Server Installation Guide

Introduction to Server Installation

Server installation is the process of setting up a machine, either physical or virtual, to host applications, manage data, or provide network services. This involves selecting an operating system (like Linux), configuring hardware, and ensuring security settings are in place. Proper installation lays a stable foundation, enabling the server to reliably handle tasks like web hosting, database management, and resource sharing.

Before installing a Linux server, it’s essential to:

Check Hardware Configuration: Ensure the server’s CPU, memory, and storage meet the minimum and recommended requirements of your chosen Linux distribution. This helps ensure smooth operation and adequate performance.

The minimum hardware requirements for a Linux server can vary based on the distribution you choose and the specific server roles. However, here are general minimum requirements for most common Linux distributions:

Choose the Right Linux Distribution: Select a Linux distribution that best suits your server’s purpose and compatibility with applications, considering options like Ubuntu Server, CentOS, or Debian. Each distribution has different strengths in terms of stability, support, and available packages.

Setting Up Installation Media: Once the OS is chosen, you’ll need to create a bootable installation media using a USB drive or DVD. This media allows the machine to boot and begin the installation process for the chosen OS.

Continue following these steps to complete the server installation and configuration process...

Here's a step-by-step guide to install CentOS 9:

Step 1: Download CentOS 9 ISO

1. Go to the official CentOS website: https://www.centos.org/download/

2. Choose CentOS Stream 9 and download the ISO image suitable for your hardware (DVD ISO or Minimal ISO).

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive

1. Use tools like Rufus (Windows) or Etcher (Linux/Mac) to create a bootable USB from the ISO.

2. Insert the USB into the system where you want to install CentOS 9.

Step 3: Boot from the USB

1. Restart your computer.

2. Access the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, F12, DEL, or ESC at startup).

3. Select the USB as the primary boot device.

Step 4: Start CentOS 9 Installation

After inserting the CentOS Stream 9 installation disk/boot device and restarting your computer, the installer will launch, prompting you to press Enter to continue.

Choose Installer Language

Setting Up Localization

Select Keyboard Option.

Now Click on Language Support where we can choose additional languages required by the user to work.

Select the last option in Localization labeled “Time & Date” to choose our region.

Form here, choose your region and city and click on Ok.

Setting Up Software Options

Click on the 2nd option labeled as “Software Selection”.

From here you can select the important tools you require. I’m going with the first four options. You can also go with the minimal installation which will also exclude GUI and have an option for custom OS.

Choose Installation Drive

Click on Installation Destination which will direct us to the available disks.

Select the desired disk. You have two options for partitioning your drive: manual and automatic. We would suggest automatic partitioning as it handles the size well but if you want to customize partitions, you can choose the other option.

Setting Network and Hostname

In this step, we are going to allocate the hostname to our system including setting up networking. Click on “Network & Hostname”.

If you are using Ethernet, you just have to enable it by the given button. To allocate the hostname, you are given a separate section. In my case, I’m going to use tecmint.

In case you are not using DHCP, click on Configure which will direct us to set up our network manually. From here, click on Ipv4 and choose the Manual method. Add your desired Address, Netmask and Gateway by clicking on Add button. In the end, add DNS and save the configuration.

Create a User Account

To create a user, click on the User creation option which will direct you to a prompt where you are going to add users and create a password.

Enter details such as Full name, password, etc. If you want, you can make this user administrator by giving the option. We always recommend you use a strong password.

Once you are done with adding a user, Select “Root Password” which will allow us to create a root password for our existing user.

Now, change from normal user to root user and enable the Gnome on the system boot using the following commands and make sure that with each boot, we are prompted in GNOME rather than CLI:

$ su

# systemctl enable --now gdm

Click on Begin installation button and it will start the installation process. Once the installation is complete, click on Reboot System.

Enable GNOME at Boot

Once you reboot your system, you will be prompted with CLI. To start GUI, log in with your username and password.

As you can see, we are running GNOME 40.

❮ ❯

Step 5: Reboot the System

After installation, click Reboot.

Remove the USB drive.

Step 6: Post-Installation Setup

Log in with the root or user account created during installation.

Run updates to ensure all packages are up-to-date:

sudo dnf update -y

Install any additional software or tools you need.

CentOS 9 is now ready for use on your system. Let me know if you have specific configurations or applications in mind!