How to Set Up a RHEL 9 Workstation for Creative Professionals

RHEL 9 workstation setup for creative professionals

Learn how to set up a RHEL 9 workstation for creative professionals, with step-by-step instructions for installing essential software, optimizing performance, and creating a smooth, efficient workflow.

Table of Contents

🔈Introduction

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is known for its stability and security, making it an excellent choice for developers and system administrators. However, RHEL 9 also offers powerful capabilities for creative professionals, including designers, video editors, digital artists, and musicians. With its robust software ecosystem, flexibility, and long-term support, RHEL 9 can be customized into a high-performance workstation suited to creative workflows.

This guide walks you through the process of setting up a RHEL 9 workstation optimized for creative professionals, including installing the essential software, configuring system settings, and improving performance for demanding applications.


✅ Why Choose RHEL 9 for Creative Work?

RHEL 9 provides several advantages for creative professionals:

  • Stability and Security: RHEL is renowned for its stability, which is crucial when working on projects with tight deadlines.
  • Long-Term Support: With a 10-year support lifecycle, RHEL ensures that your workstation remains secure and up-to-date.
  • Performance Tuning: RHEL 9 provides tools to fine-tune system performance, especially for resource-intensive applications.
  • Customizability: Unlike other operating systems, RHEL can be tailored to fit specific needs, whether you’re doing graphic design, 3D rendering, or music production.

Now, let’s get started with setting up your RHEL 9 workstation for creative work!


🔄 Step 1: Installing RHEL 9

Before you can begin working with RHEL 9, you need to install it on your workstation. Here’s a quick overview of the installation process:

🟢 Downloading RHEL 9

  • Go to the official Red Hat website and sign up for an account (if you don’t have one).
  • Select the appropriate ISO file for your system architecture (x86_64 or ARM).

🟢 Creating a Bootable USB Drive

Once you’ve downloaded the RHEL 9 ISO, create a bootable USB drive using tools like Rufus (Windows) or dd (Linux/macOS). For example, on Linux:

				
					sudo dd if=/path/to/rhel9.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync
				
			

Make sure to replace /dev/sdX with your actual USB device.

🟢 Installation Process

Boot your computer from the USB drive and follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll be asked to choose language preferences, disk partitioning, and network settings. Ensure that you enable Software Development Tools during the installation to streamline the setup of development environments later on. Once the installation is complete, reboot your system.


🔄 Step 2: Installing Essential Creative Software

🟢 Graphic Design Tools

Creative professionals need tools that allow for image manipulation, vector design, and illustration. Fortunately, RHEL 9 supports popular Linux alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud software:

  • GIMP: A powerful open-source image editor.

Install GIMP using the following command:

				
					sudo dnf install gimp
				
			
  • Inkscape: A vector graphics editor for scalable designs.

Install Inkscape with:

				
					sudo dnf install inkscape
				
			
RHEL 9 workstation setup for creative professionals

Photo by admingeek from Infotechys

  • Krita: A professional-grade painting program aimed at digital artists.

Install Krita using:

				
					sudo dnf install krita
				
			

🟢 Video Editing and Animation

For video editing and animation, there are several open-source and free tools that work well on RHEL 9:

  • Kdenlive: A non-linear video editor that supports 4K video editing.

Install Kdenlive with:

				
					sudo dnf install kdenlive
				
			
  • Blender: A 3D creation suite that covers everything from modeling to rendering and animation.

Install Blender via:

				
					sudo dnf install blender
				
			
  • OpenShot: A simple yet effective video editor for casual video production.

Install OpenShot with:

				
					sudo dnf install openshot
				
			

🟢 Music Production Tools

If you are involved in music production, RHEL 9 supports many Linux-compatible tools:

  • LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio): A free DAW for music production.

Install LMMS with:

				
					sudo dnf install lmms
				
			
  • Audacity: A popular open-source audio editing tool.

Install Audacity using:

				
					sudo dnf install audacity
				
			

🔄 Step 3: Optimizing System Performance

Creative professionals often work with high-resolution files and resource-intensive applications. To ensure smooth performance, it’s essential to optimize your RHEL 9 setup.

🟢 Enable Multithreading and Performance Mode

RHEL 9 offers performance tuning options through cpupower and tuned-adm. Install the tuned tool:

				
					sudo dnf install tuned
				
			

Enable performance mode:

				
					sudo tuned-adm profile latency-performance
				
			

For multithreading, you can adjust the number of threads in your applications’ settings or enable multithreading support in your CPU.

🟢 Update System Packages

It’s essential to keep your system updated for performance and security:

				
					sudo dnf update
				
			

For high-performance computing (HPC), consider installing the Xilinx and NVIDIA CUDA drivers for GPU acceleration.

🟢 Managing Resources with System Monitor

Use RHEL’s built-in System Monitor (GUI) or the htop command line tool to monitor and manage system resources such as CPU, RAM, and GPU usage. To install htop, run:

				
					sudo dnf install htop
				
			

Once installed, you can start it by typing:

				
					htop
				
			

This gives you a real-time view of your system’s resource usage and allows you to manage running processes.


🔄 Step 4: Customizing Your Environment

Creative work often requires a customized workspace to increase productivity and reduce distractions. Here are some tips to personalize your RHEL 9 workstation:

🟢 Desktop Environment

RHEL 9 uses GNOME as its default desktop environment. However, creative professionals might prefer a more lightweight environment like KDE Plasma for better performance and customization options. To install KDE Plasma:

				
					sudo dnf groupinstall "KDE Plasma Workspaces"
				
			

Once installed, log out, and you can select Plasma as your desktop environment from the login screen.

🟢 Hotkeys and Shortcuts

Create custom hotkeys to streamline your workflow:

  • Go to Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts.
  • Configure shortcuts for common tasks like opening your favorite apps, managing windows, or triggering scripts.

🟢 Managing External Displays

Creative professionals often use multiple monitors. To configure your displays:

  • Go to Settings > Displays.
  • Arrange the screens and adjust resolution settings for optimal display.
RHEL 9 workstation setup for creative professionals

Photo by admingeek from Infotechys


🔄 Step 5: Backing Up and Version Control

For creatives working on projects with tight deadlines, data loss is unacceptable. Use Git for version control and set up a reliable backup system.

🟢 Installing Git

To install Git on RHEL 9:

				
					sudo dnf install git
				
			

Once installed, set up Git with your name and email:

				
					git config --global user.name "Your Name"
				
			
				
					git config --global user.email "youremail@example.com"
				
			

🟢 Backing Up with Rsync

Use rsync for incremental backups:

				
					rsync -av --delete /home/user/ /path/to/backup/directory
				
			

🏁 Conclusion

Setting up a RHEL 9 workstation for creative professionals offers a powerful, stable, and customizable environment to bring your projects to life. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to install essential creative software, optimize system performance, and configure your workspace for maximum productivity. RHEL 9 provides a robust foundation for creative professionals seeking a reliable platform for graphic design, video production, 3D rendering, music composition, and more.

By customizing your system and installing the right tools, RHEL 9 becomes an invaluable asset to your creative workflow, making it an ideal choice for professionals who demand performance, security, and flexibility in their daily tasks.

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