A Step-by-Step Guide to Installing CentOS 8 on VirtualBox in Windows 10

Are you a new user of Linux? Are you looking to start using Linux? Are you want to switch from Windows to Linux?

It totally depends on you, what propose to attract you to have look at this post?

But I assured you, you will get all the information related CentOS including How to install CentOS 8 on VirtualBox and on Computer/Desktop. CentOS/RHEL 8 are similar operating system is working and configuring. RHEL 8 is the most used operating system worldwide in the form of Servers.

So I want to give a quick introduction to course contents.

Article Content:

What is CentOS 8?
New features in CentOS 8
Requirements to install CentOS 8
Download and Install VirtualBox
Download CentOS 8 ISO image
Create a Virtual Machine for CentOS 8
Install CentOS 8 on Virtualbox
Conclusion

What is CentOS 8?

Most of the organizations in the world are using RHEL 8 Operating System in the form of Servers. RHEL (Red Hat Linux Enterprises) is an rpm (Red Hat package management) OS while Ubuntu is a .deb package based operating system.

Ubuntu is free available to download and use. but RHEL is a commercial operating system.

If you are an expert in Linux and still want to learn how RHEL is working, then Ubuntu will not help you.

Similar RHEL, CentOS is an rpm-based operating system and available free of cost for students and another person who wants to explore RHEL.

So My dear friend installs CentOS and gives the feel of using RHEL 8 to yourself.

More Details about the CentOS Project:

After RHEL 8 release, the CentOS community has released its Linux distribution as CentOS 8.

CentOS – It is RHEL 8 like stable OS where sysadmin can install and configure the servers and applications.

New features in CentOS 8

DNF is the default package manager though yum can also be used.
Network configuration will be controlled by Network Manager (nmcli & nmtui) as network scripts are removed.

Podman utility to manage containers
Introduction of two new packages repositories: BaseOS and AppStream
Cockpit available as default server management tool
Wayland is the default display server
Iptables are replaced by nftables
Linux Kernel 4.18
PHP 7.2, Python 3.6, Ansible 2.8, VIM 8.0 and Squid 4

Requirements to install CentOS 8

Before starting the installation of CentOS 8, You must know about the minimum system requirements.

If your system is not able to full fill minimum requirements then you will not get better performance.

So minimum system requirements for CentOS 8 as below:

2 GB RAM
2 GHz or Higher Processor
20 GB Hard Disk
64-bit x86 System

Today, I am going to share how to install CentOS 8 in VirtualBox. So your minimum requirement for this task is the following:

Installed Virtualbox
Downloaded CentOS 8 ISO image

Download and Install VirtualBox

You can skip on the next step if you have already installed Virtualbox on your windows/Linux/Mac system.

Otherwise, go on the given link and download a virtual box on your system similar to other Softwares.

Download Virtualbox

If you are using windows 10 then you can read another article “Install Virtualbox on windows 10 step by step guide for beginners

Download CentOS 8 ISO image

Without CentOS ISO image, you can’t install CentOS on Virtualbox as well as on your other systems.

Don’t waste time and start downloading ISO image on the given link.

You can use torrent as well to download it.

CentOS 8 ISO image size is approximately 7.00 GB so use wifi at the time of download it.

Also, keep in mind about data usages before download it.

https://www.centos.org/download/

Create a Virtual Machine for CentOS 8

Installing on a real system is quite easy, boot system with bootable DVD/Pendrive and follow the steps.

But you can’t install CentOS 8 on Virtualbox without creating a virtual machine.

Virtual machine work like a real machine. it exists every important part of the computer, for example, RAM, Hard disk, LAN card, DVD, etc.

But all these parts are virtual but work like the real system. Follow the given steps the create a virtual machine.

STEP 1: Open the Virtualbox: you have installed Virtualbox for sometime before. so run it.

STEP 2: Click on the new icon on the top right sidebar.

STEP 3: Fill the Required options. Like Virtual machine Name, Type and Version. Then click on the “Next” button to forward the process.

You can see in the following image.

SETP 4: Once you will click on the “Next” button you will proceed new window for assigning RAM size.

I have told you already that You must have a minimum of 2 GB ram to run CentOS properly with GUI mode.

So assign 2 GB/2048 MB size and click on Next button

SETP 5: Next step to create Hard Disk, So select option “Create a virtual hard disk now” and click on the “Create” button.

SETP 6: Dynamically allocated is a good option for the new user as well as for your system and internal memory.

Select the radio button “Dynamically allocated” and click on the “Next” button.

SETP 7: Select the Hard disk file type as VDI (Virtual Disk Image) and click on the “Next” button.

Selection of another type of means, you want to use this disk with another Virtualization Softwares. Ex- VMWare.

STEP 8: Give the hard disk size minimum of 20 GB, but I assigned here 32 GB. It is enough to install some other servers in the future.

Assign the size and click on the “Create” button.

After completing these step you have created virtual machine for CentOS 8 successfully now you can install CentOs on Virtualbox easily.

Let’s follow the upcoming steps.

Getting started to install CentOS 8 on Virtualbox.

congratulations! you have created a Virtual machine successfully. You need a very basic change before go to install centos.

Once a virtual machine will be created you will see a virtual machine inside the left sidebar VM Virtualbox manager.

Select it and click on the Start icon at the top of the right side-bar.

Seel the image below:

This machine is booting first and it doesn’t have any bootable media attached. It will show the following window. (Described in image)

Click on the “Folder” icon to select bootable media. I mean “you can select bootable ISO image of CentOS 8”

So don’t be late and click on this icon.

Browse the CentOS SIO image, you have downloaded some time before. And then click on “Open” button to attach this ISO image at virtual DVD player.

Now to go to start the installation of CentOs just click on the “Start” button for moving one step forward on how to install CentOS 8 on Virtualbox.

Install CentOS 8 on Virtualbox

Now you are on the final stage to install CentOs 8 on VirtualBox. Dear friend here is no different to install on a virtual machine or on a real machine.

Boot machine with CentOs 8 bootable media like DVD/Pendrive. If you are using a virtual machine then no worry.

Select “Install CentOs Linux 8” by pressing and down arrow on the keyboard.

Hit enter to move on the Next step.

STEP 2: Select language what would you like to use during the installation process?

Then click on the “Next” button to forward next step

STEP 3: This is the installations summary windows you will see three major sections Localization, Software, and System.

In the Localization section, you have chosen Language and Keyboard.

If you want to change the keyboard layout then click on the keyboard option, and select using the keyboard layout.

Similarly, you can change the language as well.

I want to change Time & Date, So I clicked on Time & Date, which take me on the next step

STEP 4: Select your country from the map, then click on the “Done” button. You will reach the previous window.

STEP 5: In the software section, You can see the installation source is local media, yes I am going to install CentOS from the local DVD so it’s ok.

In the next option Software selection, I am going to install OS with GUI. So there is no need to change it.

Let’s click on the Installation destination from the “SYSTEM” section.

STEP 6: This tutorial is for beginners, so select the “Automatic” radio button under the “Storage Configuration” option.

Then click on the “Done” button. You will reach on the previous window.

STEP 7: Now everything seems good, Click on the “Begin Installation” for further process.

STEP 8: Next windows will appear on the screen, It is all about user settings or User Configuration.

You can see two options for changing settings. One is a Root password and another is User creation.

Both options are important and must be completed.

Complete the options by clicking on one by one option. First, click on the “Root Password” for creating a new password for the root user (Superuser).

STEP 9: I suggest you set a strong password. When you set the password you can see its strongness.

Once you set the password click on the “Done” button to move to the previous screen.

Now again Click on the “User Creation” button

STEP 10: Fill the user information including Full name, User Name, and Password.

Then click on the “Done” button.

STEP 11: Wait for some movements, After some CentOs Linux will be installed successfully and ready to use.

Click on the “Reboot” button to reboot the system.

Boot CentOS and Accept License

Once you have installed CentOS, Start your virtual machine / Real machine then the grub menu will appear on the first boot. See in the image below.

Select the first option by pressing up and down keyboard arrow and hit enter to boot the system.

When you reach the next window, it will surprise you. Because it is not a desktop. It is an initial setup page. Where you must accept the License agreement.

Carry on this process click on “License information” option as you can see in the image below:

Check the “I agree the license agreement” and click on the “Done” button.

Everything has been done properly, and you are on the login screen now. You will see the user name, created at the time of installation.

I hope you didn’t forget it. Click on username and enter the password then click on “Sign in” button.

Basic Configuration of CentOS 8

You login on the system first time, you will not able to see the desktop, because you need some basic configurations.

These basic configurations are below:

Configuration 1: Its time to configure CentOs 8 for using it. So select preferred language for using the system, click on the “Next” button to process next.

Configuration 1: Select your keyboard layout or an input method. I am using the English (US) keyboard. I selected it and clicked on “Next” button.