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AlmaLinux Initial OS Setup Guide

What

Section titled “What”

This article provides a practical and minimal initial setup guide for AlmaLinux after a fresh installation, suitable for server environments.

Why

Section titled “Why”

AlmaLinux requires essential system configuration after installation to ensure secure, manageable, and network-accessible operation. These steps establish a solid foundation before deploying any application.

How

Section titled “How”

Step 1: Change Hostname

Section titled “Step 1: Change Hostname”
Terminal window
hostnamectl set-hostname your-hostname
echo "127.0.0.1   localhost your-hostname" >> /etc/hosts

Step 2: Configure Network (Example: Static IP)

Section titled “Step 2: Configure Network (Example: Static IP)”
Terminal window
nmcli con mod "eth0" ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.100/24
nmcli con mod "eth0" ipv4.gateway 192.168.1.1
nmcli con mod "eth0" ipv4.dns 8.8.8.8
nmcli con mod "eth0" ipv4.method manual
nmcli con up "eth0"

Step 3: Set Proxy (If Required)

Section titled “Step 3: Set Proxy (If Required)”
Terminal window
cat <<EOF > /etc/profile.d/proxy.sh
export http_proxy="http://proxy.example.com:8080"
export https_proxy="http://proxy.example.com:8080"
export no_proxy="localhost,127.0.0.1"
EOF
chmod +x /etc/profile.d/proxy.sh
source /etc/profile.d/proxy.sh
echo 'proxy=http://proxy.example.com:8080' >> /etc/dnf/dnf.conf

Step 4: Disable SELinux

Section titled “Step 4: Disable SELinux”
Terminal window
sed -i 's/^SELINUX=.*/SELINUX=disabled/' /etc/selinux/config
setenforce 0

Step 5: Update System

Section titled “Step 5: Update System”
Terminal window
dnf update -y
dnf upgrade -y

Step 6: Configure Firewall

Section titled “Step 6: Configure Firewall”
Terminal window
systemctl enable --now firewalld
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
firewall-cmd --reload

Step 7: Set Timezone and NTP

Section titled “Step 7: Set Timezone and NTP”
Terminal window
timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Tokyo
systemctl enable --now chronyd

Step 8: Create Admin User with SSH Key

Section titled “Step 8: Create Admin User with SSH Key”
Terminal window
useradd adminuser
passwd adminuser
usermod -aG wheel adminuser
mkdir -p /home/adminuser/.ssh
chmod 700 /home/adminuser/.ssh
vi /home/adminuser/.ssh/authorized_keys  # Paste public key
chmod 600 /home/adminuser/.ssh/authorized_keys
chown -R adminuser:adminuser /home/adminuser/.ssh

Step 9: Reboot to Apply SELinux Setting

Section titled “Step 9: Reboot to Apply SELinux Setting”
Terminal window
reboot

Conclusion

Section titled “Conclusion”

This minimal setup prepares an AlmaLinux system for secure and reliable server use. It includes hostname configuration, network and proxy setup, system updates, essential tooling, SELinux disablement, and firewall and time settings.