CentOS 8 install gui on minimal
Table of Contents
Start Gnome desktop from the command line
Being new in the field of web hosting and server setup is when a lot of easy things seem complex because you are doing them for the first time. Things get even more difficult when you are not dealing with the graphical user interface and using the command-line interface.
So, if you are looking for the CentOS 8 install GUI process here, we will discuss everything ranging from the requirements to finishing the CentOS GUI process.
Software requirements for CentOS 8 install GUI process
CentOS 8 is an open-source operating system that is currently used by many web and vps hosting environments to deploy several types of web servers and databases. So, if you are getting in the field where CentOS 8 is required, it will be amazing to learn installing GUI with the Cantos 8 method as the process gets very easy with the graphical user interface.
First of all, it is very important to know the software requirements. The following are the minimum software requirement provided by CentOS 8:
- Minimum of 2 GB of ram
- A processor of 2 GHz or higher
- 64-bit x86 system for installing CentOS 8
- 20 GB Hard Disk
If you have a system that fulfills all of these requirements of CentOS 8 software, then you can proceed with the step-by-step guide for the CentOS 8 install GUI process.
Step-by-Step guide for CentOS GUI process
Installing a GUI on a CLI-based system may look complex, but things get very easy once you divide the process into steps. So, here we have divided things into simple steps with separate commands for each step so that you can easily get the installation process done. So, here are the steps that you need to follow
1. Refreshing the packages
When you install GUI on RHEL 8, you need to first start with refreshing the packages. It is nothing more than running the system update command. What doing this step will do is that it will ensure that all the packages available on your system or the server are latest and up to date so you can run any of these commands:
- dnf update
- yum update
When you run these commands when you install GUI on RHEL 8, your first step of the process will be done.
2. Listing the CentOS 8 desktop environments and groups that are available
The next step of the process is the one that is not that important for the installation process. Still, it is good to do so as it will provide you with complete information about the environmental groups available. Here is the command that you need to run to for continuing with CentOS 8 install with GUI process
dnf group list
When it comes to the system you are going for the CentOS 8 install with GUI process, there will be many CentOS 8 desktop environments and groups available like server, workstation. Moreover, many other groups and running the command above will show all of those environmental groups.
3. Gnome desktop environment installation
Now things will be starting to download and install as soon as you start with this step. When you are going to install Gnome on Redhat 8 with GUI, you will need to run the following command:
dnf groupinstall “Server with GUI.”
Running this command will start a download of packages that will be about 1 GB in size. These are the packages that you are going to install in the process. Along with the download, you need to run the following command for workstation deployment:
dnf group install “Workstation.”
Running this command will start the download of packages of 1.1 Gb in size. The workstation install Gnome on Redhat 8 package will be slightly different in size as it is more user-centric.
4. Setting the system to Graphical mode.
As you start this step, all of the complex and different things have ended, and you only need to go with the easiest. All you need to do is to wait for the installation process to complete. Here you need to run the following command:
systemctl set-default graphical
The Linux system or will be set to boot in the graphical mode on default on running this command.
5. Rebooting the system to access GUI
Once you are done with the previous step, you need to reboot the system. The following is the command that you need to run:
reboot
once the system starts, you will need to log in with your previous credentials and enter the following command:
startx
Doing so will help the system recognize the packages that you have just installed, and it will also set the system to boot in graphical mode by default.
6. Logging in the system with the previously set username and password
After you are done with the above 5 steps, you will see the Gnome screen on CentOS. Here you only need to provide your previous username and password on the lock screen. You will also need to complete the initial operating system setup that includes simple things like language setup, data, time, and more.
By completing all of these steps, you have the GUI desktop environment on your CLI-based Linux system or linux virtual servers. Things will now be very easy and quick.
Conclusion
Getting Graphical User Interface for something that usually runs on Command Line Interface is a huge improvement, and things get very simple as soon as you get the change. Here we were elaborating on the steps for getting GUI installed and everything you needed to know in this regard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it necessary to download the packages for the Workstation and Server with GUI?
Yes, if you want to get GUI, you need to download these packages as these do not come by default.
How long will this process take from start to finish?
The time to finish the process depends on the speed of your hardware and internet connection. Apart from the booting and downloading time, running the commands is a matter of a few minutes only.
