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Chapter 1Name in the book: Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux

After this chapter you know which RHEL version to use for practice, how to get it for free, and how to install it the right way for the exam: with a good hostname, an admin user and the software you need.

  • 9 Lessons
  • 13 Commands
  • 1 Labs

$ run as a normal user# run as root (or with sudo)

1.1

Know what RHEL 10 is and where to get it

RHEL is the Linux of Red Hat for companies. You can use it for free with a developer subscription, or practice on a clone that works almost the same.

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 is the version of the RHCSA exam (EX200). Red Hat supports it for about 10 years.
  • CentOS Stream 10 is the version just before the next RHEL update. It is very close to RHEL.
  • AlmaLinux 10 and Rocky Linux 10 are free rebuilds of RHEL. For the exam topics they work the same.
  • Fedora is the fast-moving community version where new ideas are tested first.

You get RHEL for free with the Red Hat Developer Subscription for Individuals (developers.redhat.com). It allows up to 16 systems and gives access to the official repositories.

OptionUpdates from Red HatGood for
RHEL + developer subscriptionYesThe real exam system
CentOS Stream 10From CentOSPractice, newest packages
AlmaLinux / Rocky 10From their own mirrorsPractice, servers without a subscription

Remember

Exam = RHEL 10. Practice on RHEL if you can; a clone is fine for most tasks.

Exam tip

The exam does not use a subscription. Software comes from repositories that the exam gives you (often on a local or internal server). Chapter 9 shows how to use them.

1.2

Understand where software comes from

Software on RHEL comes from repositories (online or local). Without a repository, dnf install cannot find anything.

  • A registered RHEL system gets two main repositories from Red Hat: BaseOS (the base system) and AppStream (applications, languages, databases).
  • Without registration you can still use the installation DVD (ISO) as a local repository. Chapter 9 shows how.
  • Clones (CentOS Stream, AlmaLinux, Rocky) have their repositories ready after the install.
dnf repolist
repo id                             repo name
rhel-10-for-x86_64-appstream-rpms   Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 for x86_64 - AppStream (RPMs)
rhel-10-for-x86_64-baseos-rpms      Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 for x86_64 - BaseOS (RPMs)

Remember

BaseOS = the base system, AppStream = the applications.

Commands in this lesson

1.3

Plan your practice machines

Build a small lab: two virtual machines on one network. Most labs in these summaries use server1 and server2.

MachineUseMinimum
server1Main practice system (with a graphical desktop)2 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk
server2Second system: SSH, NFS, network tests1 CPU, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk
  1. Install a hypervisor: KVM/virt-manager on Linux, VirtualBox, VMware or Hyper-V.
  2. Put both machines on the same virtual network (NAT network or host-only), so they can reach each other.
  3. Add an extra empty disk of 10 GB to server1. You need it for the storage and LVM chapters (14 and 15).
  4. Download the DVD image (ISO), not the boot-only image: the DVD has all packages, so you can install without internet.

At work

Take a snapshot of each machine right after the install. When a lab breaks the system, go back in one minute.

1.4

Install RHEL step by step

The installer (Anaconda) shows one summary screen. Every item with a warning sign must be fixed before you can start.

  1. Boot the machine from the ISO and choose Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.
  2. Choose the language for the installation.
  3. On the Installation Summary screen, set each item:
    • Keyboard and Language support: add the layouts you type with.
    • Time & Date: choose your time zone and turn on network time.
    • Software Selection: Server with GUI for server1, Minimal Install or Server for server2.
    • Installation Destination: select the main disk (not the extra disk) and keep Automatic partitioning. This makes an LVM layout.
    • Network & Host Name: switch the network card On and type the hostname, like server1.example.com.
    • Root Password: set a password. Allow root SSH login with password only on a practice system.
    • User Creation: create your own user and tick Make this user administrator (this puts the user in the group wheel, so it can use sudo).
  4. Click Begin Installation. When it is done, click Reboot System.
  5. Log in as your user. On a graphical system, accept the first-start questions.

Watch out

If you do not switch the network card on during the install, it does not start at boot. Fix it later with nmcli con mod NAME connection.autoconnect yes.

Exam tip

You do not install RHEL in the exam, but you must know what the installer does: LVM layout, the wheel group, the hostname and the network.

1.5

Check the new system

After the first boot, check the version, the name, the network and the disks. It takes one minute and finds most install mistakes.

cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 10.0 (Coughlan)
hostnamectl
uname -r
ip -br a
lsblk
df -h
id
  • cat /etc/redhat-release shows the exact RHEL version.
  • hostnamectl shows the hostname, the operating system and the kernel.
  • ip -br a shows the addresses: is the network up?
  • lsblk shows the disks and the LVM volumes; your extra disk has no partitions yet.
  • id shows your groups: wheel must be in the list for sudo.

Check it

Can your user work as administrator?

sudo -l
sudo whoami
root

1.6

Register the system and get updates

A registered RHEL system gets updates and the official repositories. Register it once, then update everything.

  1. Register with your Red Hat account. The command asks for the user name and password.
    subscription-manager register
  2. Check the status and the repositories.
    subscription-manager status
dnf repolist
  3. Install all updates and reboot when a new kernel was installed.
    dnf upgrade -y
systemctl reboot

Remember

register → repolist → upgrade.

At work

In a company, systems are often registered with an activation key instead of a password, for example in a provisioning script: subscription-manager register --org=ID --activationkey=KEY.

1.7

Remember the main points

The most important facts of this chapter, in short.

  • The RHCSA exam (EX200) uses RHEL 10. CentOS Stream 10, AlmaLinux 10 and Rocky Linux 10 are good for practice.
  • A free Red Hat Developer Subscription gives you real RHEL with updates for up to 16 systems.
  • Software comes from repositories: BaseOS (the core system) and AppStream (applications and tools).
  • For practice, build two virtual machines (server1 and server2) with snapshots, so you can break things and go back.
  • In the installer, set the hostname, the network, the root password (or no root login) and an admin user in the wheel group.
  • The default disk layout is XFS on LVM: a small /boot partition, and logical volumes for / and swap.
  • After the install, check the version (cat /etc/redhat-release), the network (ip a) and the time.
  • Register with rhc connect or subscription-manager register to get updates from Red Hat.

1.8

Learn the key terms

The words of this chapter in simple English.

TermMeaning
DistributionA Linux kernel plus tools and software, packed and tested by one group (for example RHEL).
RHELRed Hat Enterprise Linux: the Linux for companies, with about 10 years of support.
CentOS StreamThe version that shows the next RHEL update before it comes out.
RepositoryA server or folder with software packages that dnf can install.
BaseOS / AppStreamThe two main RHEL repositories: core system / extra applications.
SubscriptionThe right to get RHEL software and updates from Red Hat.
ISO imageOne file with the full installation DVD.
AnacondaThe RHEL installer program.
KickstartA text file that answers all installer questions, for an automatic install.
SnapshotA saved state of a virtual machine that you can go back to.

Commands in this lesson

1.9

Check what you learned

Think about the answer first, then open it.

1Which RHEL version does the current RHCSA exam use?

RHEL 10.

2Which two repositories hold most of the RHEL software?

BaseOS (the core operating system) and AppStream (applications, languages and tools).

3How can you get real RHEL for free for practice?

With the Red Hat Developer Subscription for Individuals (up to 16 systems).

4Which file system and disk layout does the installer use by default?

XFS on LVM, with a separate /boot partition.

5Why should you take a snapshot of your practice VM?

So you can go back to a working system after a lab breaks it.

6Which command shows the exact RHEL version?

cat /etc/redhat-release (or cat /etc/os-release).

7What is a Kickstart file?

A text file with the answers for the installer, so an install runs without questions.

8Which group gives a normal user admin rights with sudo?

The wheel group.

Commands in this lesson

Practice

All commands in this chapter