1. Installing Oracle Linux
  2. Installing Oracle Linux Manually

3 Installing Oracle Linux Manually

Installation begins when you boot the system from the installation media. The installation menu displays 3 options:

  • Install Oracle Linux
  • Test the media and then install Oracle Linux (default)
  • Troubleshooting

Two modes are available to manually install Oracle Linux:

  • Graphics mode where a graphical user interface guides you through the installation process. Selecting either the first or the second option in the menu starts the installation in graphic mode by default.
  • Text mode which has limited options for installing the operating system.

    To use this mode, you must first configure the boot process further by following these steps:

    1. From the boot menu, press Tab to access the boot line options.

    2. At the end of this line, add inst.text.

    3. Continue booting.

      At the end of the boot process, the text-based installation menu is displayed.

Installing in Graphics Mode

The graphics mode consists of installation directives in a series of graphical screens where you click representative icons and buttons to set the directives.

Welcome Screen

The Welcome Screen is the first screen to appear after the system completes the boot process.

Figure 3-1 Welcome Screen


The partial image shows the Welcome Screen with options for languages and locales. The left pane lists languages while the right pane lists locales. At the bottom of the left pane is a language search box.

On this screen, select the preferred language to be used during the installation process. You can further select a specific locale, if any, for your selected language. Then click Continue to proceed.

Installation Summary

The Installation Summary screen appears after you have selected the installation language. It functions as the home or main screen.

Figure 3-2 Installation Summary


The image shows the Installation Summary screen and available options. The options are arranged as a menu and are represented by icons with text descriptions. The menu is divided into three columns with headings: Localization on the left column, with options for Keyboard, Language Support, and Date & Time; Software in the center column, with options for Installation Source and Software Selection; and System on the right column, with options for Installation Destination, Kdump, Network & Hostname, and Security Policy.

The screen provides four categories of options: Localization, Software, System, and User Settings. Clicking an option under any of these categories opens additional screens to configure the selected option.

These options have default values. If you consider the values sufficient, you can skip opening those options' screens. However, as a minimum, you must visit the options flagged with a warning icon.

After defining directives in a specific screen, click Done to return to the Installation Summary screen. Then you can configure other options. As you visit each configuration screen, pay attention to any warning messages that are displayed at the bottom of the screen.

You can change the installation configuration options as much as you like. The installation does not begin until you click Begin Installation at the bottom of the screen. In turn, the Begin Installation button remains disabled until all the configuration warning flags have been cleared.

Note:

At the top right of the screen is the Keyboard switch. This switch appears in all of the option screens to enable you to change to a different available keyboard layout at any time during configuration. See Keyboard Layout for more details about keyboard layouts.

Localization Options

Under Localization, you configure the keyboard layouts, languages that would be supported, and the date, time, and time zone of the system. After configuring any of these options, click Done to return to the Installation Summary screen.

Keyboard Layout

Figure 3-3 Keyboard Layout


The partial image shows the options on the Keyboard Layout screen. The left pane is an area that contains the default keyboard layout, English (US). Control buttons at the bottom of the pane enable you to add and remove keyboard layouts as well as rearrange their order on the list. To the right of the pane is a text box for testing the keyboard layouts. Below this text box is an Options button for configuring layout switching.

On the left pane, you can add other keyboard layouts to the preselected default layout. Additionally, you can revise the order of the listed layouts. The layout at the top of the list becomes the default layout.

Language Support

Configuring language support consists of specifying additional locales of the selected language that you want the system to support. This option is similar to the configuration of the keyboard layout at the beginning of the installation.

Figure 3-4 Language Support


The partial image shows the available options on the Language Support screen, which contains a list of available languages on the left; and on the right, a list of the locales for the language currently selected.

From the list of languages on the left pane, select additional languages for the system. Then, on the right pane, select from the available locales for that language.

Date and Time

The Date & Time screen enables you to set the following options:

  • Time zone for your system
  • Actual time and the format for displaying time
  • Current date

Figure 3-5 Date & Time


The image shows the Date & Time screen, which at the top contains two drop-down lists for selecting a region and city, an On/Off switch for enabling NTP, and a Settings button. Below these items is a world map divided by time zone. Below the map are time and date editors for setting time and selecting time display format as well as setting the date.

To select the system's time zone, click an area on the map that approximates the site that you want the system to be located. Alternatively, you can select from the Region and City drop down lists to specify that location.

To specify time, time format, and date, click the appropriate buttons at the bottom of the screen.

To enable NTP, toggle the Network Time switch at the upper right corner of the screen to ON. Click Settings to display a dialog box, where you can configure the NTP servers that the system would use. As an alternative, you can skip configuring NTP until later by using the Chrony suite. See Oracle Linux 9: Setting Up Networking. See also Configure Chrony on Oracle Linux.

Software Options

Software screens enable you to specify the installation source and the profile to be installed. After configuring any of these options, click Done to return to the Installation Summary screen.

Figure 3-6 Installation Source

The Installation Source window identifies the source image that you use to install Oracle Linux.

If you use the full ISO image as the source, the install program detects that image. By default, the Auto-detected installation media button is selected and Appstream is listed as an additional installation repository, as shown in the following figure:


The image shows the Installation Source screen, which contains two options for selecting the installation source: Auto detected Installation Media and On the Network. Beside the auto detected installation media option is a Verify button. The On the Network option includes a drop-down list of network protocols, a text box to specify network location, and a drop-down list of URL types. Below the URL type drop-down list is a text box for additional repositories. The text box automatically lists available repositories but can also include other repositories you might want to add through buttons for adding, removing, and reloading repositories. These buttons are at the bottom of the text box. To the right of the text box are fields for name, location, proxy details, and user data. These fields provide information about a selected repository in the text box. This specific image applies to a case where the full ISO image is the installation source.

The configuration in the image is sufficient to proceed with the installation.

To install additional packages from other sources, use the Additional repositories box to add those sources, and then provide the necessary information about those sources in the text fields next to the box.

If you use the boot ISO image as the source, the install program detects that image and selects the On the network button as the installation mode. Further, Closest mirror is selected as the repository source, as shown in the following figure:


The image shows the Installation Source screen, which contains two options for selecting the installation source. Auto detected Installation Media and On the Network. Beside the auto detected installation media option is a Verify button. The On the Network option includes a drop-down list of network protocols, a text box to specify network location, and a drop-down list of URL types. Below the URL type drop-down list is a text box for additional repositories. The text box automatically lists available repositories but can also include other repositories you might want to add through buttons for adding, removing, and reloading repositories. These buttons are at the bottom of the text box. To the right of the text box are fields for name, location, proxy details, and user data. These fields provide information about a selected repository in the text box. This specific image applies to a case where a boot ISO image is the installation source.

The configuration in the image is sufficient to proceed with the installation. Optionally, you can specify a local mirror as a repository source, in which case you would need to provide the mirror's path.

In a boot installation, the installer automatically uses the required repositories from the indicated source to install the OS. However, these repositories are not listed in the window.

To install additional packages from other sources, use the Additional repositories box to add those sources, and then provide the necessary information about those sources in the text fields next to the box.

Figure 3-7 Software Selection

Software selection refers to the profile or base environment to be used during the installation.


The image partially shows the options on the Software Selection screen. A pane on the left side contains a list of base environments, while a pane on the right side contains a list of add-ons for the selected base environment. Each base environment has a corresponding radio button, while each add-on has its own check box.

Each profile represents a set of functionalities and the required packages and software to fulfill those functionalities. By default, the Server with GUI profile is used. Choose the profile or base environment that best fits the purpose of the system on which you are installing Oracle Linux. From the upper-right pane, you can add profiles to the base profile you selected on the left pane.

System Options

The set of options under System enables you to specify where the operation system is installed, configure Kdump, the network, and the security profile. After configuring any of these options, click Done to return to the Installation Summary screen.

Figure 3-8 Installation Destination


The image partially shows the options on the Installation Destination screen to specify where Oracle Linux will be installed. The top portion lists local hard disks as a first option. A second option are specialized and network disks. For the second option, an Add a disk button is provided for adding these storage devices. The lower portion of the screen lists options for customizing disk configurations, freeing up disk space, and using data encryption.

Even if you accept the default settings, you must still open the Installation Destination screen to clear the option's warning icon. Other disk configurations for the installation can be completed in this screen, such as enabling disk encryption, configuring storage, creating partitions, adding disks, and so on.

Figure 3-9 Kdump


The image shows the options on the Kdump screen. At the top is a check box that you can select to enable Kdump, followed by options to configure the amount of memory to reserve for Kdump.

In the event of a system crash, Kdump captures information that assists in determining the cause. By default, Kdump is enabled and the amount of memory reserved for Kdump is calculated automatically. Select the Manual option if you want to set the amount of reserved memory yourself.

Figure 3-10 Network & Host Name


The image shows the options on the Network & Host Name screen. The left pane contains a list of network devices, with options for adding and removing devices, and a field to provide the host name. The right side of the screen shows the current configuration for the selected network devices, along with a toggle switch for enabling and disabling the device. Located on the lower right side of the screen is a Configure button.

Beginning with Oracle Linux 9, network connections are automatically enabled. By default, network configuration uses DHCP for IPv4 addresses. IPv6 addresses are configured automatically. The default settings are generally sufficient for the system to provide basic network functionality. However, you can customize the network configuration, for example, by providing a custom host name, including a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). You can further opt to use static addresses instead of using DHCP, configure proxy settings, network bonds, and so on. To do these advanced types of configuration, click Configure and go through additional configuration screens.

Figure 3-11 Security Policy


An image of the Security Policy screen, which lists the pre-defined security policies, or profiles, that are available, as well as the various settings and options that you can configure in this screen.

Because security policy is not required on all systems, use the Security Policy screen only if you need to enforce a specific security policy as defined by your organization or by government regulations.

Available policies are listed in the profile window. These security policies follow the recommendations and guidelines that are defined by the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) standard. Select the security profile you want to enforce and ensure that the Apply security policy is switched to On.

If you prefer not apply any security policy, toggle the switch to Off.

For more information on SCAP policies and profiles, see Oracle Linux 9: Using OpenSCAP for Security Compliance.

User Settings

The User Settings section has the following options, with each option having its own configuration window.

  • Root Password

    In the Root Password window, aside from creating the root password, you also have the following additional options:

    • Lock or unlock the root account. By default, the root account is locked as a security feature implementation.
    • Allow root SSH login with password.

    Keeping the root account locked is good security practice.

    After creating the password and completing the optional settings as desired, click Done.

    Note:

    The locked setting of the root account might affect automated installations by using kickstart. To enable SSH root login in the kickstart's configuration file, see Postinstallation Options.

  • User Creation

    This option enables you to configure a user's credentials to enable access to the system. You can optionally configure the user to have administrative privileges.

    • Create a user with the required information.
    • Optionally, grant the user administrator privileges.

      The privileges enable the user to issue administrator commands by using sudo.

    • To set additional user configurations, such as the user's home directory, click Advanced.

    After completing root and user configuration, click Done to return to the Installation Summary screen.

Completing the Installation

From the Installation Summary screen, click Begin Installation. This button becomes available only when warning flags on option icons have been cleared.

The installation takes a while. After it finishes, reboot the system as prompted. Then log in to the system by using the credentials you previously set in User Settings.

For additional configurations you can set on the system, see Postinstallation Configuration.

Installing in Text Mode

The Oracle Linux installation program can also run in text mode. Text mode is used automatically under certain circumstances, for example, if the system has insufficient memory or the video card is not supported. You can manually switch to the text mode by specifying inst.text as a boot option on the boot command line or by adding that option in a kickstart file.

Figure 3-12 Text-Based Installation Menu


The image shows the Installation menu for a text-based installation.

The numbered options on the menu are the equivalent of the screen options in graphic based installations. Each option is preceded by a flag surrounded by brackets:

  • [ ] - Option is not configured.

  • [x] - Option is configured with the default setting.

    The setting is displayed between parentheses under the option.

  • [!] - Option is configured but needs examination in case you want to specify your own setting.

To configure an option, type the option's number. The screen displays numbered values that are available for that option. Choose the value by typing the value's number. Then type c to continue. Continuing either returns you to the main menu screen, or displays additional related but non-obligatory options for you to configure. Type c also to skip screens.

After configuring all the necessary menu options, type b to begin installing. At the end of the installation, the system reboots.

Note:

Not all configuration options in graphical installations might be available in text-based installations.

Follow all the remaining prompts. At the end of the process, log in to the system and review the license agreement at /usr/share/oraclelinux-release/EULA.

For additional configurations you can set on the system, see Postinstallation Configuration.

Postinstallation Configuration

Configuring Login

If you selected System with GUI as the OS profile to install and configured root passwords without creating users, then at the initial login as root, you are prompted to create an initial user. Setting up the first user can be completed in two ways:

  • Create a regular user account, which is the default user setup screen. Enter the required user information as prompted, then click Next to complete the process.
  • Create a domain account. For this option, click Enterprise Login on the default screen. A new window opens that prompts for the domain credentials. Use this option if your environment is configured with Active Directory or Identity Management domains for storing all user information. In this manner, the user can use domain credentials to log in to the system's GNOME desktop.

Registering the System

After you install Oracle Linux on a system, you have the option to register the system with the Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN), provided that you have an account. Registering enables the system to obtain additional packages, updates, and fixes. To register the system, choose one of the following methods:

  • Visit https://linux.oracle.com. To obtain Oracle Linux updates from ULN, you must have an Oracle Linux support subscription.
  • Use the uln_register shell command, which opens an interactive process.
  • Use the Oracle Linux GNOME desktop menu. From the menu, select Activities and then search for ULN Registration. Click the ULN Registration shortcut icon to start the graphical registration wizard.

For more information about installing packages and managing software on your system, see Oracle Linux: Managing Software on Oracle Linux.

If you have an Oracle Linux Premier Support account, you can opt to use Ksplice, which enables you to keep your systems secure and highly available by automatically updating them with the latest kernel security errata and other critical updates. For more information, see Oracle Linux: Ksplice User's Guide.

Next Steps

After a basic Oracle Linux installation, you might want to further configure the system for optimization and customization purposes, such as setting system date and time, scheduling tasks, obtaining updates, and so on. For reference, go to the Oracle Linux tutorial page at https://docs.oracle.com/en/operating-systems/oracle-linux/8/tutorials.html which lists tutorials for different administrative tasks. Tutorials are available for tasks that you run at the command line or through the Cockpit web console.

For additional and more detailed information about different features of Oracle Linux, go to the Oracle Linux library at General Oracle Linux documentation.