C H A P T E R  4

Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 (SLES 8) Software

This chapter describes how to install and update SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 (SLES 8) Software on Sun Fire V20 and Sun Fire V40z servers. Any differences in procedure between the two servers are noted.



Note - The system-administration procedures in this chapter are intended for users with at least basic Linux administration experience.





Note - The Sun Installation Assistant does not currently support SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 (64-bit) installations due to problems with handling the service packs. Future updates to the Sun Installation Assistant will include support for SLES8 installations and will be available online.



This chapter is organized into the following sections.


Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 From CDs

This section describes how to install SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 software from the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 CD media set.

Installing from CDs consists of the following procedures.

1. Install the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 software. See Installing the Software.

2. Update the SUSE Linux Enterprise software. See Updating the Operating System and Drivers.

Required Items

The CD installation procedure requires the following items.



Note - A mouse is recommended for the installation, but not required. If you are not using a mouse, you can use the Tab key to toggle the selections.



Installing the Software

1. Connect the keyboard and monitor to the appropriate connectors on the Sun Fire V20z or Sun Fire V40z server.

2. Power on the server and insert SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8, CD 1 into the server.

The server boots off of the CD and a screen with installation options appears.

3. Select an installation option (default is preferred) and press Enter.

The screen will time out to the default selection if you do not press Enter.



Note - You can change the video resolution of the installer by pressing the corresponding Function key on the keyboard shown on the selection screen.



4. Select the appropriate language and select Accept.

The installer will probe the server in order to obtain the recommended settings after this selection.

5. If a dialog box displays asking whether you want to perform a new installation, select New Installation and then OK.

A recommended configuration is displayed in the Installation Settings screen.

6. If the displayed configuration is acceptable for your environment, select Accept. Otherwise, select the component you wish to change and make the appropriate changes.

For most users, the default settings will be appropriate. Refer to the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 Installation Guide for more details about changing individual components.

7. Select Yes when prompted to start the installation.

8. When you are prompted to switch the CD, eject the CD from the drive, insert the requested CD and press OK.

You may not need all of the CDs, depending on which options you selected for installation. This installation of the RPMs will take about 15 minutes, depending on what you selected for installation.

After successful installation of the base system, a dialog box displays, instructing you to remove the inserted media.

9. Remove any inserted media and select OK.

After the system has rebooted, the installer will prompt you to enter the superuser password.

10. Enter a superuser password of your choice.



Note - Ensure that you remember the password. If you forget it, you may have to re-install the operating system.



The installer will now prompt you to add a new user.

11. You can add additional users at this point, or just select Next if you do not wish to add more users.

12. At the desktop settings menu, select Text mode only and press Accept.

The installer will write out some configuration files and then move on to the installation settings.

13. When prompted to detect printers, select Skip detection.

14. Verify the settings in the Installation Settings screen and select Next.

15. After the system saves the configuration settings, select OK.

The installation is complete.

16. Log in as superuser.

17. Insert the United Linux 1.0 Service Pack 3 CD 1 into the server.

18. Mount the United Linux 1.0 Service Pack 3 CD 1:

# mount /media/cdrom

19. Update the kernel by typing the following command:

# rpm -Uvh /media/cdrom/x86_64/update/UnitedLinux/1.0/ \
rpm/x86_64/k_smp-2.4.21-127.x86_64.rpm

20. Unmount the United Linux 1.0 Service Pack 3 CD 1:

# umount /media/cdrom

 

Updating the kernel before running the YaST Patch CD Update utility (in the following steps) helps to eliminate an Installation Failed message that might appear in some installation configurations

21. Start the YaST administration program by running the following command:

# yast

22. From the Software menu of the YaST program, select Patch CD Update.



Note - The update utility may require an Internet connection.



23. Under the Installation Source selection, select Expert by pressing Alt+E.

24. From the Type menu, select CD.

25. From the CD Installation menu, select `/dev/cdrom'.

26. Select Next to begin the update.

The update utility scans the CD media for updates and then installs them.



Note - The update utility may prompt you for actions during the update process. Read the dialogs and select "OK" to continue.



27. After the update process completes, exit the update utility and the YaST program.

28. Reboot the server with the following command:

# reboot

29. Proceed to Updating the Operating System and Drivers.


Installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 Software From a Network

The tasks for installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 software from a networked PXE server consist of the following procedures.

1. Configure your network to support PXE installation. See Preconfiguring Your Network to Support PXE Installation.

2. Create a PXE install image on a system that will be the PXE server, from which the software is downloaded to other systems (PXE clients). See Creating a PXE Install Image on the PXE Server.

3. Install the SUSE Linux software to the PXE clients from the PXE server. See Installing the Software from a PXE Server.

4. Update the SUSE Linux software. See Updating the Operating System and Drivers.

Required Items

The PXE installation procedure requires the following items.

Creating a PXE Install Image on the PXE Server

This procedure describes how to create a PXE install image on the same server that is your DHCP server, so that it will also act as your PXE server. The PXE server provides the operating system files to your PXE client.



Note - Before you start this procedure, verify that your network has been configured as described in Preconfiguring Your Network to Support PXE Installation.



1. Set up the directory structure that will hold the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 with Service Pack 3.

You can use a different target directory than the /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/ directory shown. The examples in this procedure use this directory.

# mkdir -p /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/CD1

# mkdir -p /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/ \
unitedlinux-x86_64/CD{1,2,3}

# mkdir -p /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sp3-x86_64/CD{1,2}

2. Insert the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 CD into your server and copy its contents to your PXE server by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cp -a /media/cdrom/* \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/CD1

3. Unmount the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 CD with the following command and remove it from the server:

# umount /dev/cdrom

4. Insert UnitedLinux 1.0 CD 1 into your server and copy its contents to your PXE server, by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cp -a /media/cdrom/* \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/unitedlinux-x86_64/CD1

5. Unmount the UnitedLinux 1.0 CD 1 with the following command and remove it from the server:

# umount /dev/cdrom

6. Insert UnitedLinux 1.0 CD 2 into your server and copy its contents to your PXE server, by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cp -a /media/cdrom/* \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/unitedlinux-x86_64/CD2

7. Unmount the UnitedLinux 1.0 CD 2 with the following command and remove it from the server:

# umount /dev/cdrom

8. Insert UnitedLinux 1.0 CD 3 into your server and copy its contents to your PXE server, by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cp -a /media/cdrom/* \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/unitedlinux-x86_64/CD3

9. Unmount the UnitedLinux 1.0 CD 3 with the following command and remove it from the server:

# umount /dev/cdrom

10. Insert UnitedLinux Service Pack 3 CD 1 into your server and copy its contents to your PXE server by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cp -a /media/cdrom/* \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sp3-x86_64/CD1

11. Unmount the UnitedLinux Service Pack 3 CD 1 with the following command and remove it from the server:

# umount /dev/cdrom

12. Insert UnitedLinux Service Pack 3 CD 2 into your server and copy its contents to your PXE server by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cp -a /media/cdrom/* \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sp3-x86_64/CD2

13. Unmount the UnitedLinux Service Pack 3 CD 2 with the following command and remove it from the server:

# umount /dev/cdrom

14. Set up the boot environment for the client system to boot from by typing the following commands:

# cd /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/

# ln -s sles8-x86_64/CD1/boot .

15. Set up the content and media directories by typing the following commands:

# ln -s sles8-x86_64/CD1/content .

# ln -s sles8-x86_64/CD1/media.1 .

16. Set up the appropriate content and instorder files by typing the following commands:

# mkdir yast

# cp /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/order yast/

# cp /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/instorder yast/

17. Copy the autoinst.xml file from the /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/ directory to the root of the PXE image by typing the following commands:

# cp /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/autoinst.xml \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/

18. On your PXE server, modify and save the file /home/pxeboot/pxelinux.cfg/default to add the following entry to it:

Type the text block from append through autoinst.xml as one continuous string with no returns.

default SunFire_sles8
label SunFire_sles8
kernel SunFire_sles8/boot/loader/linux

append textmode=1
initrd=SunFire_sles8/boot/loader/initrd
install=nfs:/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8 insmod=bcm5700
autoyast=nfs://
n.n.n.n/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/autoinst.xml

Where n.n.n.n is the IP address of your PXE server.



Note - For console-based installations, add console=ttyS0,19200 to the append line.



19. Copy the Ethernet and SCSI RPMs into the proper directory by typing the following command:

# cp /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/*.x86_64.rpm \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/CD1/suse/x86_64/

20. Copy the RPM selection file to the proper directory by typing the following command:

If the systems you are building are single-processor systems, type the following command:

# cp /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/Sunfire.sel.up \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/ \
CD1/suse/setup/descr/Sunfire.sel

If the systems you are building have more than one processor, type the following command:

# cp /tmp/sles8-pxefiles/Sunfire.sel.smp \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/ \
CD1/suse/setup/descr/Sunfire.sel

21. Update the package description files by typing the following commands:

# cd /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/CD1/suse/

# /usr/lib/YaST2/bin/create_package_descr \
-d /home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/CD1/suse/ \
-l english



Note - If the create_package_descr program is not found, be sure to install the autoyast2 package.



22. Modify the available packages list by typing the following command:

# echo "Sunfire.sel" >> \
/home/pxeboot/SunFire_sles8/sles8-x86_64/ \
CD1/suse/setup/descr/selections

This ensures that the new selection package that was added will be seen by the installer.

Installing the Software from a PXE Server

This procedure describes how to initiate the request from the target Sun Fire V20z or Sun Fire V40z server to download the boot image file from the PXE/DHCP server and to install the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 software onto the target server.



Note - This procedure assumes that you have already preconfigured your network and PXE server install image as described in Preconfiguring Your Network to Support PXE Installation and Creating a PXE Install Image on the PXE Server.



1. Connect the PXE client to the same network as the PXE server and power on the PXE client.

The PXE client is the target Sun Fire V20z or Sun Fire V40z server to which you are installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 software.

2. When the PXE client prompts you for a network boot, press the F12 key.

The PXE client connects to the PXE server and attempts to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server.

3. Press the F8 key to begin the downloading of the PXE boot image.

4. When you are prompted at the boot: prompt, type in the label you gave the image during Step 18 of Creating a PXE Install Image on the PXE Server.

The SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 install image downloads onto the target Sun Fire V20z server.

5. To configure the Linux operating system for your server, refer to the manual that is shipped with your SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 media kit.

6. Proceed to Updating the Operating System and Drivers.


Updating the Operating System and Drivers

The CD media may not contain the most up-to-date versions of the software. Since the media has been released, there have been many updates to the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server software.

See the following procedures for instructions on updating the SUSE Linux Enterprise 8 software.

Updating SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 Software

To keep your system protected against security threats and increase stability, you should run the yast2 program when the system is fully installed. Refer to the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 documentation for futher details on YaST Online Update.

This procedure assumes you have your system configured to connect to the Internet.

1. Log in as the superuser.

2. Run the following command:

# yast2 online_update

3. Follow the directions on the screen.



Note - If a newer kernel is installed as part of the update, it might downgrade some drivers. Refer to Upgrading SCSI and Network Drivers for information on upgrading the drivers.



Upgrading SCSI and Network Drivers

The kernel that is installed on the system might not contain the optimal drivers that Sun Microsystems recommends. Updating the drivers ensures proper system performance.

The instructions below describe how to copy the latest drivers from the Sun Fire V20z and Sun Fire V40z Servers Documentation and Support Files CD. You can also download the driver RPMs from the product pages for the Sun Fire V20z and Sun Fire V40z servers. The following URL is valid for both servers:

http://www.sun.com/servers/entry/v20z/downloads.html

 

1. Determine which kernel is currently installed on the system by running the following command:

# rpm -qa | grep ^k_

The following is an example of the output you might get:

k_deflt_2.4.21-127

2. Insert the Documentation and Support Files CD into the Sun Fire V20z or Sun Fire V40z server.

3. Mount the CD and locate the Ethernet and SCSI drivers by typing the following commands:

# mount /media/cdrom

# cd /media/cdrom/support/drivers/suse/sles8/

4. Determine which driver RPMs correspond to the kernel version as determined in Step 1.

The filenames of the RPMs contain the kernel version and type. For example, for the kernel version in Step 1, the Ethernet (bcm5700) and SCSI (lsi) drivers would be:

bcm5700-deflt-7.0.0_2.4.21_127-sles8_1.x86_64.rpm

lsi-deflt-2.05.06_2.4.21_127-sles8_1.x86_64.rpm

Where 2.4.21_127 represents the kernel number that correponds to
k_deflt_2.4.21-127.

5. Run the following command to install the RPM files:

# rpm -Uvh /media/cdrom/support/drivers/suse/sles8/bcm5700-driver.rpm

# rpm -Uvh /media/cdrom/support/drivers/suse/sles8/lsi-driver.rpm

Where bcm5700-driver and lsi-driver refers to the appropriate Ethernet and SCSI driver rpm files, as determined in Step 4.



Note - The following steps are for installing NPS drivers, which include JNET and machine check kernel drivers, as well as POCI, a monitoring daemon. This software is required in order to enable hardware monitoring, OS-state reporting and SNMP proxy service to the server's service processor.



6. Locate the NPS RPM on the Documentation and Support Files CD that corresponds to your operating system version and architecture.

The NPS RPM files are located in OS-specific directories within this top level path on the CD: /support/sysmgmt/

7. Install the NPS RPM by typing the following command:

# rpm -Uvh /mnt/cdrom/support/sysmgmt/suse/sles8/nps-V2.rpm

Where nps-V2 represents the version and architecture of the NPS RPM file.

Alternatively, the NPS RPM can be compiled and installed from source by typing the following commands:

# cd /usr/src/packages

# tar -xvf /mnt/cdrom/support/sysmgmt/src/nps-V2*.tar.gz

# rpm -bb SPECS/nps.spec

# rpm -ivh `find ./RPMS | grep nps`



Note - Some Linux variants might require the rpmbuild command instead of the rpm command. Check with the documentation for your version of Linux.



8. After successful installation, reboot the system by running the following command:

# reboot