By using the binary DVD or boot ISO, administrators install a new RHEL system on a bare-metal server or on a virtual machine. The Anaconda program supports two installation methods: manual and automated.
Install RHEL by Using the Graphical Interface
Anaconda starts as a graphical application when you boot the system from the binary DVD or from the boot ISO.
At the WELCOME TO RED HAT ENTERPRISE LINUX 9 screen, select the language, and click Continue. Individual users can choose a preferred language after installation.
Anaconda presents the INSTALLATION SUMMARY window, the central interface to customize parameters before beginning the installation.
From this window, configure the installation parameters by selecting the icons in any order. Select an item to view or to edit. In any item, click Done to return to this central screen.
Anaconda marks mandatory items with a triangle warning symbol and message. The orange status bar at the bottom of the screen reminds you to complete the required information before the installation begins.
Complete the following items as needed:
Keyboard: Add keyboard layouts.
Language Support: Select additional languages to install.
Time & Date: Select the system's location city by clicking the interactive map or selecting it from the lists. Specify the local time zone even when using Network Time Protocol (NTP).
Connect to Red Hat: Register the system with your Red Hat account and select the system purpose. The system purpose feature enables the registration process to automatically attach the most appropriate subscription to the system. You must first connect to the network by using the Network & Host Name icon to register the system.
Installation Source: Provide the source package location that Anaconda requires for installation. The installation source field already refers to the DVD when using the binary DVD.
Software Selection: Select the base environment to install, and add any add-ons. The Minimal Install environment installs only the essential packages to run Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Installation Destination: Select and partition the disks for Red Hat Enterprise Linux to install to. To complete this task, the administrator must know partitioning schemes and file-system selection criteria. The default radio button for automatic partitioning allocates the selected storage devices by using all available space.
KDUMP: The kdump kernel crash dump feature collects information about the state of the system memory when the kernel crashes. Red Hat engineers analyze a kdump file to identify the cause of a crash. Use this Anaconda item to enable or to disable kdump.
Network & Host Name: Detected network connections are listed on the left. Select a connection to display its details. By default, Anaconda activates the network automatically. Click Configure for the selected network connection.
Security Profile: By activating a security profile, Anaconda applies restrictions and recommendations that the selected profile defines during installation.
Root Password: The installation program prompts to set a root password. The final stage of the installation process continues only after you define a root password.
User Creation: Create an optional non-root account. Creating a local, general-use account is a recommended practice. You can also create accounts after the installation is complete.
Note
When setting the root user password, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 enables an option to lock the root user access to the system. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 also enables password-based SSH access to the root user.
After you complete the installation configuration, and resolve all warnings, click Begin Installation. Clicking Quit aborts the installation without applying any changes to the system.
When the installation finishes, click Reboot. Anaconda displays the Initial Setup screen when installing a graphical desktop. Accept the license information and optionally register the system with the subscription manager. You might skip system registration until later.
Troubleshoot the Installation
During a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 installation, Anaconda provides two virtual consoles. The first virtual console has five windows that the tmux software terminal multiplexer supplies. You can access that console by using Ctrl+Alt+F1. The second virtual console, which is displayed by default, shows the Anaconda graphical interface. You can access it by using Ctrl+Alt+F6.
The tmux terminal provides a shell prompt in the second window in the first virtual console. You can use the terminal to enter commands to inspect and troubleshoot the system while the installation continues. The other windows provide diagnostic messages, logs, and additional information.
The following table lists the keystroke combinations to access the virtual consoles and the tmux terminal windows. In the tmux terminal, the keyboard shortcuts are performed in two actions: press and release Ctrl+B, and then press the number key of the window to access. In the tmux terminal, you can also use Alt+Tab to rotate the current focus between the windows.
Note
For compatibility with earlier Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions, the virtual consoles from Ctrl+Alt+F2 through Ctrl+Alt+F5 also present root shells during installation.
