Install GNOME or KDE desktop environment from the CLI mode

Install GNOME or KDE desktop environment from the CLI mode

Yesterday I got a request from my user that they need graphical interface to be installed in the server as they require this for their project work. I knew that this is very simple to install using yum groupinstall but the problem I faced was terrific. As this was our internal server it was not connected the internet and it was a VM on VMware. Hence no physical optical drive was present. I am giving below the steps how I got that thing to work.

1. Mount the ISO image of CD/DVD to your system. If you have a physical system you can insert the CD/DVD and mount or else you have to virtually mount this.

   mount /dev/cdrom /mnt

2. Create one directory and put all the contents of the Server directory into it.

   mkdir /repository

   cp  -rvf  /mnt/Server/*  /repository/

3. Unmount the CD/DVD drive.        

   umount /mnt

   If you face any problem in unmounting you can use the command        

   umount   -l /mnt

4. Go inside the /repositories folder and install all the createrepo packages.

   rpm –ivh createrepo*

5. Now go inside the folder/etc/yum.repos.d/ and create a file called myrepo and put the following contents to the file

     [base]
          name=Red Hat Enterprise Linux $releasever - $basearch - Debug
          baseurl=file:///repository/
          enabled=1
          gpgcheck=0
   

6. Now Go inside /repository folder and check for a specific package yum-utils is present there or not.

         cd /repository
           ls –l| grep yum-utils

   This package is responsible for making group of packages.

7. If it is not there you have to download this, keep inside this folder (/repository) and install it. You can download it from http://rpm.pbone.net/ .This website has the option of advanced search where you can download packages specific to particular OS version.
8. Use createrepo command to create your repository

   createrepo   /repository/
   

9. Now after creation of repository and installation of the package yum-utils you can try the command
   

   yum grouplist

   The output will list you some groups like given below

    Loading "rhnplugin" plugin
    Loading "installonlyn" plugin
    Setting up Group Process
    Setting up repositories
    rhel-debuginfo            100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
    Installed Groups:
              MySQL Database
              Editors
              System Tools
              FTP Server
              Network Servers
              Printing Support
              Mail Server
              Server Configuration Tools
    Available Groups:
              Administration Tools
              GNOME Software Development
              X Software Development
              GNOME Desktop Environment
              Authoring and Publishing
              Games and Entertainment
              X Window System
              KDE Software Development
              KDE (K Desktop Environment)
              Sound and Video
              Graphical Internet
              Done

10. If you are not able to see output like given above then you need one xml file called comp.xml to create your own group.Below.If you don’t know how to create the xml file you can use the following link to create the comp.xml file.

http://cooker.wbitt.com/index.php/Example_comps.xml_file

11. After placing the comp.xml file inside /repository directories you have to recreate the repository.createrepo /repository
12. Now run the command yum grouplist and you will see the output as below

    yum grouplist

    Sample output:

     Setting up Group Process
     Setting up repositories
     rhel-debuginfo            100% |=========================| 1.1 kB    00:00
     Installed Groups:
              Printing Support
     Available Groups:
              GNOME Desktop Environment
              X Window System
              Graphical Internet
     Done
    

13. Now you can install the groups listed above. To install GNOME desktop Environment you can use the simple command

yum groupinstall "GNOME Desktop Environment"

Now you can use startx to see your graphical GNOME desktop screen.

Simillarly you can install KDE desktop environment.Just you need to change the xml file and give the command

yum groupinstall "KDE (K Desktop Environment)"