Installing FC5/Ubuntu on an IBM Xseries 300 server...

[Stese]

*Title edited to show that i'm now installing ubuntu instead of FC5

Hi all,

I'm afraid i'm a bit of a linux newb, so apologies if this stuff shuold be obvious...

I'm attempting install of FC5 onto the forementioned server, but i'm getting issues with anaconda, as it fails to probe the video card. Surely something this standard shuold be picked up.

Any ideas? (it's an S3 Trio card I think)

Regards,

Stese

[webman]

What about using the text mode installer? ('linux text' at the boot: prompt)

[Stese]

I have attempted this, but it didn't seem to install the network cards (couldn't find device eth0/1 when I ran ifconfig)

I'm going to rebuild the machine anyway, to see if it was an installation bug.

Once i'm done, I plan to use the system for Squid+Dansguardian...

[Geoff]

I've found Ubuntu to have rather better hardware detection than most other distros. You might want to download the server ISO for that. Remeber your server has Xeon/Em64t chips in so you'll want the second ISO image I've listed. The x86 version is just there for everyone else.

http://releases.ubuntu.com/dapper/ub...erver-i386.iso (x86)
http://releases.ubuntu.com/dapper/ub...rver-amd64.iso (AMD64/Em64t)

Also, don't install a GUI. It's a pointless waste of resources that are better put use to what the machine is supposed do be doing (in your case web filtering).

[Stese]

Xeon?

It says Celeron on the front... and lists it as a 950mhz system on the IBM site.

*is now confused*

Anyway, i'll try the x86 Ubuntu, and see what I get from that...

Since i'm a linux newb, I like to have a gui available (even if I set runlevel 3 as default) incase i get stuck, but i realise the point.

Thanks

[Geoff]

Uh sorry, Google lead me to believe your Xseries machine was a Xeon Em64T machine. If it's not then fine. Just use the x86 iso.

[Stese]

Ok, now i'm in a bit of a pickle...

Ubuntu hasn't dectected the network card(s) and says i need to go back to the dectection screen to install one, but if i select dectect, it doesn't dectect, and repeats... how do I get to add a card, or do I have to do it later... ?

Also, i'm trying to get the drivers from the IBM site, but I can't find one relevent to Ubuntu, or even Debian... I've got one thats for 'linux servers' but i'm not sure... any ideas?

[Geoff]

Do an 'lspci' and tell use what the network card is detected as.

[webman]

Are the network card(s) enabled in the BIOS?

[Geoff]

That doesn't matter webman. Even if you disable hardware in the BIOS Linux will still detect and use it.

[Stese]

Webman > Yes they are enabled in BIOS...

Geoff> So you are suggesting that I finish the install without the network, and then doing the lspci, or is there some way to run this command with the ubuntu installer running?

[Geoff]

ALT + Function keys will get you to the various consoles, one of which will get you to a command line.

[Stese]

Ok, here is a good one...

i did an 'lspci' on console while running the ubuntu installer...

all i got the prompt.

Forced it into verbose mode, but still no data...

I've checked the pci tree as well, and all I got from that was

~ # lspci -t
-[00]-
~#

Could this indicate an issue with this machine?

[Geoff]

Motherboard make and model number please. Also, check for bios updates.

[Stese]

For anyone interested..

System/ Mobo : IBM Eserver XSeries 300 type 876252X

Full Original Spec here

The system now has 1024Mb Ram, and a 500GB secondary IDE Drive.

Found a BIOS update for 07/10/2003 (newer than on the machine), which has been installed.

This has seemingly fixed the problem! *woot*

thanks for the help