Introduction

Welcome to the Ultimate Oracle Linux Installation Guide! Whether youre a fresh-faced Linux newbie or a battle-hardened sysadmin, this tutorial will walk you through every twist and turn of installing Oracle Linux. We promise to keep things serious, detailed, and—just for good measure—sprinkle in a dash of humor. Ready? Let’s rock that penguin!

Why Oracle Linux?

• Enterprise-grade stability: Built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux sources, refined by Oracle.
• Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK): Optimized for performance and scalability.
• Free to download: No hidden fees (only your soul is safe).
• Oracle ecosystem: Smooth integration with Oracle Database, Oracle Cloud, and more.

Prerequisites

Hardware Requirements

Software Tools

1. Access to Oracle Linux ISO (download here).
2. USB creation tool (Etcher, Rufus, dd).
3. Reliable Internet connection (for updates and packages).

Step 1: Download the Oracle Linux ISO

Head over to the

Oracle Linux download page
. Choose between:

• Oracle Linux x86_64 (ISO) – Standard installation.
• Oracle Linux ISO with UEK – Prebundled with Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel.
• Oracle Linux ARM – For ARM-based servers and SBCs.

Click “Download” and wait. Grab a coffee, or three—size is usually 3–4 GB.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB

Use your USB imaging tool of choice. Example with dd on Linux:

sudo dd if=OracleLinux.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress  sync
  

Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device. On Windows, Rufus and Etcher are lifesavers.

Step 3: Boot Start Installation

1. Insert USB, power on machine, press BIOS key (F2, F12, DEL…).
2. Select USB as boot device.
3. At the GRUB menu, choose “Install Oracle Linux”.

You’ll be greeted by a colorful installer (Anaconda). Take it all in.

Step 4: Configure Localization

• Language: Choose your preferred tongue (English by default).
• Keyboard Layout: QWERTY, AZERTY, Dvorak… your choice.
• Time Date: Set your timezone and NTP servers (pool.ntp.org recommended).

Step 5: Installation Destination Partitioning

Pick the disk. For simplicity, let the installer auto-partition or create custom layouts.

Recommended Partition Scheme

Step 6: Network Hostname

Enable network interface, configure DHCP or static IP, and set a hostname:

Hostname: oracle-linux-server.example.com
  

Step 7: Security Policies SELinux

• Enable SELinux in Enforcing mode for maximum security.
• Choose a firewall zone (public, work, custom).

Step 8: Software Selection

• Base Environment: Minimal Install, Server with GUIs, Development Host, etc.
• Add-Ons: Select web server, virtualization, database, or custom package groups.

For a headless server, pick “Minimal Install” plus “Development Tools” and “Server (for SSH, NFS…)”.

Step 9: Set Root Password Create User

Root password: Make it strong—no “123456” or “password”.
Regular user: Give sudo privileges. Example:

Username: alice
Password: (your strong passphrase)
  

Step 10: Begin Installation

Click “Begin Installation”. Grab another coffee or contemplate the meaning of life. The installer will copy packages and apply your settings.

Post-Installation Steps

Reboot First Boot

1. Remove USB, reboot.
2. Log in as your user or root.

Update System

sudo dnf update -y
# Alternatively, if using older yum:
# sudo yum update -y
  

Install EPEL Repository

sudo dnf install -y oracle-epel-release-el8
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled ol8_developer_EPEL
  

Enable Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK)

sudo dnf install -y kernel-uek
sudo grub2-set-default 0
sudo reboot
  

Install Useful Packages

• SSH server: sudo dnf install -y openssh-server
• Firewall manager: sudo dnf install -y firewalld
• htop, vim, wget, curl, git

Advanced Topics

Automated Kickstart Installation

Create a kickstart.cfg, host it via HTTP/TFTP, and add ks=http://server/kickstart.cfg to GRUB.

PXE Boot

Set up DHCP, TFTP, and HTTP. Copy initrd, vmlinuz, and kickstart files. Perfect for mass deployments.

Oracle Cloud Virtualization

• Use OCI Compute with Oracle Linux images.
• Install KVM and virt-manager for on-prem VM hosting.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Stuck at installer GUI? Press Ctrl Alt F2 to view logs: /var/log/anaconda/.
• Network unreachable: Check /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg- and nmcli.
• SELinux denying access: Use audit2why and audit2allow.
• GRUB not showing new kernel: Run sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Oracle Linux. Pat yourself on the back, flex those newfound sysadmin muscles, and maybe treat yourself to your favorite snack. Remember, the best way to master Linux is to tinker—and break things—then fix them. Welcome to the Oracle Linux family!

For more details and official documentation, visit the

Oracle Linux Documentation
page.