How to install CentOS on the Vault

CentOS Overview

CentOS is a popular open source software distribution of Linux. The main website is https://www.centos.org CentOS can be configured in several different modes. There is a Minimal mode, a few Server modes, a GNOME Desktop installation and a few other modes.

Note: CentOS has a known bug that affects some Vaults. Previously suggested was a workaround which is located here. Instead we now recommend changing BIOS to UEFI to alleviate this issue. The UEFI guide is located at this link

Verify Hardware Recommendations

CentOS documentation regarding hardware recommendations can be found at: https://wiki.centos.org/About/Product . Be sure to verify the hardware requirements for the specific mode of CentOS before the installation.

Install CentOS

Obtain the Installation Image and Uncompress it

CentOS can be downloaded from https://www.centos.org/download. Either the "DVD ISO" or the "Minimal ISO" can be used across all the Vault platforms.

Image Type: The "Minimal ISO" version installs the minimal system which is simply a command line interface from the console. The "DVD ISO" has all of the different modes that can be installed. The selection of the mode is part of the installation process. This article will describe how to download and install the "Minimal" system from the Minimal ISO and the "GNOME Desktop" system from the DVD ISO.

Note: For other ISO download versions click on the "alternate downloads" link on the download page.

Burn the installation image to a USB drive

The easiest way to transfer the installation image to a USB drive is by using software called "Rufus" on Windows or "balenaEtcher" on Apple OSX. See this link for detailed instructions on how to create a bootable USB drive using Rufus or balenaEtcher.

Rufus will ask if you want to burn in "ISO image mode" or "DD image mode". Use the recommended default of "ISO image mode"

Note: If during install below there are errors such as "dracut timeout" this could be because a USB 3.0 drive was inserted into a USB 2.0 interface on the Vault. This issue seems specific to CentOS. To remedy the situation, simply insert the USB 3.0 drive into a USB 3.0 interface on the Vault and restart the installation.

Note: If using the Vault FW1x, FW2x, or FW4x, be sure to use a USB stick and the USB keyboard with a plug that is relatively skinny.  The 2 USB ports on the Vault are very close to each other and if either the USB stick or the USB keyboard plug is too wide, you will not be able to plug both in at the same time, which will prevent you from doing the installation.

Install CentOS on The Vault, Minimal Version

• Verify the Vault is powered down
• Verify the monitor is connected
• Verify the USB keyboard is plugged in
• Insert the USB install drive into the another USB port on the Vault
• Power on the Vault
• Press "F11" key and hold it down until it boots to the BIOS and you see the boot options screen
• Select the USB drive to boot from
• Select Install CentOS
• Verify the Vault boots and begins the installation process
• Follow the installation prompts for language, keyboard, etc.
• Verify the Installation summary is displayed
• If desired, select Date & Time and set them appropriately
• Select System->Installation Destination
• Select mSATA disk
• Select DONE
• If there is not enough space for the installation a window will pop up.
• Select Reclaim space
• Follow the prompts to delete old partitions and reclaim space
• Select Begin Installation
• While installation begins, select Root Password
• Set the root password
• Verify the installation continues and completes
• Reboot
• For Minimal installation, verify the system reboots successfully to the login prompt
• Login as user "root" with the password set during installation
• CentOS is now successfully installed on The Vault

Install CentOS on The Vault, GNOME Desktop Version

• Verify the Vault is powered down
• Verify the monitor is connected
• Verify the USB keyboard is plugged in
• Insert the USB install drive into the another USB port on the Vault
• Power on the Vault
• Press "F11" key and hold it down until it boots to the BIOS and you see the boot options screen
• Select the USB drive to boot from
• Select Install CentOS
• Verify the Vault boots and begins the installation process
• Follow the installation prompts for language, keyboard, etc.
• Verify the Installation summary is displayed
• If desired, select Date & Time and set them appropriately
• For GNOME Desktop, Select Software Selection
• Verify the Software Selection is displayed
• Select GNOME Desktop
• Select additional Add-Ons as desired
• Select DONE
• Select System->Installation Destination
• Select mSATA disk
• Select DONE
• If there is not enough space for the installation a window, will pop up
• Select Reclaim space
• Follow the prompts to delete old partitions and reclaim space
• Select Begin Installation
• While installation begins, select Root Password
• Set the root password
• Verify the installation continues and completes
• Reboot
• For GNOME Desktop installation, verify the system reboots to the install GUI
• Follow the prompts to create a User and to accept the License Agreement
• Select Finish Configuration
• Verify the system reboots to the GNOME Desktop
• Follow the prompts for gnome-initial-setup
• Select Language, Keyboard, Privacy and finish
• Verify the GNOME Desktop is displayed on the screen
• CentOS is now successfully installed on The Vault

For more detailed configuration instructions, see https://wiki.centos.org/HowTos

At this point, CentOS should be up and running on The Vault.  However, if you experience any issues, please feel free to reach out to us at: support@protectli.com or find more information in our Knowledge Base.

CentOS BIOS Compatibility

The table below shows the compatibility of tested releases of CentOS and BIOS on each of the Vaults.