Before You Install
To install Ximian GNOME you will need a working Linux system, lynx and a working X11 system. Most likely when you first installed LinuxPPC or Yellow Dog Linux you got all of these things.
Downloading the Installer
Ximian GNOME installer will be automagically installed using two commands.
You must be inside X11, using an xterm, konsole or gnome-terminal.
su - # Then Press Return on Your Keyboard
lynx -source go-gnome.com | sh # Then Press Return
This downloads an install script, that will be automatically executed by Linux.
Getting the Installer
In a few seconds, the terminal will ask you if you want to install HelixGNOME. Hit enter.
Next it will ask you if the system type it detected was right. Most likely it will be, so hit enter.
Next it will ask you for a mirror to get the installer. You should choose one close to you geographically. Most users will want mirror 1, so type in 1, and hit enter.
Once you hit enter, you will see:
==> Fetching the main installation program; please be patient...
This will take around 10-15 minutes on a 56k modem, and about minute and a half on a cable modem.
Ximian GNOME Installer
Once you get Ximian GNOME Installer, you will see a window with a flower, and a screen that says "Welcome to Ximian GNOME Installer."
It will warn you to save work in any other apps, and to close out any extra apps, that you don't need. However, do not close the terminal window, that you started the installer from, or the installer will terminate.
Press next, to continue with the install.
Choosing package location
It will prompt you for the package location. Your choices are Hard Drive, FTP Site or Helixcode Mirror Site.
You probably should leave it at Helix Code Mirror site option.
Click Next. It will download a listing of packages avalible, this will take a few seconds to happen.
Choosing Which Componets to Install
After the package listing has downloaded, it will prompt you for packages to install. Click on the checkboxes next to the packages you want to install. Don't forget to scroll down to see them all.
You probably do not want to install everything, as that would take up several hundred megabytes of disk space, and result in a download of over 100 MB.
When you are done, it will calculate what additional packages you need to install (libaries, and the alike), and give you an option to go back and unselect some items if you chose to much.
Hit Next.
Watching the Software Download
Now you should see a dialog showing you three progress bars -- the top one is the progress of the indivual package downloading, the second one the overall progress, and the third one the progress of the install (which will be greyed out until all of the packages are downloaded and are being installed).
This will probably take a long time on a 56k modem connection, typical configurations will take about 5 to 10 hours (so do this before you go to bed).
After the Install
Once the install is completed, the installer will ask you if you want to make GNOME the default when you startup X11, and if you want to use it's login manager. Most people will want to say yes to both of these.
Finally, it will tell you, it needs to restart X11 to load Ximian GNOME. Click Yes.
If you enabled the login manager option, you should now see the GNOME login manager.
After you login, you will see your new Ximian GNOME desktop.
Send comments, questions, etc. to Andrew B. Arthur, .
