Re: setup of OpenSSI 1.9.6 with Debian Sarge with a very old hardware

Hello there Scott,

I gave a try to Fedora and had better results.

I was able to boot the node 1 server after installing OpenSSI in the AMD =

machine with Fedora 3: I just had to add the "noapic" kernel option to =

grub.conf.

After following the tutorial of Fedora3, I started making some =

configurations to try to use the old box (genuine intel processor).

I added manually some configurations into /etc/dhcpd.conf (like making =

it authoritative). Tested with another machine and it worked.

After that, the old box could not boot from the network by using only =

the boot option from BIOS. I downloaded the ISO image from Etherboot =

website and then the machine was able to boot and search for the DHCP in =

the node 1 machine.

Then I run the openssi-config-node program. Answered the questions with =

most default options (192.168.0.3 as static IP address, use Etherboot =

and node number equal 2).

After that the configuration of /etc/dhcpd.conf was modified by the =

program and all my configurations gone for good.

Then I boot the old box. It started showing booting the kernel, but =

right after that the machine rebooted again, just like when I tried to =

make this box as node 1 using Debian Sarge.

I checked the documentation "Configuring Serial Console with OpenSSI", =

and did the configuration. But after changing the script, I could not =

get anything on my serial console but garbage after trying to boot =

several times the machine.

Looking further, I found the directory pxelinux.cfg (is the tutorial =

outdated?). I edited the default file like this:

[root@master ~]# cd /tftpboot/
[root@master tftpboot]# ls
combined  initrd  kernel  pxelinux.0  pxelinux.cfg
[root@master tftpboot]# cd pxelinux.cfg/
[root@master pxelinux.cfg]# ls
default  default.bkp
[root@master pxelinux.cfg]# cat default
timeout 50
prompt 1
display disfile
default openssi
serial 0 9600

label openssi
kernel kernel
# Standard append line
#append initrd=3Dinitrd ro
# Useful for test machines with serial consoles
append initrd=3Dinitrd ro console=3Dtty0 console=3DttyS0,9600

label local
localboot 0
[root@master pxelinux.cfg]#

And finally I got something in my serial console:

<console>
Bem vindo ao minicom 2.3

OP=C7=D5ES: I18n
Compilado em Sep 25 2009, 23:40:20.
Port /dev/ttyS0

                Pressione CTRL-A Z para ajuda sobre teclas especiais


PXELINUX 2.11 2004-08-16  Copyright (C) 1994-2004 H. Peter Anvin
boot:
Loading kernel........................................
Loading initrd..................................
Ready.
</console>

Nothing else but that.

I'll try to install Fedore 3 in this old box, install OpenSSI and see if =

it can boot after all with the OpenSSI kernel. If not, I'll try to =

compile the kernel with the processor architecture that it uses (Genuine =

Intel) and see what is happens.

Anyway, looks like a problem with the OpenSSI kernel. I shall try with =

another hardware to serve as a node 2 of the cluster and let you know.

Thanks,
Alceu

Scott Walters escreveu:
> "The machine starts booting OpenSSI"... again, what are the last few
> lines of output?
> =

> Since the screen goes black and doesn't give you a chance to read the
> messages, you should set up a serial console.  Add
> "console=3DttyS0,9600" to the kernel parameters for the bootloader and
> turn off getty for ttys0 in /etc/inittab (comment the line out, if it
> isn't already).  Plug another computer in to the first serial port
> with a null modem cable or adapter, fire up a terminal program, and
> set it to keep a log.
> =

> Perhaps you want to do that on the 686 class machine, not the 586 class m=
achine.
> =

> Looking at /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.14-ssi/.config, CONFIG_M686=3Dy is
> uncommented, but CONFIG_M586MMX and on down are commented out/not set.
>  Perhaps I modified my copy of this file and didn't remember that fact
> though.
> =

> Cheers,
> -scott


---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---
Start uncovering the many advantages of virtual appliances
and start using them to simplify application deployment and
accelerate your shift to cloud computing.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/novell-sfdev2dev