How to install Gnome GUI on CentOS 7/RHEL 7

By default, CentOS 7/ RHEL 7 installed as the minimal and also system administrators like to work in a terminal. However if we have installed CentOS7/RHEL7 without the GUI we can always install on the minimal server installation.

This tutorial will help to install the GNOME desktop on CentOS7/RHEL7 on the top of the minimal server installation which will provide a Graphical Interface for working on Linux servers.

Run the following commands to install Gnome GUI packages on Centos 7 and RHEL 7:

CentOS 7: Run the following commands to install Gnome GUI packages on Centos 7:

[root@linuxcnf ~]# yum groupinstall "GNOME Desktop" "Graphical Administration Tools"

RHEL 7: Run the following commands to install Gnome GUI packages on RHEL 7:

[root@linuxcnf ~]# yum groupinstall "Server with GUI"

After installation of GUI will not change the default target (still the default run level will remain the same). We can change to the GUI by using following commands which will switch to the GUI mode immediately.

[root@linuxcnf ~]# systemctl isolate graphical.target

Or

[root@linuxcnf ~]# startx

Alternatively, to enable GUI on system startup and to set default boot in GUI need to change the default run level from from multi-user.target to the graphical.target. So, issue the following command to enable the GUI on system start.

[root@linuxcnf ~]# systemctl set-default graphical.target

Finally, reboot the machine to start the server in the graphical mode.

[root@linuxcnf ~]# reboot

You have done the GUI installation!!!