Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4: Installation Guide for x86, Itanium™, AMD64, and Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel® EM64T)
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# 4.5. Installing from CD-ROM

To install Red Hat Enterprise Linux from a CD-ROM, choose the CD-ROM option and select OK. When prompted, insert the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CD into your CD-ROM drive (if you did not boot from the CD). Once the CD is in the CD-ROM drive, select OK, and press <KEYCAP >[Enter]</KEYCAP >.

| Note
| The first CD-ROM is required when booting the installation program, and again after subsequent CD-ROMs have been processed.

The installation program then probes your system and attempts to identify your CD-ROM drive. It starts by looking for an IDE (also known as an ATAPI) CD-ROM drive. If found, continue to the next stage of the installation process (refer to Section 4.12 Language Selection).

| Note
| To abort the installation process at this time, reboot your machine and then eject the boot media. You can safely cancel the installation at any point before the About to Install screen. Refer to Section 4.24 Preparing to Install for more information.

If your CD-ROM drive is not detected, and it is a SCSI CD-ROM, the installation program prompts you to choose a SCSI driver. Choose the driver that most closely resembles your adapter. You may specify options for the driver if necessary; however, most drivers detect your SCSI adapter automatically.

| Tip
| A partial list of optional parameters for CD-ROM drives can be found in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Reference Guide, in the General Parameters and Modules appendix.

## 4.5.1. What If the IDE CD-ROM Was Not Found?

If you have an IDE (ATAPI) CD-ROM on an x86, AMD64, or Intel® EM64T system, but the installation program fails to find your IDE (ATAPI) CD-ROM and asks you what type of CD-ROM drive you have, try the following boot command. Restart the installation, and at the `boot:` prompt enter `linux hdX=cdrom`. Replace `X` with one of the following letters, depending on the interface the unit is connected to, and whether it is configured as master or slave (also known as primary and secondary):

- `a` — first IDE controller, master

- `b` — first IDE controller, slave

- `c` — second IDE controller, master

- `d` — second IDE controller, slave

If you have a third and/or fourth controller, continue assigning letters in alphabetical order, going from controller to controller, and master to slave.

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