Docs/Hardware/CompleteSystems

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Hardware: Complete Systems

Please give any information you can about complete systems you have worked with - good and bad.


Contents

[edit] Dell Dimension 4600

P4-1.2Ghz, 512Mb Ram, 120Gb disk, NVidia Geforce 4 videocard, built-in NIC, USB

This system worked great out of the box, no problems whatsoever during installation.


[edit] Hush mini-ITX PC

  • CPU: VIA C3 1Ghz Nehemiah
  • Mainboard: VIA M10000
  • memory: 512 MB PC2100 CL2
  • Graphics: VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics (rev 03)
  • Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 80 GB
  • Removable Media: Slimline CD-ROM
  • Operating System: Mandriva Linux 10.1 Official

xorg is using the VESA driver. The machine is completely silent and on 24/7. Very reliable.

lspci output:

       00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266]
       00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8633 [Apollo Pro266 AGP]
       00:0d.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. IEEE 1394 Host Controller (rev 80)
       00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80)
       00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80)
       00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80)
       00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82)
       00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
       00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
       00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
       00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 74)
       00:14.0 Ethernet controller: D-Link System Inc RTL8139 Ethernet (rev 10)
       01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8623 [Apollo CLE266] integrated CastleRock graphics (rev 03)


[edit] Soltek Qbic IQ3601 small form factor PC

  • CPU: VIA C3 1Ghz Nehemiah (integrated)
  • Mainboard: Soltek SL-B6AF1000 EPIA Mini-ITX motherboard
  • Memory: 512M DDR266 RAM
  • Graphics: Integrated VIA S3 Unichrome Graphics Card
  • Hard Drive: 40G Seagate IDE HDD
  • Removable Media: 4KUS 8X DVD-RW Drive
  • Operating System: Mandriva Linux 10.1 Official

Graphics card only works in VESA mode but all other devices functioning perfectly including all 6 USB 2.0 and both Firewire ports. The CPU is virtually silent and the entire machine runs off a 120W power supply. A great little desktop.


[edit] Dell Precision 670

Mandriva Linux 10.1 (i586) does not include a suitable version of the driver for the onboard SCSI controller, meaning the installer won't recognize the disk, preventing the installation. However, providing updated drivers on a floppy can solve the issue.

You have to download the floppy image provided at the end of this page and write it on a floppy:

dd if=floppy.2.6.8.1-20mdk.img of=/dev/fd0

Then start installation, using 'updatemodules' mode. Insert the floppy when asked. It should automatically load the driver for running kernel, making the installation possible.

It should also update installed kernels at the end of the process, otherwise reboot will be impossible once installation completed. It is doesn't, switch to a console (ALT+F2), transfer the files manually from the floppy to installed kernels in /mnt/lib/modules, then use the final commands to update module database and initrd, using the correct kernel version of course:

cd /mnt
chroot .
depmod -a -v 2.6.8.1-20mdksmp
mkinitrd -f  /boot/2.6.8.1-20mdksmp.img 2.6.8.1-20mdksmp
lilo

The provided floppy contains modules for the following kernels:

  • 2.6.8.1-20mdk (boxed edition)
  • 2.6.8.1-19mdk (download edition)
  • 2.6.8.1-12.5mdk (10.1 RC2)

If you need support for any other kernel version, you have to rebuild these using the dkms package found in contrib on another x86_64 host, then recreate the floppy using instructions from here. -- GuillaumeRousse

NOTE: There was a floppy image attachment, but attachments are no longer permitted.


[edit] Dell PowerEdge 1850/2850

Unfortunately, Mandrakelinux 10.1 (i586) did not include a new enough version of the megaraid driver for the Perc4e cards on the Dell PowerEdge 1850, but it is (with a bit of work) possible to install on these machines.

The information here is based on some posts made to the posted to the Dell linux-poweredge list, maintained here for easier reference.

  1. http://lists.us.dell.com/pipermail/linux-poweredge/2004-November/023248.html
  2. http://lists.us.dell.com/pipermail/linux-poweredge/2005-January/041918.html


[edit] Installation on a server with an integrated floppy drive

[edit] Starting the install

Boot the installation media using "linux updatemodules patch" with a floppy made from http://plf.zarb.org/~bgmilne/10.1/mdk101-megaraid-driver-patch.img in the floppy drive. You can use dd or rawwrite to make the floppy.

The floppy includes:

  • megaraid_mm and megaraid_mbox modules for the installation kernel, and a to_load file instructing the installer which modules to load in which order, allowing you to use the device during installation
  • a directory (2.6.8.1-12mdksmp) containing the modules required by the normal kernel
  • an installer patch (from cooker) to use the previous directory to update the modules for the normal kernel, and run depmod -a

[edit] Before you reboot

At the very last stage of the installation, just before hitting "Reboot," hit <Alt>-<Ctl>-<F2> to get to a tty.

Chroot into the installed system:

# chroot /mnt

Add the alias for the scsi_hostadapter:

# echo "alias scsi_hostadapter megaraid_mbox" >> /etc/modprobe.conf

Rebuild the initrd image

# mkinitrd -v -f /boot/initrd-2.6.8.1-12mdksmp.img 2.6.8.1-12mdksmp

Please check to ensure that the megaraid_mm and megaraid_mbox modules are included (the output of mknitrd should show them being added). If not, you can force their inclusion by running mkinitrd as follows:

# mkinitrd --preload megaraid_mbox --preload megaraid_mm -v -f /boot/initrd-2.6.8.1-12mdksmp.img 2.6.8.1-12mdksmp

Run LILO

# /sbin/lilo

[edit] Reboot

^D out of the chroot'ed environment and <Alt>-<F7> to the installer where you can safely click "Reboot."


[edit] Installation on a server without an integrated floppy drive

This will be a bit trickier, and will only work for installations where you can modify the installation media (ie network install). You will need to update the install/stage2/mdkinst_stage2.bz2 filesystem to update the modules included, and add a media to the installation tree which provides megaraid-lsi-kernel-2.6.8.1-12mdksmp-2.20.20-1mdk.i586.rpm. I haven't managed to get around to making an updated stage2 image yet. -- Buchan Milne

NOTE: There was a floppy image attachment, but attachments are no longer permitted.

[edit] Upgrading BIOS on Dell systems

Dell created the biosdisk tool to create BIOS upgrade floppies.

A simple biosdisk mkfloppy -d /dev/fd0 <BIOS_upgrade>.EXE generates the floppy upgrade disk.

This disk will automatically run the BIOS upgrade program when booted.

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