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Can someone tell me the difference between a Desktop Install, a Basic Server install, and a Minimal Install? During installation, it doesn't give a description and I can't find documentation on it either.

This is for a CentOS 6 installation.

2 Answers 2

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As you've already noticed, Red Hat's description is vague about what each suite actually includes. Below is a list of the package groups the each suite will install.

You can get more information about what package group by running yum groupinfo foo-bar. The names listed below differ from what yum grouplist will list but the groupinfo cobase, console-internet, core, debugging, directory-client, hardware-monitoring, java-platform, large-systems, network-file-system-client, performance, perl-runtime, server-platformmmand still works on them.

I got this by mounting http://mirror.centos.org/centos-6/6/os/x86_64/images/install.img and looking at /usr/lib/anaconda/installclasses/rhel.py inside the image.

Desktop: base, basic-desktop, core, debugging, desktop-debugging, desktop-platform, directory-client, fonts, general-desktop, graphical-admin-tools, input-methods, internet-applications, internet-browser, java-platform, legacy-x, network-file-system-client, office-suite, print-client, remote-desktop-clients, server-platform, x11

Minimal Desktop: base, basic-desktop, core, debugging, desktop-debugging, desktop-platform, directory-client, fonts, input-methods, internet-browser, java-platform, legacy-x, network-file-system-client, print-client, remote-desktop-clients, server-platform, x11

Minimal: core

Basic Server: base, console-internet, core, debugging, directory-client, hardware-monitoring, java-platform, large-systems, network-file-system-client, performance, perl-runtime, server-platform

Database Server: base, console-internet, core, debugging, directory-client, hardware-monitoring, java-platform, large-systems, network-file-system-client, performance, perl-runtime, server-platform, mysql-client, mysql, postgresql-client, postgresql, system-admin-tools

Web Server: base, console-internet, core, debugging, directory-client, java-platform, mysql-client, network-file-system-client, performance, perl-runtime, php, postgresql-client, server-platform, turbogears, web-server, web-servlet

Virtual Host: base, console-internet, core, debugging, directory-client, hardware-monitoring, java-platform, large-systems, network-file-system-client, performance, perl-runtime, server-platform, virtualization, virtualization-client, virtualization-platform

Software Development Workstation: additional-devel, base, basic-desktop, core, debugging, desktop-debugging, desktop-platform, desktop-platform-devel, development, directory-client, eclipse, emacs, fonts, general-desktop, graphical-admin-tools, graphics, input-methods, internet-browser, java-platform, legacy-x, network-file-system-client, performance, perl-runtime, print-client, remote-desktop-clients, server-platform, server-platform-devel, technical-writing, tex, virtualization, virtualization-client, virtualization-platform, x11

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  • Basic Server and Database Server are exactly the same in your list. Can that be correct? Feb 4, 2012 at 13:59
  • @SandraSchlichting I must've copied and pasted wrong. I updated the list to correct the Database Server section. Feb 4, 2012 at 15:54
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The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Installation Guide section 9.17. Package Group Selection provides some information, but it's not much:

By default, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation process loads a selection of software that is suitable for a system deployed as a basic server. Note that this installation does not include a graphical environment. To include a selection of software suitable for other roles, click the radio button that corresponds to one of the following options:

Basic Server

This option provides a basic installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux for use on a server.

Desktop

This option provides the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, graphical tools such as > the GIMP, and multimedia applications.

Minimal

This option provides only the packages essential to run Red Hat Enterprise Linux. A minimal installation provides the basis for a single-purpose server or desktop appliance and maximizes performance and security on such an installation.

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  • +1 yeah that's all I found as well. I was hoping that there was some site that has package information for the installs. I suppose we'll just go with the one we 'think' will get us the packages we need then install whatever else =( I'll leave this as unanswered for a day to see if anyone has an informative link for the different installs. Sep 9, 2011 at 17:53
  • I ask this same darn question (or a similar one) every couple of years. Someday I may actually find a good answer. Sep 9, 2011 at 17:58
  • lol. Maybe when they chmod a-laziness dev-team they'll document it better =P Sep 9, 2011 at 19:59

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