Understanding the various RHEL .iso files

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Customer Portal

Issue

When downloading Red Hat Enterprise Linux from the Customer Portal, there are multiple .iso files available, what are they for?

  • boot.iso
  • Binary DVD
  • WinSync Installer
  • Source DVD
  • P2V ISO
  • KVM Guest Image
  • ISO Images for Older Releases

Resolution

boot.iso

Used to install the operating system from another source (such as a http repository of the binary files). Can also be used to enter Rescue Mode.

Binary DVD

The discs required to install and use Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Can also be used to enter Rescue Mode.

WinSync Installer

Windows installer file (.msi) for the WinSync application, which is used in conjunction with Red Hat Enterprise Linux to sync a Windows Server Active Directory.

Source DVD

Source code (human-readable programming language instructions) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, provided in compliance with the GNU General Public License which Red Hat Enterprise Linux is created under. There is no documentation for the source DVDs. These can be used to compile or develop your own software based off the Red Hat version.

P2V ISO

This ISO is used for converting your Physical RHEL system to a Virtual RHEL system

KVM Guest Image

You can use a ready RHEL KVM guest qcow2 image, as these images are configured with cloud-init and must take advantage of ec2-compatible metadata services for provisioning SSH keys in order to function properly. For more information see the Openstack Platform Guide

ISO Images for Older Releases

Previous minor release versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Other

What is the difference between rhel-server-7.4-x86_64-dvd.iso and rhel-server-7.4-update-x86_64-dvd.iso ?

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