RHEL 6 Installation

In this article I would show you how to install RHEL6 on physical system from media. We would set up a physical system for server. To install RHEL6 insert RHEL6 DVD in DVD-ROM and boot from DVD. After booting from DVD you would get following screen.

Select Install or upgrade an existing system and press enter

Installation process would ask for a media check. Skip it

Depending on your hardware installation process would present welcome screen. If you have less resource you get command line or if you have sufficient hardware you would get graphic screen.

Select language

Select Keybord layout

Now select media type

you may get warning message if disk you have selected contain no previous linux file system. Click on yes discard any data

Now set hostname

select your time zone. You have two options have either select from map or use drop down.

set root password. root is the main administrator account on any linux system. you may get weak password message if you have given weak password

Now select type of installation. Red hat provide five types of installation.

Use all space

• All previous data on selected device would be lost
• All necessary partition would be created automatically

Replace existing linux system

• If disk contain any other partitions like NTFS FAT32 they would be untouched.
• if disk contain any previous linux file system it would be updated. Data would be lost.

Shirk current system

• This is new options added from RHEL6.
• It would shrinks existing partition to create free space. Data lost might be happen.

Use free space

• Useful when you have enough free space. If you are doing dual booting with exiting widow system make sure you have enough free un partitioned space . for example you have 80GB hard disk with win7 installed. Disk contain 2 partitions c with 30 GB and d with 45 GB. All space of D is unused. If you want to use this space for the installation of linux. It would not work as it contain window file system. To use this option you need un partitioned free space.
• If you use this option partition would be created automatically.

Create custom layout

• In this option you need to create all partition on your own.

Select create custom layout option

Select free space and click on create button it would open a new pop with partition type option select standard partition and click on create

On RHEL system we need at least 3 partitions and one swap space. lets create them first required partition is /. Detail information about linux file system is available on this link. Linux file system

select / from mount point drop down, keep file system type to ext4 and set size to 8000 and click on ok.

follow same process but this time select boot from mount point

Now create home partition

Linux need one more special type of partition called swap. Its virtual memory required for linux. to create swap space select swap from file system type. usually we keep size of swap to double of ram. for example if you have 1GB RAM then set size of swap to 2GB.

Once we have created all necessary partitions and swap space click on next button

On format warning screen click on format

Now you would see confirmation dialog box. confirm it by clicking on write changes to disk

now you would get boot loader screen. I would show you how set password on boot loader later so don't change any value here and click on next.

Now it's time to customize Red hat. We are preparing this system for server practice and we would host another system on this server so select Virtual Host and customize now and click on next

In base system keep default selection and add network tools from right side

From servers select following

From web select nothing

From database select nothing

From system management select nothing

From virtualization keep default selection

From desktops select following packages. X window system and desktop is required for generating the GUI.

From application select internet browser and click on optional package it would open another pop up from where select firefox.

No package required form development

No additional language is required. Now we have selected all necessary package click on next

After reboot post install wizard would run. On welcome screen Click on forward

On license screen select yes I agree to the license agreement

Now you would get set up software updates screen. In real life you should set up software updates from RHN network. But in practice environments you could skip this step. select No I prefer to register at a later time and click on forward it would open a reminder pop up click on No thanks I will connect later

ignore update warning message

Create a normal user account

Now set date and time

Do not enable Kdump during the practice. Click on forward and finish button

In a minute you would get default login screen.

Congratulations you have successfully installed RHEL6 from media