is called the operating system setup. Although it is possible to install an OS over a network from a server or from a local hard drive, the most common installation method for a home or small business is with CDs or DVDs.
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