How to Download and Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 for Free
Introduction
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is one of the most popular and widely used Linux distributions in the enterprise world. It offers a stable, secure, and high-performance platform for running various applications and workloads across hybrid cloud environments. It also provides a consistent user experience and a rich set of tools for managing and automating your IT infrastructure.
What is Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 is the latest major release of RHEL, which was launched in June 2014. It is based on the Linux kernel version 3.10 and supports several architectures, including x86_64, ARM64, IBM Power Systems, and IBM Z. It has a 10-year life cycle, followed by an extended life phase for additional support.
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Why choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7?
There are many reasons to choose RHEL 7 for your enterprise servers, such as:
It has built-in security features, such as SELinux, firewalld, and cryptographic policies, to help you protect your data and comply with regulations.
It has a flexible subscription model that allows you to use RHEL on any platform, whether it is bare metal, virtual machine, container, or cloud.
It has access to a large ecosystem of certified hardware, software, and cloud providers, as well as thousands of knowledge articles and technical support from Red Hat experts.
It has innovative features, such as Red Hat Software Collections, Red Hat Developer Toolset, and Red Hat Universal Base Image, to help you develop and deploy modern applications using the latest technologies.
It has a streamlined migration process that helps you upgrade from previous versions of RHEL or other Linux distributions with minimal downtime and risk.
Downloading Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Prerequisites
To download RHEL 7 ISO image file, you need to have:
A Red Hat subscription or a free evaluation subscription from the Software & Download Center at .
A computer with internet access and enough disk space to store the ISO image file (about 4 GB).
A DVD burner or a USB flash drive (at least 8 GB) to create the installation media.
Steps to download the ISO image file
Follow these steps to download RHEL 7 ISO image file from the Red Hat Customer Portal:
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Visit the Customer Portal at . If you are not logged in, click LOG IN on the right side of the page. Enter your account credentials when prompted.
Click DOWNLOADS at the top of the page.
Click Red Hat Enterprise Linux . Ensure that you select the appropriate Product Variant and Architecture for your installation target. By default, Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server and x86_64 are selected.
A list of available downloads is displayed; most notably, a minimal Boot ISO image and a full installation Binary DVD ISO image. Choose the image that best suits your needs. For this article, we will use the Binary DVD ISO image, which contains all the packages and software for a complete installation.
Click Download Now to start the download. You can also use a download manager or a command-line tool, such as wget or curl, to download the file. The file name is rhel-server-7.9-x86_64-dvd.iso.
Wait for the download to finish. You can verify the integrity of the downloaded file by comparing its checksum with the one provided on the download page.
Installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Choosing the installation media
Once you have downloaded the RHEL 7 ISO image file, you need to create a bootable installation media from it. You can use either a DVD or a USB flash drive for this purpose. The steps to create the installation media vary depending on your operating system and the tool you use. Here are some examples:
If you are using Windows, you can use a tool like Rufus or Etcher to write the ISO image file to a USB flash drive. Alternatively, you can use a tool like ImgBurn or CDBurnerXP to burn the ISO image file to a DVD.
If you are using Linux, you can use a command-line tool like dd or cp to write the ISO image file to a USB flash drive. Alternatively, you can use a graphical tool like Brasero or K3b to burn the ISO image file to a DVD.
If you are using macOS, you can use a command-line tool like dd or cp to write the ISO image file to a USB flash drive. Alternatively, you can use the built-in Disk Utility or a third-party tool like Burn to burn the ISO image file to a DVD.
Booting the installation program
After creating the installation media, you need to boot your computer from it. The steps to do this vary depending on your computer's BIOS or UEFI settings and the type of installation media you use. Here are some general steps:
Insert the installation media into your computer's DVD drive or USB port.
Restart your computer and press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS or UEFI menu. The key may vary depending on your computer's manufacturer and model, but it is usually one of the following: F2, F10, F12, Esc, or Del.
Navigate to the boot order or boot priority settings and select the installation media as the first boot option. Save and exit the BIOS or UEFI menu.
Your computer should now boot from the installation media and display the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 boot menu. You can choose from several options, such as Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9, Test this media & install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9, Troubleshooting, and Rescue a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system. For this article, we will choose Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9.
Configuring the installation options
The installation program will guide you through several steps to configure your RHEL 7 installation. You can customize various aspects of your system, such as language, keyboard layout, time zone, network settings, disk partitioning, software selection, security policy, and user accounts. Here are some of the most important steps:
Select your language and click Continue.
The Installation Summary screen will appear. Here you can review and modify various installation options by clicking on each item.
Click on Installation Destination to choose where to install RHEL 7. You can select one or more disks and configure how they will be partitioned. You can use automatic partitioning or manual partitioning. For this article, we will use automatic partitioning with LVM (Logical Volume Manager) and accept the default settings.
Click on Software Selection to choose what software packages and environments to install on your system. You can select from several predefined base environments, such as Minimal Install, Server with GUI, Workstation, or Custom Operating System. You can also select additional add-ons for each base environment, such as Development Tools, Web Server, or Security Tools. For this article, we will select Server with GUI as our base environment and Development Tools as our add-on.
Click on Security Policy to choose what security profile to apply to your system. You can select from several predefined profiles based on industry standards and best practices, such as PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), OSPP (U.S. Government Operating System Protection Profile), or Standard System Security Profile. You can also customize the security settings for each profile. For this article, we will select Standard System Security Profile and accept the default settings.
Click on User Creation to create a user account for your system. You can choose to make this user an administrator or a standard user. You can also set a password or use an SSH key for authentication. For this article, we will create a user named rheluser and make it an administrator with a password.
Review the other installation options and make any changes as needed. You can also click on Network & Host Name to configure your network settings and hostname. For this article, we will use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) for our network settings and rhel7 as our hostname.
When you are done with the installation options, click Begin Installation to start the installation process.
Starting the installation process
The installation program will copy the files and packages from the installation media to your system. This may take some time depending on your hardware and software configuration. You can monitor the progress of the installation on the screen.
While the installation is in progress, you can also set a password for the root user account. The root user is the superuser or administrator of your system, who has full access and control over everything. You should use a strong and secure password for the root user and keep it safe.
When the installation is complete, you will see a message that says Installation Complete. Click Reboot to restart your system and complete the installation.
Comparing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 with other Linux distributions
Features and benefits of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 has many features and benefits that make it a superior choice for enterprise servers, such as:
It has a modular design that allows you to customize your system with only the components you need, reducing complexity and resource consumption.
It has a unified management tool called Red Hat Satellite that allows you to manage your RHEL systems across physical, virtual, and cloud environments from a single console.
It has a comprehensive security solution called Red Hat Insights that provides proactive detection and remediation of security risks, performance issues, and configuration errors on your RHEL systems.
It has a powerful container platform called Red Hat OpenShift that allows you to build, deploy, and run containerized applications on your RHEL systems using Kubernetes and Docker.
It has a robust support system that includes 24/7 technical support, regular updates and patches, security advisories, bug fixes, and access to Red Hat Customer Portal, Red Hat Knowledgebase, and Red Hat Learning Subscription.
Differences and similarities with Ubuntu, SUSE, and Oracle Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 is not the only Linux distribution available for enterprise servers. There are other popular alternatives, such as Ubuntu Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Oracle Linux. Here are some of the main differences and similarities between them:
DistributionOriginPricingPackage ManagerDefault Desktop Environment
RHEL 7USASubscription-basedyum/dnfGNOME 3
Ubuntu ServerUK/South AfricaFree or paid supportapt/dpkgN/A (headless)
SLESGermanySubscription-basedzypper/rpmKDE Plasma/GNOME 3
Oracle LinuxUSAFree or paid supportyum/dnf/rpmKDE Plasma/GNOME 3
All of these distributions are based on the Linux kernel and share some common features, such as support for multiple architectures, compatibility with various hardware and software vendors, availability of cloud images and containers, and integration with various cloud platforms. However, they also have some unique features that distinguish them from each other, such as:
RHEL 7 uses systemd as its init system, which provides better control over system services and processes. It also uses firewalld as its firewall management tool, which simplifies firewall configuration and rules.
Ubuntu Server uses up start as its init system, which provides faster boot times and lower memory usage. It also uses ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) as its firewall management tool, which offers a simple and user-friendly interface.
SLES uses systemd as its init system, but also supports SysVinit for backward compatibility. It also uses SuSEfirewall2 as its firewall management tool, which is based on iptables and offers a graphical configuration tool.
Oracle Linux uses systemd as its init system, but also supports Upstart and SysVinit for backward compatibility. It also uses firewalld as its firewall management tool, but also supports iptables and ipchains for legacy systems.
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned how to download and install Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 for free. We have also compared RHEL 7 with other Linux distributions and highlighted some of its features and benefits. RHEL 7 is a powerful and reliable Linux distribution that can meet the needs of any enterprise server. If you are looking for a stable, secure, and high-performance platform for your applications and workloads, you should give RHEL 7 a try.
FAQs
Q: How can I update my RHEL 7 system?
A: You can use the yum or dnf command-line tools to update your RHEL 7 system. For example, to update all the packages on your system, you can run the following command:
yum update
You can also use the graphical Software Update tool to update your system from the GNOME desktop environment.
Q: How can I get support for my RHEL 7 system?
A: If you have a Red Hat subscription, you can get support for your RHEL 7 system from the Red Hat Customer Portal at . You can also access the Red Hat Knowledgebase, Red Hat Learning Subscription, and Red Hat Community for additional resources and help.
Q: How can I migrate from RHEL 6 to RHEL 7?
A: You can use the Preupgrade Assistant and Red Hat Upgrade Tool to migrate from RHEL 6 to RHEL 7. These tools will help you assess the readiness of your system, identify potential issues, and perform the upgrade process. You can find more information about these tools and the migration process at .
Q: How can I install additional software on my RHEL 7 system?
A: You can use the yum or dnf command-line tools to install additional software on your RHEL 7 system. For example, to install the Apache web server, you can run the following command:
yum install httpd
You can also use the graphical Software tool to install additional software from the GNOME desktop environment.
Q: How can I create and run containers on my RHEL 7 system?
A: You can use the podman command-line tool to create and run containers on your RHEL 7 system. Podman is a daemonless container engine that is compatible with Docker and Kubernetes. For example, to run a hello-world container, you can run the following command:
podman run hello-world
You can also use the graphical Cockpit tool to manage containers from a web browser. 44f88ac181
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