How to install GlusterFS on CentOS, Red Hat or Fedora

Installing GlusterFS makes it possible to turn multiple servers with local disks into a single distributed storage system, helping scale capacity and improve resilience without relying on a dedicated NAS or SAN.

On RHEL-family systems, GlusterFS is deployed using RPM packages that provide the glusterd management daemon and the gluster command-line tools. After installation, glusterd runs as a systemd service and coordinates peers and bricks, which are later combined into volumes during cluster setup.

Repository availability and package versions differ between RHEL, CentOS derivatives, and Fedora, so the package search step is used to confirm what is available on the current system. Consistent major versions across nodes and a firewall restricted to the storage network are important for stable clustering and safer operation.

Steps to install GlusterFS on RHEL, CentOS, or Fedora:

Check the enabled dnf repositories for available GlusterFS packages and repository release packages.

$ sudo dnf search gluster
=========================== Name & Summary Matched: gluster ===========================
centos-release-gluster6.noarch : Gluster packages from the CentOS Storage SIG repository
centos-release-gluster7.noarch : Gluster packages from the CentOS Storage SIG repository
centos-release-gluster8.noarch : Gluster packages from the CentOS Storage SIG repository
glusterfs.x86_64 : Distributed File System
glusterfs-cli.x86_64 : GlusterFS CLI
glusterfs-server.x86_64 : GlusterFS server
##### snipped #####

On releases that use yum, substitute yum for dnf in the commands.

Enable the CentOS Storage SIG repository for GlusterFS when the release package is available.
```
$ sudo dnf install --assumeyes centos-release-gluster
Dependencies resolved.
##### snipped #####
Complete!
```
If centos-release-gluster is not available, install the versioned package shown in the search results (for example centos-release-gluster8) or skip this step and install from the distribution repositories.

Install the GlusterFS server packages.

$ sudo dnf install --assumeyes glusterfs glusterfs-server
Dependencies resolved.
##### snipped #####
Complete!

Allow inbound GlusterFS traffic through firewalld.
```
$ sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=glusterfs --permanent
success
```
Restrict access to the storage network; exposing GlusterFS to untrusted networks risks unauthorized access and disruption.
Reload firewalld to apply the permanent rules.
```
$ sudo firewall-cmd --reload
success
```

Enable the glusterd service to start automatically on boot.

$ sudo systemctl enable glusterd
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/glusterd.service -> /usr/lib/systemd/system/glusterd.service.

Start the glusterd service.
```
$ sudo systemctl start glusterd
```
Related: How to manage the GlusterFS service with systemctl in Linux

Confirm the glusterd service is running.

$ sudo systemctl status glusterd --no-pager
● glusterd.service - GlusterFS, a clustered file-system server
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/glusterd.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
     Active: active (running) since Thu 2025-12-25 09:32:11 UTC; 8s ago
##### snipped #####

Proceed to peer discovery and pool creation.

Related: How to set up a trusted storage pool for GlusterFS

Author: Mohd Shakir Zakaria
Mohd Shakir Zakaria is a cloud architect with deep roots in software development and open-source advocacy. Certified in AWS, Red Hat, VMware, ITIL, and Linux, he specializes in designing and managing robust cloud and on-premises infrastructures.