Installation of “CentOS 8.0″ with Screenshots

CentOS 8 has finally been released! The new version, which is a community version of RHEL 8, ships with new and exciting features that promise an enhanced user experience.

Read Also: How to Upgrade CentOS 7 to CentOS 8

Installing CentOS 8 is pretty much like installing the earlier versions of CentOS 7.x with only slight variations in the UI of the installer.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, perform a flight check and ensure you have the following:

  1. Download CentOS 8 DVD ISO Image.
  2. Create a bootable instance of CentOS 8 USB drive or DVD using Rufus tool.
  3. A system with a minimum of 8GB Hard disk space and 2 GB for optimal performance.
  4. A good internet connection.

Let’s dive in and see how to install CentOS 8.

Step 1: Insert the CentOS 8 Bootable Installation Media

1. With your PC turned on, plug in your bootable USB drive or insert the CentOS 8 DVD medium and reboot. Make sure to change the boot order in your BIOS settings in order to boot from your preferred boot medium.

The boot screen will be displayed as shown below. Select the first option ‘Install CentOS 8.0.1905’ and Hit ‘ENTER‘.

CentOS 8 Boot Menu
CentOS 8 Boot Menu

2. Boot messages will follow thereafter as shown.

Booting CentOS 8
Booting CentOS 8

Step 2: Select CentOs 8 Installation Language

3. On the ‘Welcome Screen’, choose your preferred installation language and click ‘Continue’.

Select CentOS 8 Installation Language
Select CentOS 8 Installation Language

Step 3: Installation Summary of CentOS 8

4. On the next screen, an installation summary will be displayed presenting all the options that need to be configured as shown. We will configure each of these options in turn.

CentOS 8 Installation Summary
CentOS 8 Installation Summary

Step 4: Configure Keyboard

5. Click on the keyboard option as shown to configure the keyboard.

Select Keyboard Option
Select Keyboard Option

6. By default, the keyboard layout is in English (US). At the right Text field, you can type a few words to verify that all is well, and you can type without any glitches with the current layout.

To add a new keyboard layout, click the [+] button at the bottom left of the screen. Next, click ‘Done’ to return to the main menu.

Add Keyboard Layout
Add Keyboard Layout

Step 5: Configure Language

7. Click on the ‘Language Support‘ option.

Select Language Option
Select Language Option

8. Select your preferred language and click ‘Done‘ on the top left corner of the window to go back to the main menu.

Configure Language Support
Configure Language Support

Step 6: Configure Time and Date

9. Next, click on the ‘Time and Date‘ option.

Select Time and Date
Select Time and Date

10. Click on the map as shown to configure the time and date settings based on your location on earth. Also, note the Region and City will automatically be set depending on where you click on the map.

Configure Timezone
Configure Timezone

Step 7: Configure Installation Source

11. Back to the main menu click on the ‘Installation Source’ option.

Select Installation Source
Select Installation Source

12. Here, you need not do much because the installation source points to the installation medium which is auto-detected. Click ‘Done’ to head back to the main menu.

Select Installation Media
Select Installation Media

Step 8: Software Selection

13. Next, click on ‘Software Selection’.

Choose Software Selection
Choose Software Selection

14. In the next Window, you will be presented with 6 options from which you can select your Base environment and a vast array of Software add-ons which are shipped with respective base environments.

In this guide, we have chosen to go with ‘Server with GUI’ base environment and chosen a few Add-Ons such as Windows File server, FTP server, Debugging tools and a Mail server.

When you are done with your selection, click on ‘Done’ to return to the main menu.

Select Server with GUI
Select Server with GUI

Step 9: Installation Destination

15. On the main menu, click on the next option which is ‘Installation Destination’.

Select Installation Destination
Select Installation Destination

16. In this section, you will determine where to install CentOS 8 and configure the mount points. By default, the installer auto-detects your hard drives and selects the automatic partitioning option. If you are satisfied with the automatic partitioning, click on ‘Done’ to automatically create the mount points.

Automatic Partitioning
Automatic Partitioning

17. If you want to manually configure your own partitions, click on the ‘Custom’ option as shown.

Select Manual Partitioning
Select Manual Partitioning

18. This takes you the ‘MANUAL PARTITIONING’ window. To make your life easy, click on the ‘Click here to create them automatically’ link.

Create Partitions Automatically
Create Partitions Automatically

19. The mount points will be intelligently created by the installer as shown.

Summary of Partitions
Summary of Partitions

satisfied with the results, click on ‘Done’.

20. A ‘summary of the changes’ will be displayed as shown below. If all seems good, click on ‘Accept Changes’. To cancel and go back, click on ‘Cancel & Return to Custom Partitioning’.

Summary of Partition Changes
Summary of Partition Changes

Step 10: KDUMP Selection

21. Next, click on ‘KDUMP‘ as shown.

Select Kdump
Select Kdump

22. Kdump is a utility that dumps system crash information for analysis in order to determine the cause of system failure. The default settings are good enough, so it is safe to simply click on the ‘Done’ button to return to the Home Menu.

Enable Kdump Settings
Enable Kdump Settings

Step 11: Set Network and Hostname

23. Back to the main menu, click on the ‘Network and Hostname’ settings option.

Select Network and Hostname
Select Network and Hostname

24. The NETWORK & HOSTNAME section displays the active network interfaces on your PC. In this case, the active interface is enp0s3.

If you are in a network running DHCP, flip on the switch at the far right for your network interface to automatically acquire an IP address.

Configure Network Interface
Configure Network Interface

25. If your network is not running a DHCP server, click on the ‘Configure’ button.

Configure Network Settings
Configure Network Settings

26. This shows you the section below. Click on IPv4 option and select Manual IP on the drop-down list. Next click on the ‘Add’ button and key in your preferred IP address, subnet mask, and Default gateway. Be sure to also provide the DNS server details. Finally, click on ‘Save’ to save the changes.

Set Static IP on CentOS 8
Set Static IP on CentOS 8

27. To set the hostname, head out to the bottom left corner and define your own hostname.

Set Hostname for CentOS 8
Set Hostname for CentOS 8

Step 12: Begin the CentOS 8 Installation

28. Having configured all the options, click on ‘Begin the installation’ to commence the installation process.

Begin CentOS 8 Installation
Begin CentOS 8 Installation

29. The next screen will prompt you to configure USER SETTINGS as shown.

Configure User Settings
Configure User Settings

Set Root User Password

30. Click on ‘Root Password’ to configure the root password. Remember to set a strong password and ensure the password strength check indicates ‘Strong’. Click on ‘Done’ to save the changes.

Set Root Password
Set Root Password

Create New User Account

31. Next, click on ‘User Creation’ to create a regular system user.

Select User Creation
Select User Creation

32. Provide your preferred name and, again, provide a strong password for the regular system user. Click ‘Done’ to save the regular user.

Create User Account
Create User Account

Step 13: CentOS 8 Installation Process

33. The installer will proceed to install the selected CentOS 8 packages, dependencies, and the grub bootloader. This process takes a while depending on your internet speed and it may be a good time to grab your cup of coffee or favorite snack 😊.

CentOS 8 Installation Progress
CentOS 8 Installation Progress

34. Finally, if all went well, you will get the notification below that the installation was successful. Click on the ‘Reboot’ button to restart and boot into your new system.

CentOS 8 Installation Complete
CentOS 8 Installation Complete

Step 14: Boot and Accept License Agreement

35. Upon rebooting, select the first option on the grub menu as shown.

CentOS 8 Boot Menu
CentOS 8 Boot Menu

36. You will be required to Accept the License information as shown.

Initial Setup License
Initial Setup License

37. Click on the ‘License Information’ option and check the ‘I Accept the license agreement’ checkbox.

Accept License Agreement
Accept License Agreement

38. Finally, click on ‘FINISH CONFIGURATION‘ to wind up the installation process and log in to your new CentOS 8 system.

Finish CentOS 8 Installation
Finish CentOS 8 Installation

39. Once logged in, follow the post installation step and on the final section click on Start using CentOS Linux option.

Start Using CentOS 8
Start Using CentOS 8

40. CentOS 8 comes with a beautiful new GNOME desktop as shown.

CentOS 8 Gnome Desktop
CentOS 8 Gnome Desktop

Congratulation! You have now successfully installed the last version of CentOS 8 on your bare new machine.

To further perform other system tasks, such as the update system, install other useful software needed to run the day to day tasks, read our Initial Server Setup with CentOS/RHEL 8.

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James Kiarie
This is James, a certified Linux administrator and a tech enthusiast who loves keeping in touch with emerging trends in the tech world. When I'm not running commands on the terminal, I'm taking listening to some cool music. taking a casual stroll or watching a nice movie.

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16 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Great step by step except THE INSTRUCTIONS DON’T SAY REMOVE THE USB BEFORE REBOOTING. That’s an important step. Omitting it reflects POORLY on the great work BECAUSE I am hesitant that OTHER IMPORTANT steps WERE OMITTED! Overall – OUTSTANDING work, just please pay attention to the details and please follow the steps BEFORE you publish it.

    Obviously, if you had, you would have realized the system will return to the initial installation routine if the USB isn’t removed. Granted – I knew what to do but I want to recommend the instructions to others who may NOT.

    Reply
    • Hey Charles, the grayed-out button implies that you have missed out in configuring one or settings from step 3 right through step 11. Ensure all the options are configured. For security policy, you can leave the default settings as they are and proceed with the installation.

      Reply
  2. You should include CIS recommended steps, like creating separate mount points for /home, /tmp, etc. It is much easier to do at set up then having to change after the server is created.

    Reply
  3. Hi Writer,

    Tecmint is one of the best online sources for the Linux tutorial. Every time I got good and perfect knowledge from you guys

    Thanks and keep it up!

    Reply
  4. Hi, I already used Rufus for format into bootable USB but unfortunately come out bugs ask me for debug, afterward I using DD command for the format, it shows me missing isolinux.bin.

    Reply
  5. How can I tell if Centos 8 will run on a given server?

    I want to buy a refurb but I am unsure if I will be able to run Centos 8?

    Reply
    • Hey Tim, CentOS 8 will run quite well on a system with 2GB RAM, 2 GHz or higher processor and 20 GB hard disk space. Does your refurb meet the requirements?

      Reply

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