15 Oct

Setup Rocky Linux on Azure/AWS/GCP

Setup and install Rocky Linux 9 on Azure, AWS or Google GCP. Use our official Rocky Linux release maintained by Cloud Infrastructure Services. Deploy using our Rocky Linux image below from any of the cloud marketplaces. Rocky Linux is a robust alternative to CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, RHEL and other enterprise Linux distributions, providing the stability and performance needed for today’s demanding workloads in production environments.

Rocky Linux Azure

Deploy Rocky Linux 9 on Azure

Rocky Linux AWS

Coming soon..

Rocky Linux GCP

Coming soon..

Getting Started with Rocky Linux

Once your Rocky Linux server has been deployed, the following links explain how to connect to a Linux VM:

Once connected and logged in, you’re now ready to start using your new Linux server.

Basic Rocky Linux System Setup

Once logged in the following examples show how to create a new user and how to update your system packages.

Create a New User:

				
					sudo adduser yourusername
sudo passwd yourusername
sudo usermod -aG wheel yourusername

2. Update System Packages:

				
					sudo dnf update -y

Linux File Management Basics

The following commands can be used to copy, move and remove files in Rocky Linux:

				
					cp source_file destination_directory
mv file /target/directory
rm file

Linux Firewall Configuration

Check Firewall Status

				
					sudo systemctl status firewalld

If firewall is not found, lets install and enable with the following command:

				
					sudo dnf install firewalld -y

				
					sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld

Now check the status:

				
					sudo systemctl status firewalld

2. List Active Zones:

				
					sudo firewall-cmd --get-active-zones

3. Open a Port (e.g., Port 80 for HTTP)

				
					sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=80/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

The links below explain how to modify / create firewall rules depending on which cloud platform you are using.

To setup AWS firewall rules refer to – AWS Security Groups

To setup Azure firewall rules refer to – Azure Network Security Groups

To setup Google GCP firewall rules refer to – Creating GCP Firewalls

Rocky Linux Networking Basics

View Network Interfaces:

				
					ip a

2. Restart Networking Services:

				
					sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

3. Test Connectivity:

				
					ping -c 4 google.com

Additional Useful Rocky Linux Commands

Install Common Tools:

				
					sudo dnf install -y wget curl vim git

Install a Desktop GUI on Rocky Linux (Optional)

Rocky Linux supports a graphical user interface (GUI), though it’s typically installed as an additional package since the base server setup doesn’t include a desktop environment by default. You can choose from several desktop environments, including GNOME and XFCE, which are widely supported for Rocky Linux installations.

Each desktop environment has its own advantages depending on your needs, with GNOME offering more features and XFCE being more resource-efficient.

Option 1 - Installing GNOME:

GNOME is the most popular GUI for Rocky Linux. You can install it with:

				
					sudo dnf groupinstall "Server with GUI" -y

After installation, set the system to boot into graphical mode:

				
					sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Reboot the system to access the GNOME desktop on startup.

Option 2 - Installing XFCE:

If you prefer a lighter desktop, XFCE is an efficient alternative. Install it with:

				
					sudo dnf groupinstall "Xfce" -y

Enable graphical mode at boot:

				
					sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Reboot for the changes to take effect.

Rocky Linux Documentation / Support

Refer to the official documentation on using Rocky Linux:

https://docs.rockylinux.org/

Disclaimer: This is an official Rocky Linux release maintained by Cloud Infrastructure Services. All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Cloud Infrastructure Services does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. Rocky Linux is a registered trademark of Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation. Red Hat, CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries.