Linux Installation Guide for Compaq Servers
Updated June 15, 2001
Created June 14, 2001

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Hardware Setup

Instructions for setting up your Compaq server before installing Linux.

Notes about: See linux.html and nvram.html and http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/linux/compaq-howto.html.
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Memory

See memory.html

Notes about:
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Storage Controllers

Notes about storage drivers as static or modular, initrd, /etc/conf.modules, and mkinitrd.

Using SCSI CD-Rom drive on PL4500: see pl4500.html

See drivers.html for more information.
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CD-Rom Drives

Booting to SCSI vs. IDE CD-Rom drive: scsicd.html Using SCSI CD-Rom drive on PL4500: see pl4500.html
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Network Cards

See drivers.html

Manually setting up a network interface: procedures/manual-network.html

Troubleshooting a network interface card: procedures/networktrouble.html
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CPU - up and smp

Single Processor (up) and Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)

See kernel.html
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Video Controller Cards

Explain memory capacities and screen resolutions of the various chipsets.

Adding or changing the video controller card in Linux

Red Hat

Kudzu in Red Hat (6.2?, 7.0, 7.1) should be able to detect the addition or removal of a video controller and make the proper adjustments.

Caldera

Caldera (3.1 and others) doesn't seem to be able to automatically detect hardware changes. If you add or remove a video card, you will need to make some changes.
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Compaq Remote Insight Board

Adding a RIB board after Linux is already installed

Red Hat

Kudzu in Red Hat (6.2?, 7.0, 7.1) should be able to detect the addition or removal of a RIB board and make the proper adjustments.

Caldera

Caldera (3.1 and others) doesn't seem to be able to automatically detect hardware changes. If you add or remove a RIB board, you will need to make some changes.

Tools to use for this is "lspci" and "lspci -n" and/or "xf86cfg".

For example:

If you have a Compaq server with Caldera installed and you then install a Compaq Remote Insight Board, this RIB board contains its own video controller. Looking at "lspci" and "lspci -n" will show you the presence of both video controllers and you can see they have separate PCI device numbers.

Here is a sample of the "Device" section in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file for the embedded video: 
Section "Device"
	### Available Driver options are:-
        #Option     "accel"
        #Option     "crt_screen"
        #Option     "composite_sync"
        #Option     "linear"
        #Option     "mmio_cache"
        #Option     "probe_clocks"
        #Option     "reference_clock"
        #Option     "shadow_fb"
	Identifier  "Card0"
	Driver      "ati"
	VendorName  "ATI"
	BoardName   "Mach64 GR"
	ChipSet     "ati"
	ChipId      0x4752
	ChipRev     0x27
	BusID       "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
Here is a sample of the "Device" section in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file for the RIB board: 
Section "Device"
	### Available Driver options are:-
        #Option     "accel"
        #Option     "crt_screen"
        #Option     "composite_sync"
        #Option     "linear"
        #Option     "mmio_cache"
        #Option     "probe_clocks"
        #Option     "reference_clock"
        #Option     "shadow_fb"
	Identifier  "Card0"
	Driver      "ati"
	VendorName  "ATI"
	BoardName   "Mach64 GV"
	ChipSet     "ati"
	ChipId      0x4756
	ChipRev     0x7a
	BusID       "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection
We found that the only lines that change were the following 4 lines: 
	BoardName   "Mach64 GV"
	ChipId      0x4756
	ChipRev     0x7a
	BusID       "PCI:2:0:0"
From these lines the BoardName probably doesn't affect anything. The ChipId and ChipRev would change if the chipset changes (for example from ATI Rage XL to ATI Rage IIc). The BusID is the important part. I believe that the BusID is the main cause for Caldera not to work with the board change.

Method #1 - Using xf86cfg to generate a new /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

You can have xf86cfg generate a new XF86Config-4 file which is saved with a filename of /root/XF86Config.new.
  1. Backup old XF86Config file:
    2. cp /etc/X11/XF86Config /tmp
  2. run xf86cfg:


    3. xf86cfg will generate a new XF86Config file for you and save it as /root/XF86Config.new.

    Note that the GUI starts. Switch over to screen #1 by pressing CTRL+ALT+F1. Wait for xf86cfg to show some of the following and then return to the command prompt: 
     Xlib: Unable to load authorization file
 AUDIT: Fri Jun 15 17:38:28 2001: 1070 X: client 1 rejected from local host 
          Xlib: connection to ":8.0" refused by server
 Xlib: Unable to load authorization file
 AUDIT: Fri Jun 15 17:38:30 2001: 1070 X: client 1 rejected from local host 
          Xlib: connection to ":8.0" refused by server
 Xlib: Unable to load authorization file
 AUDIT: Fri Jun 15 17:38:30 2001: 1070 X: client 1 rejected from local host 
          Xlib: connection to ":8.0" refused by server
 Xlib: Unable to load authorization file
 Cannot connect to X server.
[root@noname /root]#
  3. Move the new XF86Config file into place:
    4. mv /root/XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
  4. Stop the X-Windows that was started with xf86cfg


    5. Switch back to the GUI by pressing CTRL+ALT+F8 (you should now see the GUI). Stop this copy of the GUI by pressing CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE (You should now be returned back to the command prompt).

  5. Start X-Windows with the kdm command:
    6. /opt/kde2/bin/kdm

Method #2 - Manually changing /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

You can change these lines by hand from the values you receive from the output of "lspci" and "lspci -n".

Here is sample output from "lspci": 
00:00.0 Host bridge: Relience Computer CNB20HE (rev 05)
00:00.1 Host bridge: Relience Computer CNB20HE (rev 05)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage XL (rev 27)
00:03.0 System peripheral: Compaq Computer Corporation Advanced System Management Controller
00:0f.0 ISA bridge: Relience Computer: Unknown device 0200 (rev 4f)
00:0f.1 IDE interface: Relience Computer: Unknown device 0211
00:0f.2 USB Controller: Relience Computer: Unknown device 0220 (rev 04)
01:03.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08)
01:04.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08)
01:05.0 IDE interface: CMD Technology Inc: Unknown device 0649 (rev 02)
Here is sample output from "lspci -n": 
00:00.0 Class 0600: 1166:0009 (rev 05)
00:00.1 Class 0600: 1166:0009 (rev 05)
00:02.0 Class 0300: 1002:4752 (rev 27)
00:03.0 Class 0880: 0e11:a0f0
00:0f.0 Class 0601: 1166:0200 (rev 4f)
00:0f.1 Class 0101: 1166:0211
00:0f.2 Class 0c03: 1166:0220 (rev 04)
01:03.0 Class 0200: 8086:1229 (rev 08)
01:04.0 Class 0200: 8086:1229 (rev 08)
01:05.0 Class 0101: 1095:0649 (rev 02)
Match up the output from "lspci -n" with that of "lspci" and you get the following for the one video controller we currently have in the system: 
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage XL (rev 27)
00:02.0 Class 0300: 1002:4752 (rev 27)
The "BoardName" most likely doesn't matter. The other 3 important values are right there in the output (ChipId, ChipRev, and BusID)

Notes

Note: Be careful where and how you back up your XF86Config files, the GUI will try to read it if it exists in your home directory.

Note: For Caldera 3.1 you may notice that startx doesn't fully start the GUI. Use kdm or /opt/kde2/bin/kdm to start windows. You can also go back to runlevel 5, or if already there then wait for the 5 minute timeout to be over and the GUI will automatically load.

Note: To stop the GUI from trying to load you can enter runlevel 1 on startup (linux S) or change to runlevel 3 (init 3) once your system loads. The blinking (from the GUI trying to load) will stop after about 1 to 2 minutes - you can then change to runlevel 3 (init 3).

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Compaq Tape Drives

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Hardware List of Compaq Servers and Components

Hardware that works in Linux: PL4500 (all components of PL4500 except embedded SCSI controller)
SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessing)
SystemPro/XL (no smp support)
ProLiant 2000 (no smp support)
ProLiant 4000 (no smp support)
ProLiant 4500 (no smp support)
All other Compaq servers not mentioned should work as well.


Hardware that doesn't work in Linux:
Embedded SCSI controller of the PL4500
Old SMP on SystemPro/XL, ProLiant 2000, ProLiant 4000, ProLiant 4500

See pl4500.html and kernel.html
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Building a Linux Kernel

See kernel.html




Homepage: http://www.cpqlinux.com














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