3. Set up the Host System

In this chapter, we will set up the host system, the server system on which we will deploy all the services. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)/CentOS 7.x (7.2 or later) is assumed to be the host operating system throughout this chapter, but it is also possible to set up the host system with other GNU/Linux distributions (see Set up the Host System on Other GNU/Linux Distributions for details).

Table of Contents

• 3.1. Basic Setup and Preparation
  • 3.1.1. Create an Admin User
  • 3.1.2. Update the System
  • 3.1.3. Install Admin Tools
  • 3.1.4. Store Logs Persistently
  • 3.1.5. Reboot
• 3.2. Install Docker
  • 3.2.1. Set up Docker Storage Options
  • 3.2.2. Enable and Start Docker
  • 3.2.3. Miscellaneous Setup for Convenient Administration
• 3.3. Set up Dnsmasq
  • 3.3.1. Install And Configure Dnsmasq
  • 3.3.2. Auto Update DNS Record of Docker Containers
• 3.4. Configure Postfix
  • 3.4.1. Install and Enable Postfix
  • 3.4.2. Configure Postfix for Admin
  • 3.4.3. Configure Postfix for Software Running in Docker Containers
  • 3.4.4. One More Test
• 3.5. Enable SELinux (Optional but Recommended)
• 3.6. Set up the Host System on Other GNU/Linux Distributions