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|  | # linux on AlphaServer GS series readme April 2001 | printable version

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|  | Introduction Customers frequently ask what support exists for Linux on the AlphaServer GS Series Systems. Compaq recognizes the growing capabilities of the Linux platform, and the need to help customers and ISVs who are evaluating the future potential for Linux, as well as developing enterprise enhancements for Linux and Linux applications. We also believe that the ability to run multiple operating systems in separate hardware partitions on a GS Series platform is a potential advantage to customers. An Advanced Developer's Kit for Linux on AlphaServer GS Series Systems has been developed to help customers evaluate Linux on highend systems. Compaq's goal is to provide an unsupported technical solution for customers or ISVs to develop or port Linux applications to an AlphaServer GS80, GS160, or GS320. An important part of this program is to gather customer and application information that will help Compaq assess the future potential of Linux on the AlphaServer GS Series Systems. Compaq has done preliminary testing of Linux on AlphaServer GS320 Systems, and we are offering an unsupported Advanced Developer's Kit (or Early Adopter's Kit) for those who are interested in performing their own evaluation. The Advance Developer's Kit will help Compaq's customers and developers load, boot and run Linux on a GS Series system. Included in the Kit is a README document that will specify the minimum GS Series system and Linux software requirements, installation steps, caveats, tested GS Series options and some Frequently Asked Questions. The Kit is targeted at Linux developers with a working knowledge of the GS Series System, the Linux kernel and with access to a GS Series AlphaServer system and Linux 2.4.x kernel sources. Requirements Running Linux on an Alpha GS Series system has a few prerequisites. You will need the following prior to running Linux on these systems: A GS Series system with at least one partition for use by Linux. An external storage shelf for the GS Series system, with an adapter that is supported under Alpha Linux. Another Alpha system with the same type of external storage shelf. An external disk with sufficient capacity to install Linux on. A copy of the desired Linux distribution, preferably one that ships with aboot-0.7 or above. This document covers Redhat 7.0 and SuSE 7.0. A copy of any 2.4.x Linux kernel sources. Installation Steps Installing Linux on a GS Series system is somewhat non-intuitive. The steps below have been used to install both Redhat Linux 7.0 and SuSE Linux 7.0. Both vendors have stated 2.4.x kernels will be used in their 7.1 releases. This will significantly ease the installation of Linux on GS Series systems. Until then, these steps will allow you to install Linux on a GS Series system: Ensure the external disk you are installing to will show up under Linux on both systems as the same device. You can most likely safely use /dev/sdb as the PCI drawer usually will contain an internal hard drive which will be detected as /dev/sda. Install your distribution of choice onto the external disk on the second Alpha system according to the distribution's installation instructions. When the newly installed system has finished the install process, log in as root. Extract a 2.4.x (any 2.4 kernel will work) kernel tree and build it, making sure to include all necessary device drivers for the adapters on the GS Series system. There are only three things which must be done for the configuration to work on a GS Series system: Select either "Generic" or "Wildfire" as the system type in the "General Setup" menu Set the "Legacy kernel address" variable to "No" in the "Kernel Hacking" menu. If you are using a serial line as a console on the GS Series system, select "Support for serial port console" under the "Character device driver support" menu. To leverage the GS Series NUMA architecture, it is recommended that you also install the initial NUMA patch for the Linux kernel, available at the following url: ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/andrea/patches/v2.4/2.4.3/alpha-numa-2 Copy the kernel into place, for example, cp arch/alpha/boot/vmlinux.gz /boot/vmlinux.gs.gz Edit /etc/aboot.conf and add a configuration entry which specifies this new kernel. The entry should look something like: 5:1/boot/vmlinux.gs.gz root=/dev/sdb1 Note: if your GS Series system has only a serial console, be sure to append console=ttyS0 to the configuration line. If your distribution installs a version of aboot older than 0.7, either download the sources or the update package from your distribution vendor. To find the version of aboot that has been installed, enter the following command: rpm -qa|grep aboot Install the new version of aboot as appropriate, and then install a new boot sector by typing /sbin/swriteboot -f3 /dev/<yourbootdisk> /boot/bootlx replacing <yourbootdisk> with the appropriate device (i.e. "sdb"). Halt the second system, for example, /sbin/halt. Move the external disk you installed your Linux distribution on into the external shelf on the GS Series system's partition you have set aside for Linux. At the console prompt on the GS Series system, boot the disk you have just installed with the appropriate aboot flag (for example, if this is the first disk on the second controller and your configuration entry is number 5, type boot dkb0 -flags 5). The system should now come up through its normal boot process to a login prompt. Login as normal and the system is now ready for use. Caveats Linux support for the Compaq Alpha GS Series is still in its initial stages. This means that, among other things, the Linux kernel and libraries have not yet been tuned for the GS Series' NUMA architecture. Tested Options Compaq has tested several options under Linux on the Alpha GS Series. This is only a list of those adapters that have been used; this does not imply they have gone through a full qualification process. So far, the list includes: KZPBA-CA/CB PCI Single Port UltraSCSI SE/Diff DE450 PCI 10/100 Ethernet Adapter SN-PBXGK-BB PCI ELSA Gloria 2D Graphics Adapter More options will be included as they are tested. Frequently Asked Questions Below are the questions and answers to some of the most common questions Compaq has received regarding Linux support for the Alpha GS Series: Q: Why can't I install my distribution like I normally would? A: Due to the scale of the Alpha GS Series systems, a kernel from the 2.4.x series is required to boot the systems. At this time, no distribution is available that includes a 2.4.x kernel to be used for installations. This situation is expected to improve in future releases of all distributions. Q: When my Alpha GS Series system boots, it shows me that I have a lot more memory than I really do - why is that? A: The initial support for the Alpha GS Series systems in the Linux kernel does not report the memory holes that exist between QBBs. Each QBB starts at a multiple of 64GB of memory, so what you are seeing is memory equivalent to: (# of QBBs * 64 GB) + Memory in the last QBB. Proper support for these memory holes is in the process of being merged into the base Linux kernel. Q: Why is Tru64 faster than Linux on my GS Series system? A: Tru64 has been optimized for the GS Series with full NUMA support, as well as support for other optimizations such as page coloring. NUMA support is in the process of being merged into the base Linux kernel, and work is currently under way in the Linux community to support page coloring. Note also there are several instances where Linux will outperform Tru64 on an identical GS Series system and load. For Additional Information More information regarding Compaq and its Linux portfolio, including how-to's and software utilities, is available from the following sites: Corporate Linux site: http://www.hp.com/linux Compaq Open Source: http://www.opensource.hp.com AlphaServer and Linux: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/linux ProLiants and Linux: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/linux/ Alpha Linux Power Tools: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/software/alpha-tools Test Drive*: http://www.testdrive.compaq.com/linux Other Linux sites: Red Hat site: http://www.redhat.com SuSE site: http://www.suse.de * Test drive provides free online access to many Compaq systems, and features several Linux distributions Compaq and the Compaq logo Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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