CentOS (RHEL) 4.4 FTP Install GUI Mode

How to install CentOS 4.4 (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) from an FTP server in GUI mode. This is knowledge which is needed for the RHCE Exam. The only prerequisite is that you have a server with and ftp server already running or the ability to install/start the/a ftp server.

1. If you are not currently running ftp on your server, you will need to setup the daemon. Here is the steps for a CentOS 4.4 server with no firewall configured and SELinux disabled:

   [root@localhost ~]# yum install vsftpd
    *** ouput removed as its of no interest ***
   [root@localhost ~]# chkconfig --level 35 vsftpd on
   [root@localhost ~]# /etc/init.d/vsftpd start
   Starting vsftpd for vsftpd:                                [  OK  ]

2. Create a directory on your ftp server in /var/ftp/pub (once again CentOS only). Mine is /var/ftp/pub/centos4.4.
   I will call this directory $CENTOS_FTP_ROOT.
   

   [root@localhost ~]# mkdir /var/ftp/pub/centos4.4
   [root@localhost ~]# cd /var/ftp/pub/centos4.4

3. Download the CentOS ISO files. You can download the DVD image or regular ISOs.
4. Extract all the ISOs or DVD into the $CENTOS_FTP_ROOT directory. You can do this by mounting the ISO directly and then copying the contents to $CENTOS_FTP_ROOT. This link is a good description on how to mount an iso.

   [root@localhost centos4.4]# pwd
   /var/ftp/pub/centos4.4
   [root@localhost centos4.4]# ls -al
   total 744
   drwxr-xr-x  8 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:32 .
   drwxr-xr-x  3 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:13 ..
   drwxr-xr-x  4 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:25 CentOS
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root   8859 Mar 18  2005 centosdocs-man.css
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root     78 Aug 23 15:29 .discinfo
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root  18009 Feb 28  2005 GPL
   drwxr-xr-x  2 root root  90112 Feb  5 22:25 headers
   drwxr-xr-x  3 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:25 images
   drwxr-xr-x  2 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:25 isolinux
   drwxr-xr-x  2 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:25 NOTES
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root   5781 Aug 23 14:37 RELEASE-NOTES-en
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root   7014 Aug 23 14:49 RELEASE-NOTES-en.html
   drwxr-xr-x  2 root root   4096 Feb  5 22:25 repodata
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root   1795 Feb 28  2005 RPM-GPG-KEY
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root   1795 Feb 28  2005 RPM-GPG-KEY-centos4
   -rw-r--r--  1 root root 569869 Aug 12 10:38 yumgroups.xml

5. Now that you have ftp server setup, test it:

   [root@localhost ~]# ftp localhost
   Connected to localhost.localdomain.
   220 (vsFTPd 2.0.1)
   530 Please login with USER and PASS.
   530 Please login with USER and PASS.
   KERBEROS_V4 rejected as an authentication type
   Name (localhost:root): anonymous
   331 Please specify the password.
   Password:
   230 Login successful.
   Remote system type is UNIX.
   Using binary mode to transfer files.
   ftp> cd /pub/centos4.4
   250 Directory successfully changed.
   ftp> dir
   227 Entering Passive Mode (127,0,0,1,172,204)
   150 Here comes the directory listing.
   drwxr-xr-x    4 0        0            4096 Feb 06 04:25 CentOS
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0           18009 Mar 01  2005 GPL
   drwxr-xr-x    2 0        0            4096 Feb 06 04:25 NOTES
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0            5781 Aug 23 19:37 RELEASE-NOTES-en
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0            7014 Aug 23 19:49 RELEASE-NOTES-en.html
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0            1795 Mar 01  2005 RPM-GPG-KEY
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0            1795 Mar 01  2005 RPM-GPG-KEY-centos4
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0            8859 Mar 18  2005 centosdocs-man.css
   drwxr-xr-x    2 0        0           90112 Feb 06 04:25 headers
   drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Feb 06 04:25 images
   drwxr-xr-x    2 0        0            4096 Feb 06 04:25 isolinux
   drwxr-xr-x    2 0        0            4096 Feb 06 04:25 repodata
   -rw-r--r--    1 0        0          569869 Aug 12 15:38 yumgroups.xml
   226 Directory send OK.
   ftp>

6. Create an CD from the boot.iso in $CENTOS_FTP_ROOT/images/. Or download it here
7. Boot the CD.
8. Press enter at the prompt:
9. Select your language:
10. Select your keyboard type:
11. Choose FTP as your install method:
12. Configure your network, I use DHCP:
13. Put in the ip address or hostname of your ftp server on which you created $CENTOS_FTP_ROOT.
    Then put the path on the webserver to $CENTOS_FTP_ROOT. Mine is /var/ftp/pub/centos4.4.
14. Press Next:
15. Select which type of system you would like to install:
16. I am selecting auto partition:
17. Press Next:
18. Press Next:
19. Press Next:
20. Configure the network as you wish. I set my hostname:
21. Enable a firewall and SELinux or not, I did:
22. Select your language:
23. Choose your timezone:
24. Set your root password:
25. Change the package configuration if you wish:
26. Press Next:
27. Screenshot of the install:
28. Screenshot of post install configuration:
29. Press Reboot:
30. Congratulations! Your OS has started: