Topic: compaq partition

[sampei]

hallo!!!
I'm installing e-smith on 3 compaq proliant DL380.... how can i do to do not erase the compaq partiotion? i tryed to install and e-smith erased it...

thanks and good work!!! E-smith server rulez!!!

[Paul van Dun]

I've installed it on an Deskpro 2000 with the Compaq partition on it, but it was erased entirely !!!.
Actually I didn't find a way to come around this problem, but the manual says "All the data will be erased on the HDD"


Greetings from the Netherlands !!!

Paul van Dun

[sampei]

Thanks Paul!!

Anybody now how to avoid this problem? it is very important!!

Greetings from the Italy!!!!!

Sampei

[robert]

I haven't tried this with e-smith/SME, but I did once install RedHat on a Compaq with Compaq partition and the trick there was to not install LILO in the master boot record or whatever it's called (default location), but on the primary partition. This should work on e-smith as well. You need to edit the kickstart config file to force LILO to install on primary partition. Kickstart HOWTO should tell you how this is done.
Hope this helps,
Robert

[sampei]

thanks robert, but i can't find find this howto... where is it?
thank you!

[robert]

http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/KickStart-HOWTO.html

www.linuxdoc.org is one of the first places to look if you have a question about Linux.

[robert]

By the way, it used to be that if you skipped kickstart, you would be dropped into a regular RedHat installer where you can do all kinds of neat things. I don't know if that's still the case with SME 5. Also, if you try this, be careful to read the kickstart config file, because you want to stay as close to a kickstart install as fits your purposes. For instance, if you want a real SME system you shouldn't create a regular user, because SME has different types of users. Also make sure you run all post-install scripts that kickstart would normally take care of. To skip kickstart, you must boot from floppy and in the file syslinux.cfg on the boot floppy delete this:
ks=floppy:ks.cfg
Now, I'm not sure of this still works in SME 5 and it should be considered the quick and dirty method, where the clean method is to edit kickstart config files. I recommend you try the clean method first.

[sampei]

thank you robert!!!
i tryed to remove "ks=floppy:ks.cfg" from the syslinux.cfg and now it boot with the standard redhat installation interface; now i can make my custom partitions (and save compaq's partition!!) but now i have "an ecceptional error. propably it is a bug". i'm thinking that i have to create a custom ks.cfg file. any ideas?

this is the error that anaconda saved on a floppy:

Traceback (innermost last):
  File "/var/tmp/anaconda-7.0.1//usr/lib/anaconda/iw/progress_gui.py", line 20, in run
    rc = self.todo.doInstall ()
  File "/var/tmp/anaconda-7.0.1//usr/lib/anaconda/todo.py", line 1607, in doInstall
    self.instClass.preAction(self.instPath, self.serial)
AttributeError: preAction

Local variables in innermost frame:
arch: i386
self:
message: package XFree86-Mach64 is not available
i: /etc/X11

ToDo object:
(itodo
ToDo
p1
(dp2
S'esmith_custom'
p3
I0
sS'method'
p4
(iimage
CdromInstallMethod
p5
(dp6
S'currentDisc'
p7
I1
sS'tree'
p8
S'/mnt/source'
sS'device'
p9
S'hda'
sS'progressWindow'
p10



------------------------------------

sorry for my english i'm italian!
Tnx!!!

[Boris]

Try to copy ks.cfg from CDROM to floppy, modify partitions session and LILO pointer to first system partition instead of MBR.
Then you boot into SME installer, type "accept ks=floppy".
I've used it on DELL server to preserve diagnostic partition, while installing stock RedHat, but should work the same on any RedHat based Distros that use KickStart.

[sampei]

Finally here is the solution!!!

Thanks very much to Robert Van Der Aker!!!

Most people need to manage partitions during the intallation of e-smith server (i needed it to save the compaq diagnostic partition on my Proliant DL380 servers and on an HP netserver 2000).... the steeps are easy but it is hard to find documentation!!

1) make a boot floppy with rawrite.exe (you can find it under "dosutils" directory on the cdrom) from the file boot.img (it is under the dir "image").
2) delete ks.cfg on the floppy.
3) copy the file install.cfg from images/kickstart on the floppy
4) rename it in ks.cfg
5) delete from this file all the strings regarding partitions and lilo (like that):
----------------------
# partitioning parameters
zerombr yes
clearpart --all
part /boot --size 10
part / --size 1 --grow
part swap --size 256

# boot loader
lilo --location mbr --linear
-----------------------
6) boot your server with this floppy and good luck!!!!

the result is a normal text installation that give you the possibility to partition the
disk how do you want!!!

bye!!!

[Chaloner Hale]

I have a Proliant 2500 with SmartArray-2DH. I have followed the instructions here to load SME from floppy by replacing ks.cfg with install.cfg. I have managed to get the machine up and working.

The install did not seem to complete. I had to run (ended up running) /sbin/e-smith/reset-config before anything worked at all.

Now it is up and seems to be working, with the exception that php is not active in primary or in any ibay. PHP however is installed.

I have installed the two update blades.... Still no result.... I do however have access to my Compaq Diags........


What could be missing? Some e-smith-base package???? Any bright problem solvers willing to toss a few hints my way????


Thank you,

Chaloner Hale

[robert]

Chaloner Hale wrote:
>
> I have a Proliant 2500 with SmartArray-2DH. I have followed
> the instructions here to load SME from floppy by replacing
> ks.cfg with install.cfg. I have managed to get the machine up
> and working.
>
> The install did not seem to complete. I had to run (ended up
> running) /sbin/e-smith/reset-config before anything worked at
> all.
>
> Now it is up and seems to be working, with the exception that
> php is not active in primary or in any ibay. PHP however is
> installed.
>
> I have installed the two update blades.... Still no
> result.... I do however have access to my Compaq Diags........
>
>
> What could be missing? Some e-smith-base package???? Any
> bright problem solvers willing to toss a few hints my way????
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Chaloner Hale

I was worried about the fact that maybe the %post part from install.cfg would not run. 'sampei' however has assured me that the only input that the installer asks for is the parts that it can't find in the kickstart file. This means that if you only delete the lines about lilo and partitioning, the installer will do all the things as per kickstart except for partitioning, clearing the master boot record and installing lilo. Is this not your experience? Are you sure you didn't delete too many lines?
You can easily verify if the %post bit ran by looking in the logs. Also, if you get the welcome message that's installed by %post, you can bet your life the post-install event ran as well.
You can also try Boris's solution. For this you don't delete lines from the kickstart file, but replace them with lines that fit your situation, so you will again have a fully automated kickstart installation.
I believe the lilo bit should read:
lilo --location partition
Good luck with the other bits.

[Chaloner Hale]

Well I tried again, this time a little more carefully. IT WORKS JUST GREAT!!!. THe only change I had to make was in lilo.conf, where I had to set how much memory I had. I think my problems were editor related, so this time I edited the file under Linux using vi. Can anyone recommend a good windows editor that avoids the CR vs CR/LF problems?

http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/linux/compaq-howto-1.html

Compaq has a great How-To on the Proliants and Linux. In summary, I followed these steps;

o Installed the Compaq diags as usual.

o copied the install.cfg from the CD-rom to ks.cfg on the boot floopy after deleting the parts related to partitioning and lilo.

o started a normal install. Only thing different was that I had to partition the drive myself. Be sure to mark /boot as BOOTABLE. I set /boot to 10MB and the swap to 256MB.

o When it asked where lilo should go, I said to the boot partition and not the MBR.

o All other answers were default.

Once the system came up, I edited lilo.conf and added the line append="mem=128M" just before both occurences of "read-only".

WORKS LIKE A CHARM.....

Thanks for your help Robert, and as well to all those that participate in these forums.


Chaloner Hale

[robert]

Now, as a token of your appreciation, put this stuff in a HOWTO, so others may benefit (who searches the boards anymore?)

[Lotas Smartman]

Thanks!!! I have a compaq deskpro 2000 sitting here under my desk. i have just put some life back into it and want to make it a sever. This info will help me!!! Thanks.