Install a CentOS 7 Minimal Server in Virtual Machine with screenshots

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If you have challenges on how to install a CentOS 7 Minimal Server in your Virtual Machine, you are on the right page.

Before we proceed, let us understand what are the differences between Minimal, DVD, and Everything in CentOS download page, https://www.centos.org/download/

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Minimal:

It contains a minimum package that requires a functional Linux system. Doesn’t contain GUI.

DVD:

It contains minimal packages plus some utility packages, basic development packages and contains GUI. Its size is 3.7 GB that can fit in DVD.

Everything:

It contains all DVD packages plus advance user packages like Smart card support, set of development packages.

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With that said, I assumed you have Oracle VM VirtualBox installed on your machine already. If not yet, please see https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Let us proceed then. Download a local copy of  CentOS 7 Minimal Server https://wiki.centos.org/Download

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Then choose on CentOS 7, then click on mirrors

Click on your desired link.

At this point, you should have a local copy of CentOS 7 Minimal Server iso file. Let us open your Oracle VM VirtualBox and set your virtual environment.

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Click on New.

Then enter your desired Virtual Machine name. e.g “CentOS 7 Minimal”.

Move the slider to 2048MB (2GB).

Then click on Create a virtual hard disk now.

Choose Dynamically Allocated.

Then move the slider to 2.00TB and click on Create.

At this point, you have completely setup your Virtual environment. Let us proceed in modifying Virtual resources and attached CentOS 7 Minimal Server iso file.

To do so, please select our CentOS 7 Minimal environment, then click on Settings.

Click System > Processor and in our virtual machine, 2 processors should be enough for us to proceed.

Click on Storage and click Empty in Controller: IDE Storage Tree then click on the disc icon.

Click on Choose Virtual Optical Disk File…

Find your CentOS 7 Minimal Server iso file and then click on Open.

From here, you should have this window as shown below:

Click on Network > Enable Network Adapter and click Bridged Adapter then choose your Network Adapter (In my case, I choose my Wireless Network Adapter)

Once completed, click on OK and you should be all set for the CentOS Installation process. If you are ready, let us proceed then.

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Click on Start, this should start your Virtual Machine.

Choose Install CentOS 7 using your drop-down arrow keys in your keyboard.

At this point, you should have this window as shown below:

From the welcome window of CentOS 7, your first option is to choose your desired language. In our case, let us leave it by default.

Click on Continue.

Then click on Installation Destination.

Click on Done.

You should have this window as shown below and from here, you should have the option to click on Begin Installation. 

Let us set your desired root password.

Click Done.

From here, you should have this window below as shown below, and this time, let us wait for the installation to be completed.

Once completed, you should have the option to Reboot your Virtual Machine.

After your CentOS Virtual Machine has been successfully rebooted, just leave it by default option as shown below.

You should have this window as shown below.

Congratulation. You have successfully completed your first CentOS 7 installation in your Virtual Machine.

Great job.