IBM Support

Installing SUSE Linux version 8.1 - IBM eServer xSeries 235

How To


Summary

SUSE Linux version 8.1 installation instructions for IBM eServer xSeries 235 (Type 8671).

Steps

Contents

Installation instructions for SUSE LINUX version 8.1 for the IBM eServer xSeries 235 (Type 8671)
Installation instructions for SUSE LINUX version 8.1 for the IBM eServer xSeries 235 (Type 8671)

Revision Level: 1.16 Updated: 02 November 2004 (C) Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2004. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication, or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the general information under 5.0 Notices in this document.

Supported System: IBM eServer xSeries 235 (Type 8671)

Follow the network operating system (NOS) installation instructions provided in this document in sequential order unless these instructions advise you otherwise. Windows and messages might differ from those in this document. Throughout this document, the term select is used to denote the use of arrow keys, the Tab key, or Alt + a letter combination to make a selection from a menu. The term click is used to denote the use of a mouse to make a selection.

1.0 What you will need

You must have the following hardware and software for the installation:

2.0 Where to download device drivers and files

You can download device drivers and files from the following sites: You can download product specifications from the following sites:

If you have experience with small computer system interface (SCSI), hardware, and the installation process, continue with 3.0 Quick installation instructions for experienced users. If not, continue with 4.0 Detailed installation instructions.

3.0 Quick installation instructions for experienced users

Complete the following steps to install SUSE LINUX version 8.1.

  1. You must download an update diskette to install SUSE LINUX version 8.1. Go to: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/8.1/disks/update-mkinitrd.gz Follow the directions to build and use the diskette. Go to: MIGR-45200.
  2. Follow the YaST2 prompts to continue with the installation. Use the following installation information:
    Notes:
    • At the Installation Setting screen, select Booting, and then select Write GRUB to the boot disk ('MBR on <device>').
    • Type the parameter acpi=oldboot under the Kernel boot parameters heading if the server has more than one microprocessor or if Intel(R) Hyper-Threading Technology is enabled.
    • Select Accept.
    • The installer might require a restart.
      1. Make sure that there is no bootable installation media accessible to the server and select OK.
      2. If the basic input/output server (BIOS) message the boot sector has changed is displayed, select Continue, Change is expected.
      3. In the SUSE startup screen, press Enter or wait for the server to initialize the base components.
    • If you did not install the graphical environment components, a message is displayed stating that a graphical installation is not possible. Select OK. (The text-based YaST2 will be used from this point.)
    • You might be prompted to insert additional CDs (or DVDs, if applicable) to complete the package installation.
    • If you installed the graphical environment components on a server with a Remote Supervisor Adapter II, or if you plan to use a remote control environment to access the server, you will need to use a VESA mode device driver for the graphical environment. The preferred mode is the VESA device driver at 1024x768@75 Hz. For details about using the VESA device driver for the graphical environment, see the documentation that comes with the Remote Supervisor Adapter II and see the SUSE documentation.
      Note: To force SaX2 to use the VESA device driver, type:
      sax2 -m 0=vesa
    • For advanced installation topics, such as information about how to configure a network installation server or how to configure an unattended installation, see the documentation that comes with the operating system or see the SUSE online documentation.

4.0 Detailed installation instructions

Complete the steps in the following sections to install SUSE LINUX version 8.1 on your server.

4.1 Setting up the hardware

Complete the following steps to prepare the hardware:

  1. Disconnect the server from the power source and remove the cover.
  2. If problems occur when you attempt to install multiple adapters or devices, for the initial installation, remove all adapters and devices that are not required for the base operating system to be installed. Disconnect any tape drives or external SCSI devices temporarily. After the operating system is starting without errors, reinstall the removed adapters and devices one at a time. This procedure simplifies the installation process.
  3. If you plan to use an external storage enclosure, set up the enclosure using the instructions that come with the enclosure; then, continue with step 5. Otherwise, continue with step 4.
  4. Install the hard disk drives in the drive bays.
  5. Install the cover.
  6. Connect the server to the power source.
  7. Continue to 4.2 Setting up the server.

4.2 Setting up the server

Complete the following steps to set up the server:
  1. Turn on the server.
  2. When the IBM logo is displayed, press F1 to start the Configuration/Setup Utility program.
  3. Make sure that the BIOS code is at the latest revision level that is available from the IBM Web site or FTP site.
  4. If you need to update the BIOS code, go to 4.2.1 Updating the BIOS code. If not, go to 4.3 Configuring hard disk drives using the LSI SCSI controller. If you need to update the BIOS code, you must also update the diagnostics code and the service processor firmware.

4.2.1 Updating the BIOS code

Complete the following steps to update the BIOS code:
  1. Download the applicable image from the IBM Support Web site or FTP site. The image is a self-extracting, executable file (under DOS or IBM OS/2) that creates the flash diskettes.
  2. To create the diskettes, run the executable (.exe) file under DOS or OS/2 and follow the instructions on the screen.
  3. In the last window of the License Agreement, press the Y key.
  4. Label the diskettes, using the part number of the image.
  5. To update the BIOS code, complete the steps in the corresponding readme file.
  6. Continue to 4.2.2 Updating the diagnostic code.

4.2.2 Updating the diagnostic code

Complete the following steps to update the diagnostic code:
  1. Download the applicable image from the IBM Support Web site or FTP site. The image is a self-extracting, executable file (under DOS or IBM OS/2) that creates the flash diskettes.
  2. To create the diskettes, run the executable (.exe) file under DOS or OS/2 and follow the instructions on the screen.
  3. In the last window of the License Agreement, press the Y key.
  4. Label the diskettes, using the part number of the image.
  5. To update the diagnostics code, complete the steps in the corresponding readme file.
  6. Continue to 4.2.3 Updating the service processor firmware (if applicable).

4.2.3 Updating the service processor firmware (if applicable)

Complete the following steps to update the service processor firmware:
  1. Download the applicable image from the IBM Support Web site or FTP site. The image is a self-extracting, executable file (under DOS or IBM OS/2) that creates the flash diskettes.
  2. To create the diskettes, run the executable (.exe) file (under DOS or OS/2) and follow the instructions on the screen.
  3. In the last window of the License Agreement, press the Y key.
  4. Label the diskettes, using the part number of the image.
  5. To update the service processor firmware, complete the steps in the corresponding readme file.
  6. Continue to 4.3 Configuring hard disk drives using the LSI SCSI controller.

4.3 Configuring hard disk drives using the LSI SCSI controller

Complete the following steps to configure the hard disk drives using the LSI SCSI controller:
  1. Turn on the server and press Ctrl+C when prompted.
  2. Select the SCSI controller, then select Device Properties.
  3. Make sure that the boot SCSI ID matches the drive identification (ID) that you plan to use for the boot partition.
  4. Complete the following steps to format each hard disk individually. Formatting might take up to 30 minutes, depending on the drive size.
    1. Scroll down to the row for the hard disk drive.
    2. Tab over to the Format column.
    3. Press Enter twice.
    4. When the formatting is completed, press any key to continue.
    5. Press Esc three times, then select Exit the Configuration Utility.
  5. If you are using an IBM ServeRAID adapter, and not using Adaptec HostRAID, go to 4.4 Configuring arrays using an IBM ServeRAID adapter. Otherwise, go to 4.5 Installing SUSE LINUX version 8.1.

4.4 Configuring arrays using an IBM ServeRAID adapter

When the server starts, an error message concerning drive configuration similar to the following is displayed:

 -Following drives not responding (oldstate:newstate:ch:bay) (ONL:DDD:2:1) (ONL:DDD:2:2)
 -Identifiers for the following drives do not match configuration
 -Drive(s) not responding or found at new location(s)
 -Standby device(s) not responding or found at new location(s)

This error message indicates that you need to configure the arrays. If you see this error message, complete the following steps to configure arrays:

  1. Insert the IBM ServeRAID Support CD into the CD-ROM drive and press F10 to continue without changing the configuration.
  2. If prompted, update the ServeRAID BIOS code and ServeRAID firmware. Restart the server and repeat step 1, if necessary.
  3. In the ServeRAID Manager window, select LocalHost (Local system), then select Controller 1.
  4. From the Actions menu, select Restore to factory-default settings.
  5. In the Confirmation window, select Yes.
  6. From the Actions menu, select Configure RAID.
  7. Select Custom configuration for controller 1, then select Next.
  8. Select each ID you want to add to the array, then select Next.
  9. Specify the RAID level, then select Next.
  10. Select Apply.
  11. In the Confirmation window, select Yes.
  12. Select Reboot or Restart at the ServeRAID Manager window and continue with 4.5 Installing SUSE LINUX version 8.1.

4.5 Installing SUSE LINUX version 8.1

Complete the following steps to install SUSE LINUX version 8.1.
  1. You must download an update diskette to install SUSE LINUX version 8.1. Go to: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/update/8.1/disks/update-mkinitrd.gz Follow the directions to build and use the diskette. Go to: MIGR-45200.
  2. At the boot options prompt, press Enter to start the installation process. If you installed the graphical environment components on a server with a Remote Supervisor Adapter II, or if you plan to use a remote control environment to access the server, press F2 and press Enter two times.
  3. Select English (US), and then select Accept.
  4. If you are prompted, select New installation, and then select OK.
  5. Review the following settings in the Installation Settings screen and use the following guidelines to make the necessary changes.
    1. Make sure that you follow the instructions under the Boot section. When you are finished, select Accept.
    2. Mode - Do not change this.
    3. Keyboard layout - If the language is set correctly, in most cases the correct keyboard setting is automatically selected. Select Keyboard to modify the keyboard mapping. Select the keyboard layout from the list. You can check that it works correctly by typing in the "Keyboard test" box. When you are finished, select Accept.
    4. Mouse - Select Mouse if you need to change the type of mouse you are using. Changing the mouse type is not necessary in most cases. Select the correct mouse from the list and select Test to make sure that it is working with your mouse. When you are finished, select Accept.
    5. Partitioning - If you need to change the partitioning scheme for your hard disk drive, select Partitioning. When the YaST2 proposed partitioning scheme is displayed, choose one of the following options:
      • To accept the proposed scheme, select Next.
      • To modify the proposed scheme, select Base partition setup on this proposal, and then select Next. In the Expert Partitioner screen, you can view and change existing partitions on the hard disk drive by selecting from the following options:
        • Create - To add new partitions.
        • Delete - To delete partitions, select partition, and then select Delete.
        • Edit - To change existing partitions.
        • Resize - To change existing partition sizes.

        When you are finished, select Next.

      • To discard the proposed scheme, select Create custom partition setup, and then select Next. In the Preparing Hard Disk - Step 1 screen, use one of the following procedures:
        • Select the hard disk drive where you want to install SUSE LINUX version 8.1, and then select Next. If there are pre-existing partitions that take up all of the space on the drive, choose one of the following options:
          • Select Use entire hard disk, and then select Next.
          • Select the partitions that can be deleted, and then select Next.

          If the drive has been low-level formatted or is new, select Next. If there are pre-existing partitions on the drive that do not take up all of the space, the message There is free space on the disk. Should YaST2 use this for SuSE Linux? is displayed. If you select No, use the following procedure for custom partitioning.

        • Select Custom partitioning - for experts, and then select Next. In the Expert Partitioner screen, you can view and change existing partitions on the hard disk drive by selecting from the following options:
          • Create - To add new partitions.
          • Delete - To delete partitions, select the partition that you want to delete, and then select Delete.
          • Edit - To change existing partitions.
          • Resize - To change existing partition sizes.

          At a minimum, create the following partitions:

          • A swap partition up to two times the size of the physical random access memory (RAM), with file system type SWAP.
          • A root partition of at least 350 MB with the file system type EXT2 (for the most stable performance) or Reiser (for the best uptime). A minimum of 2 GB is required for a default installation.

      Notes:

      • If you want to use the Crypt file system, or any of the other options (such as LVM or RAID) for partitioning that are not described in this document, see the SUSE Linux 8.1 User Guide or the SUSE Linux 8.1 Administration Guide.
      • Only four partitions can be primary. If you want to create more than four partitions, you will need to create a logical partition.

      Software - Use this option to change the default software configuration, which installs most of the basic networking, administrative, and development tools that are needed. In the Software Selection screen, select the software configuration that you want. For a specialized selection, select Detailed selection. You can then select specific software packages using the package tool. When you are finished, select Accept.Booting - Select Booting and select Write GRUB to the boot disk ('MBR on <device>'). If the server has more than one microprocessor or has Intel Hyper-Threading Technology enabled, type the parameter acpi=oldboot under the Kernel boot parameters heading. When you are finished, select Accept.Time zone - Use this option to set the time zone for the installation. First, select the correct time zone from the list. Then, under the Hardware clock set to section, set either local time or UTC, depending on how you have set the clock for your server BIOS code. When you are finished, select Accept.Language - Use this option to specify the language for the installation. To specify a language, select Language, make your selection, and select Accept.

  6. At the Warning screen, select Yes, install.
  7. If the server has more than one microprocessor, or has Intel Hyper-Threading Technology enabled, make sure that there is no bootable installation media accessible to the server, and then select OK.
    1. The server will restart at this point.
    2. If you receive a BIOS message stating that the boot sector has changed, select Change is expected.
    3. At the SUSE boot screen, you can press Enter or wait for the server to initialize the base components.
  8. You might be prompted to insert additional CDs (or DVDs, if applicable) to finish installing the packages.
  9. At the "Password for 'root', the system administrator" screen, type the administrative password that you want twice, and then select Next.
  10. At the Add a New User screen, type the information for one system user. You can also add users and groups or change the password settings by selecting the respective buttons. When you are finished, select Next.
  11. The Desktop Settings screen is displayed. Select one of the following options:
    • Text mode only - no graphical desktop (this setting will not configure the graphical environment). To continue to the next step, select Next.
    • Graphical desktop environment (this setting is the default selection). Select Next to see the auto-detected settings for the graphical environment.
      • To accept the settings, select Accept. If you installed the graphical environment components on a server with a Remote Supervisor Adapter II, or if you plan to use a remote control environment to access the server, you will need to use a VESA mode device driver for the graphical environment. The preferred mode is the VESA device driver at 1024x768@75 Hz. For details about using the VESA device driver for the graphical environment, see the documentation that comes with the Remote Supervisor Adapter II and the SUSE documentation.

        Note:         To force SaX2 to use the VESA device driver, type: sax2 -m 0=vesa

      • To alter the settings, or if you want to change the resolution or color depth for the server graphical interface, complete the following steps:
        1. To change the graphic environment settings, select Change.
        2. If your monitor was not detected, you will be prompted to start the configuration dialog to set up the screen. Select Yes, and then select the Properties button. Select the applicable vendor and model, and then select Ok to return to SaX2 and select Finish.
        3. If needed, select the correct resolution and color depth by selecting Desktop (on the left), Color and Resolution, and then the Properties button.

          Attention: It is possible to damage your hardware by making these settings too high. Do not make changes if you do not know the correct settings.

        4. Select Ok, then Finish.
        5. Select Finalize.
        6. Select Test at the informational screen.
        7. A screen is displayed where you can change the configuration settings using the arrow keys. (If the screen is not displayed, press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to return to SaX2 and change the settings.) To accept the configuration, select Save.
        8. Select Ok at the dialog box that confirms that the configuration is saved.
        9. Select Accept.
  12. You might receive a warning that asks if you want to detect a printer. If you will be configuring a printer, select Yes; otherwise, select Skip detection.
  13. The Installation Settings screen enables you to configure other types of hardware. (The hardware configuration can also be done later with the YaST2 program). Select Next to finish the installation.

4.6 Loading security or package updates

After the installation and network are set up, complete the following steps to install security or package updates from SUSE. Run this update regularly to make sure that all software has the latest available security updates.
  1. Open a graphical terminal program (such as xterm or konsole), or log in at the console command prompt.
  2. If you are using a graphical terminal program, type xhost +
  3. Type su
  4. At the prompt, type the root password. You can now run the program YaST2 as the root user.
  5. To start YaST2, type yast2
  6. Select Software, and then select Online Update. (If in a non-graphical mode, you must then select Launch module.)
  7. Under the Choice of installation source section, set the choice of update mode to Automatic Update.
  8. Choose one of the following options for the installation source:
    • Leave the default value of ftp.suse.com.
    • Change to a different mirror for a better download time if necessary. For a list of mirrors, go to http://www.suse.com/us/support/download/ftp/int_mirrors.html.
  9. Select Next. The "Connection and Data transfer" screen is displayed, and the various security and software patch descriptions are downloaded.
    Note: If there are any updates needed for YaST2, a message is displayed prompting you to install the required YaST2 patches. Select OK, and complete the following steps:
    1. Select OK after the patches for YaST2 are installed.
    2. Select No in the Installation Log File screen.
    3. Select Finish in the Online Update Confirmation screen.
    4. To close the YaST2 Control Center, select Close, then return to step 1.
  10. In the Installation Log File screen, select No.
  11. In the Online Update Confirmation screen, select Finish.
  12. To exit YaST2, select Close.

5.0 Notices

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice.IBM, eServer, xSeries, e-business logo, ServerProven, ServeRAID, PS/2, and OS/2 are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.Adaptec and HostRAID are trademarks of Adaptec, Inc., in the United States, other countries, or both.Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

 

Document Location

Worldwide

Operating System

Older System x:SUSE Linux

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Document Information

Modified date:
27 January 2019

UID

ibm1MIGR-57735

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