Installing Red Hat Linux on Compaq ProLiant Servers The Compaq ProLiant Linux Team July 17, 2001 Version 0.2
This guide was designed to facilitate the installation of Red Hat Linux on Compaq ProLiant Servers.
Notice
©2001 Compaq Computer Corporation Compaq, Compaq Insight Manager, NetFlex, NonStop, ProLiant, ROMPaq, and SmartStart are registered United States Patent and Trademark Office. Alpha, AlphaServer, AlphaStation, ProSignia, and SoftPaq are trademarks and/or service marks of Compaq Computer Corporation. Netelligent is a trademark and/or service mark of Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Pentium, Xeon, Pentium II Xeon, and Pentium III Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. SCO, UnixWare, OpenServer 5, and UnixWare 7 are registered trademarks of the Santa Cruz Operation. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. The information in this publication is subject to change without notice and is provided “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS INFORMATION REMAINS WITH RECIPIENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL COMPAQ BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION), EVEN IF COMPAQ HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. The limited warranties for Compaq products are exclusively set forth in the documentation accompanying such products. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting a further or additional warranty. This publication does not constitute an endorsement of the product or products that were tested. The configuration or configurations tested or described may or may not be the only available solution. This test is not a determination or product quality or correctness, nor does it ensure compliance with any federal state or local requirements. Installing and Running Red Hat Linux on Compaq ProLiant Servers How-To Solution Guide Document Number 15AD-0701A-WWEN Second Edition (July 17, 2001) Version 0.2
iii
1.0 Introduction ...... 1 1.1 Installation Overview ...... 1 1.2 Compaq Hardware ...... 1 Compaq Servers ...... 2 Compaq Storage Controllers ...... 3 Network Interface Controllers (NICs)...... 3 Memory ...... 4 2.0 Disk Partitioning...... 5 2.1 The Compaq System Partition ...... 6 Sample Partition Sizes...... 7 Notes...... 8 Notes on /boot ...... 9 Linux Distributions ...... 9 3.0 Installation Process...... 11 3.1 SmartStart ...... 11 3.2 Red Hat...... 12 Red Hat 7.1...... 12 General Installation ...... 12 Red Hat 7.0...... 14 General Installation ...... 15 4.0 Troubleshooting ...... 16 Problem: No storage controller is recognized...... 16 Problem: Linux hangs during boot when starting networking...... 16 Problem: LILO or Linux hangs during boot ...... 16 Problem: Black screen after POST (Power-On-Self-Test) completes (blinking cursor in the upper left-hand corner)...... 17 Problem: Linux does not report the correct amount of system memory...... 18 5.0 Questions and Answers ...... 19 Compaq Related ...... 19 6.0 Compaq Web Resources ...... 21 7.0 Useful Linux Links ...... 22 Feedback ...... 23
1
1.0 Introduction Compaq ProLiant servers provide an excellent platform for Linux. These machines are engineered from the ground up to provide performance, reliability, and scalability using industry-standard components. This guide provides additional details for the installation of Linux on Compaq ProLiant servers. Compaq recognizes that there are many distributions of Linux available today and this guide is geared toward Red Hat. 1.1 Installation Overview Following are the general steps you will perform to install a Linux distribution on your server: 1. Run SmartStart to perform a system erase using the “System Erase Utility.” 2. Perform either a SmartStart setup or ROM Based Setup Utility (RBSU) configuration. Additional information for SmartStart is provided in section 3.1 and information regarding RBSU is provided under the heading Compaq servers and under section 2.1 of this document. 3. Insert the operating system CD-ROM and remove the OS CD-ROM when prompted. 4. Select the type of installation. 5. Partitions the hard drive see Section 2 “Disk Partitioning” for additional information. 6. Select the installation packages. 7. Set up the network. 8. Install LILO/GRUB. NOTE: LILO is the most used Linux Loader; it uses BIOS calls to load the Linux kernel off the disk (IDE drive or floppy disk). The Linux kernel must be located where it can be accessed easily by the BIOS. You can specify the master boot record (/dev/hda) or the root partition of your Linux installation (usually is /dev/hda1 or /dev/hda2). GRUB is a Multiboot boot loader. It was derived from GRUB, GRand Unified Bootloader. GRUB loads and transfers control to the operating system kernel software. It is commonly used when you are running a dual boot setup with Windows software. For more information on GRUB proceed to http://linuxdocs.freeos.com/HOWTO/mini/Multiboot-with-GRUB.html 9. Verify the installation.
1.2 Compaq Hardware Compaq supports both Intel and Alpha based platforms for Linux. For the purposes of this “How To” the focus will be on the Compaq ProLiant platforms. The current list of supported Intel based servers is shown below. If your Compaq server is not listed here, you will still be able to benefit from the information contained in this guide.
For more details on tested and certified Compaq servers, visit: http://www.compaq.com/linux.
2
Compaq Servers The following table represents the Compaq ProLiant servers this guide primarily targets. All servers listed below are base models and do not include any additional options. Base model descriptions can be found at http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/linux or http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/linux/cert-arc.html for older system support and distributions. If the Compaq server is not listed within this document, please check our archive records located at http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/linux/archive- howto.html.
Before beginning installation refer to Table 1 for Compaq ProLiant server specifications and any additional installation notes.
Table 1. Compaq ProLiant Server Specifications ProLiant Network ROM Based Support Disk Controller Video Controller Server Interface Setup System Controller Utility Configuration Utility DL320 NC 3163 Fast Yes No Integrated Ultra ATI Rage XL Ethernet PCI ATA/100 or Integrated 10/100 WOL Single Channel Wide Ultra2 SCSI DL360 NC 3163 Fast No Yes Integrated Smart ATI Rage IIC1 Ethernet PCI Controller 10/100 WOL DL380 NC 3163 Fast No Yes Integrated Smart ATI Rage IIC1 Ethernet PCI Controller 10/100 WOL DL580 NC 3134 Fast No Yes Integrated Smart Integrated 1280 x Ethernet NIC 64 Controller 1024, 256 color on PCI Dual Port local PCI bus 10/100 ML330 NC 3163 Fast Yes No Integrated Single ATI Rage XL Ethernet PCI Channel Wide Ultra2 10/100 WOL SCSI ML330e NC 3163 Fast Yes No Integrated Dual Channel ATI Rage XL Ethernet PCI Ultra ATA 100 10/100 WOL ML350 NC 3163 Fast Yes No Integrated Dual Channel ATI Rage XL Ethernet PCI Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10/100 WOL ML350 NC 3163 Fast Yes No Integrated Dual Channel ATI Rage XL 1GHz Ethernet PCI Wild Ultra3 SCSI 10/100 WOL ML370 NC 3163 Fast No Yes Integrated Dual Channel ATI Rage IIC1 Ethernet PCI Wide Ultra2 SCSI 10/100 WOL ML530 NC 3123 Fast No Yes Integrated Dual Channel ATI Rage IIC1 Ethernet PCI Wide Ultra2 SCSI or 10/100 WOL Smart Array 5302/32 ML570 NC 3123 Fast No Yes Integrated Dual Channel ATI Rage IIC1 Ethernet PCI Wide Ultra2 SCSI 10/100 WOL 8000 NC3131 FE 64 PCI No Yes Smart Array 4250 ES Integrated 1024 x Dual Port 10/100 768, 256 color on PCI local bus
(continued next page)
3
(continued from previous page)
Table 1. Compaq ProLiant Server Specifications
ProLiant Network ROM Based Support Disk Controller Video Controller Server Interface Setup System Type Controller Utility Configuration Utility ML750 NC3131 FE 64 PCI No Yes Smart Array 4250 ES Integrated 1024 x Dual Port 10/100 768, 256 color on PCI local bus 8500 NC3131 FE 64 PCI No Yes Integrated Smart Array Integrated 1280 x Dual Port 10/100 Controller 1024, 256 colors PCI video controller DL760 NC3131 FE 64 PCI No Yes Integrated Smart Array Integrated 1280 x Dual Port 10/100 Controller 1024, 256 colors PCI video controller
RBSU is a utility that allows users to easily configure Compaq ProLiant servers. RBSU is loaded by pressing F9 when prompted at POST. This utility provides similar functionality to the system configuration utility. For example, it allows a user to set the date and time, boot controller order; hardware interrupts, and advanced system settings. The first time you power up the server, the system will prompt you to enter RBSU, select an operating system, and select a language. Default configuration settings are made at this time and can be changed later.
NOTE: If you are using a RBSU system, you may remove the system partition and use the Automatic Partitioning. Otherwise, leave the system partition alone. Compaq Storage Controllers The Wide Ultra2 SCSI and Wide Ultra2 SCSI-3 Controller series are based on Symbios Logic (LSI Logic) chips, while the Wide-Ultra3 SCSI controllers are based on Adaptec technology. The Linux 2.4.x kernel and 2.2.x kernel support these controllers and include driver support for the Compaq Smart Array Controller family, the Compaq 64-Bit/66 MHz Fibre Channel Host Adapter, and the Compaq Smart Array 5300. Compaq storage drivers and a Fibre Channel Host Adapter patch are available on our Open Source web page at http://www.opensource.compaq.com. Network Interface Controllers (NICs) Current models of Compaq servers ship with one or more Compaq NC 31xx NICs that are based on the Intel 8255x chipset. The first default driver available for these chipsets was the eepro100 driver provided by SCYLD; however, the current and preferred driver for use with the Compaq NC31xx controllers is the Compaq certified Intel e100 driver which is available for download from the Compaq website at the following address: http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/locate/2882.html.
NOTE: Using the default installation will not necessarily supply the Compaq NIC driver; it must be made after the installation is complete.
4
Compaq Gigabit Network controllers currently use the e1000 from Intel available at http://support.intel.com/support/network/adapter/1000/index.htm. Older model Compaq servers with NetFlex-3 NICs are based on the Texas Instruments ThunderLAN (or TLAN) chipset, which uses the TLAN driver and is available at http://opensource.compaq.com/sourceforge/project/?group_id=12.
Compaq network drivers are also available on our Open Source web page http://www.opensource.compaq.com.
Memory Installing with more than 1 GIGABYTE of memory
On a 2.2.x kernel, the Linux installation will fail if more than 1 GIGABYTE of memory is installed. If you wish to install with more than 1 GIGABYTE, limit the amount the install process discovers by typing:
linux mem=960M (“M” is memory”) at the boot prompt. To use more than 1 GIGABYTE of memory after installing Linux, a new kernel must be built with a specified upper limit of 2 GIGABYTE. ). If you are using Red Hat Linux 6.2 or earlier visit our archived “Installation How Tos” available at http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/linux/archive-howto.html.
Memory above 2 GIGABYTE requires extensive modification to the 2.2.x kernel source tree. The 2.4.2 Linux kernel supports more than 2 GIGABYTE of memory, but not during installation. For more information on kernel rebuilding proceed to http://www.kernel.org/.
Note: This issue is not unique to Compaq servers. This issue applies to all servers with more than 1 GIGABYTE of memory.
Using more than 16 MEGABYTES of memory On some older Compaq servers, the Linux installation procedure may only detect 16 MEGABYTES of memory. The installation should be restarted, and the correct amount of memory specified at the boot prompt by typing linux mem=XM where X is the correct amount of memory on the system. If Linux detects only 16 MB of memory, the installation will proceed at a much slower pace than normal. To avoid having to type this command each time you boot Linux, edit the /etc/lilo.conf file and add an “append” line: append="mem=48M" (“M” specifies memory)
5
This change must be added very close to the “read-only” line. The /etc/lilo.conf section will look similar to the following: image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.16
label=linux
root=/dev/sda2
append="mem=48M" (“M” specifies memory)
read-only
Save /etc/lilo.conf and then run /sbin/lilo to install a fresh copy of LILO. You may find that this memory command does not work for the 2.4.x Linux kernel. Two other methods exist for specifying the amount of memory available: mem=320M@16M (“M” specifies Memory) or mem=exactmap mem=0x9f000@0 mem=0x13f00000@0x100000 where 0x13f00000 = 319M.
To calculate an appropriate value for your amount of memory, take your amount of memory in megabytes, subtract 1 megabyte, multiply by 1024, then multiple by 1024 again, then convert to hexadecimal. The following formula (where XM is your total memory specified in MEGABYTES) shows this calculation:
(XM - 1M)*1024*1024, then convert the value to hexadecimal.
2.0 Disk Partitioning Perhaps the most challenging aspect of a Linux installation is Disk Partitioning. You can choose to perform automatic partitioning, or partition manually.
Automatic partitioning allows you to perform an installation without having to partition your drive(s) yourself. If you do not feel comfortable with partitioning your system, it is recommended that you select automatic partitioning. If you do not want Linux to be installed on your Master Boot Record (MBR) or if you want to use a boot manager other than LILO, do not choose this installation method.
6
CAUTION: Using automatic partitioning will remove all data on all existing Linux partitions.
2.1 The Compaq System Partition The Compaq System Partition, created during a SmartStart installation, reserves an area of the boot disk to store Compaq configuration and server utilities that simplify server configuration and diagnostics. The System Configuration Utility installs to this partition providing system configuration and server diagnostic tools. Although not required, Compaq recommends creating and maintaining this partition to make future system configuration and diagnostic sessions easier. Having the Compaq System Partition in place on systems that support it can save approximately one hour, if it becomes necessary to use any of these utilities. Here are some things to remember when partitioning your disk drive(s).
• The Compaq System Partition is not required for a Linux installation. Although not required, Compaq recommends that you create and maintain this partition (if your system supports it) to make future system configuration sessions easier. If you choose not to create or keep this partition, use floppy disks to complete the configuration process. • Systems with RBSU (See Table 1) do not require a Compaq System Partition and the System Configuration Utility will not run on these systems. • When using a Smart Array hosted disk system, all drives must be configured before installing Linux. Compaq Array Controllers are configured either using the Compaq ACU (Array Configuration Utility), which is available on the SmartStart CD-ROM or the Array configuration tool that resides in Option ROM on certain Smart Array controllers, the Option ROM Configuration for Array, (ORCA). • A maximum of four primary partitions are allowed on each hard drive. • An extended partition counts as one primary partition. An extended partition can have multiple logical drives within it. • Most operating systems can only boot from a primary partition. A logical drive within an extended partition is normally not bootable. Many find that this is not a problem with Linux, but it is important to understand this when setting up multiple operating systems on a single system. • The boot kernel must reside completely below the 1024 cylinder limit. If the kernel is placed beyond the 1024 cylinder limit, the operating system may not boot.
7
Sample Partition Sizes These suggested partition sizes could be used as guidelines for your Linux installation.
Note: This is only recommended for systems without a ROM Based Setup (RBSU).
• Primary Partition #1 (Note: This partition normally shows up as Partition #3) o Description: Compaq System Partition
o Size: 39 MB
o Type: Compaq Diagnostics (0x12) • Primary Partition #2 (Note: This should be marked active)
o Description: Linux Boot Partition (/boot)
o Size: 10 MB to 30MB depending on how many kernel images you want to host
o Type: Linux • Extended Partition #3
o Description: Hosts various logical drives and swap partition
o Size: Remainder of hard drive
o Logical Drive #1