Felitaur Enterprises Linux System Administration | Felitaur Enterprises Homepage
Instructions for Installing CentOS 5 using vmware and a USB drive (8-10Gb or larger)
Download free VMware player
  1. First make sure your USB HD is showing up under "My Computer", and if not, you may have to initialize/partition/format it.
  2. Download and unzip the Newer RHEL 5 VMware empty image or if needed the old redhat 5 VMware empty image to your US HD
  3. Put your DVD into drive.
  4. Start the vmware player
  5. click "open" and guide it to the .vmx file on your USB HD (probably e:)
  6. You will probably have to click "Take ownership"
  7. Click "OK" when it tells you about adding your USB HD
  8. A screen of colored text shows up, and at the bottom of the screen it says "boot:" just hit [enter]
    (NOTE: You have to click inside the VMware window and then hit enter)
  9. Test CD Install Media (Skip this)
  10. Welcome to CentOS
    Just click on [next]
  11. Language selection
    Just click on [next]
  12. Keyboard Selection
    Just click on [next]
  13. Install Centos
    [next]
  14. Just initialize when it says "/dev/sda is uninitialized"
  15. Partitioning (CLICK the "Review and Modify Partition Layout" Button) [next]
  16. Agree to wiping out everything on /dev/sda
  17. You Enter "DISK DRUID" , note with VMware, it's harder to hose the windows system, thankfully
  18. Click New in Disk Druid
    1. Make sure ONLY sda is checked under "Allowable Drives"
    2. set Mount point to "/home" (there is a pull down menu to use)
    3. Filesystem Type: Leave at "ext3"
    4. Size (MB) 300-500Mb (minimum, can give it more if you want)
    5. Leave at "Fixed Size"
    6. Hit ok.
  19. Click New in Disk Druid again
    1. Make sure only sda is checked under "Allowable Drives"
    2. Leave the mount point blank
    3. Filesystem type: Change to SWAP
    4. Size (MB) 300Mb
    5. Leave at "fixed size"
    6. Hit OK.
  20. Click New in Disk Druid for the third time
    1. Make sure only sda is checked under "Allowable Drives"
    2. Set the mount point to /
    3. Leave size blank
    4. Click "Fill all remaining space" (worded differently, but you get the idea)
    5. Hit OK.
  21. If all is well, click [next]
    1. The Grub Boot loader will be installed [next]
  22. Network Configuration
    Just click [next]
  23. Time Zone Selection
    1. Scroll down to "America/Phoenix"
    2. click [next]
  24. Set Root Password
    1. Set up a root password (make sure you remember this!)
    2. Type the same password in "confirm"
    3. Note: There is no option to create a general user, so when we boot up that will be the first thing we do.
Default Installation of CentOS

  1. DO NOT UNCHECK ANYTHING unless I tell you to!

  2. Add Desktop KDE, Server, click Customize Now [next]
  3. NOTE: There are three things to consider:
    The Category you are presently altering in the LEFT window
    The Package Group you are altering in the RIGHT window
    and the "Optional Packages Button
    So pay attention.
  4. Desktop Environments (check the following boxes)
  5. Applications (check the following boxes)
  6. Development (check the following boxes)
  7. Servers
  8. Unresolved Dependencies- IF this shows, Just click [next]
  9. About to Install
    Just Click [Next] and lean back and relax, expect about 25 minutes
  10. When done with the install
  11. Remove the Install DVD
  12. Click "Reboot"
  13. Hit (enter) when the "boot:" prompt shows
  14. Cross your fingers ;)
  15. It will now boot up into a configuration screen
  16. Fire up Firefox by clicking on the tiny globe with a mouse (next to the word "Actions" in the upper left of the screen)

Shutting Down for the Day

  1. Once you have set the runlevel to "3" and you have rebooted, you will do the following each day:
  2. Click "Actions" in the upper left corner of the screen
  3. Click on "logout" and say "Yes"
  4. After Xwindows shuts down, type su [enter] at the prompt, and your root password
  5. At the prompt type "/sbin/shutdown -h now"
  6. Then shut down VMware (sometimes takes a minute)
  7. Left Click on the USB icon and click "stop usb device"
  8. Remove your Drive from the USB
Felitaur Enterprises Linux System Administration | Felitaur Enterprises Homepage