Red Hat SummitChapter 14. Consoles and logging during installation
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux installer uses the tmux terminal multiplexer to manage multiple windows alongside the main interface. Each window serves a distinct purpose and displays logs that help troubleshoot issues during the installation process.
One window provides an interactive shell with root privileges, unless disabled by using a boot option or a Kickstart command. The terminal multiplexer is running in virtual console 1. To switch from the actual installation environment to tmux, press Ctrl+Alt+F1. To go back to the main installation interface which runs in virtual console 6, press Ctrl+Alt+F6. During text mode, installation starts in virtual console 1 (tmux), and switching to console 6 opens a shell prompt instead of a graphical interface.
The console running tmux has five available windows; their contents are described in the following table, along with keyboard shortcuts. Note that the keyboard shortcuts are two-part: first press Ctrl+b, then release both keys, and press the number key for the window you want to use.
You can also use Ctrl+b n, Alt+ Tab, and Ctrl+b p to switch to the next or previous tmux window, respectively.
| Shortcut | Contents |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+b 1 | Main installation program window. Contains text-based prompts (used for text mode and also for interactive entry of RDP credentials), and also some debugging information. |
| Ctrl+b 2 |
Interactive shell with |
| Ctrl+b 3 |
Installation log; displays messages stored in |
| Ctrl+b 4 |
Storage log; displays messages related to storage devices and configuration, stored in |
| Ctrl+b 5 |
Program log; displays messages from utilities run during the installation process, stored in |
| Ctrl+b 6 |
Packaging log; displays messages related to packages, stored in |
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