Mount the Linux Graphics Cluster Resource CD and create a kick-start floppy disk by using the following command:

# dd of=/dev/fd0 if=/mnt/cdrom/unsupported/ks_gc_1.0.img

You may wish to edit or replace the /dev/fd0/ks.cfg file. SGI has pre-installed several applications that may not be useful to your activities. The installation from the Red Hat 7.1 distribution consumes 1.765 GB of disk space and installs 701 packages by using the the included ks.cfg file.

The following CDs will be used with the kick-start floppy disk:

Before starting the installation, back up any files from the node you wish to keep (assuming the node is somewhat functional).

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Note: During a kick-start installation, the Red Hat installer will remove any partitions and reformat the hard drive. If multiple hard drives are found, it will span Linux partitions across all of the hard drives it finds.

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Power down the node and disconnect or remove power from all hard drives, except the system drive.

Ensure you have a monitor, mouse, and keyboard attached to the node being recovered.

Power up the node, insert the kick-start floppy disk into the floppy disk drive, and insert the SGI XFS 1.0 for Red Hat 7.1 CD into the CD-ROM drive.

The installer creates the following partitions:

The installer copies the installation image onto the system drive and then prompts for the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 1.

Load the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 1.

It installs several files up to the point of installing the kernel. It ejects the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 1 and asks for the SGI XFS 1.0 for Red Hat 7.1 CD.

Load the SGI XFS 1.0 for Red Hat 7.1 CD and await the next prompt to re-insert the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 1.

When prompted, load the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 1.

Subsequently, the installer requests the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 2.

Load the Red Hat Linux 7.1 CD 2 and continue the installation.

Using the kick-start floppy disk, the installation of the base Red Hat Linux distribution will consume approximately 30 minutes.

When prompted, press the Enter key to end the installation.

As the node reboots, remove the kick-start floppy disk and Red Hat Linux CD 2 from the CD-ROM drive .

Log in as root.

Place the SGI Linux Graphics Cluster Resource CD into the CD-ROM drive and mount it, as shown in the following:

[root@master-channel /root]# mount /dev/cdrom -t iso9660 /mnt/cdrom

Change the current directory to that of the CD and start the installation script, as shown in the following:

[root@master-channel /root]# cd /mnt/cdrom
[root@master-channel /root]# ./INSTALL

When prompted, select the appropriate optional software and follow the instructions as documented in the installation section of the README.GCE file located on the Graphics Cluster Resource CD.

When the installation has completed, switch to the home directory, umount the CD, remove it from the CD-ROM drive, and reboot the system, as shown in the following:

[root@master-channel /root]# cd $HOME
[root@master-channel /root]# umount /mnt/cdrom
[root@master-channel /root]# eject
[root@master-channel /root]# sync
[root@master-channel /root]# reboot

Log out and log in as root.

Bring up the network configuration GUI as follows:

KDE -> System -> Network Configuration

Set up the host name and domain definitions.

Select Hosts and add in the host names and IP address for the network interfaces.

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Note: Master nodes have up to three host name/IP pairs. Channel nodes have up to two host name/IP pairs.

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Select Interfaces and associate the main IP address of the node with eth0.

Associate any additional IP addresses with appropriate additional interfaces.

Ensure that the button Activate on Boot is depressed. Click OK for each interface definition and save the definition.

Select Routing.

Ensure that the default gateway is the master-channel's IP address for channel nodes.

Enter the appropriate Ethernet IP address for the master channel.

Enter the gateway device's IP address.

Use eth0 for the default gateway device.

Save the configuration and quit from the network configuration GUI.

Reboot the system.

You may do so from a terminal at the command line. If you log out, you will experience a gray screen with the X mouse cursor. This is due to the network definitions having changed and the window manager KDE, in this case, is trying to use the host name.

To effect a reboot at this stage, you need to do the following two things:

These two steps are accomplished by the following two sets of keyboard actions:

Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
Ctrl-Alt-Delete

Note that Backspace is sometimes the <- key.

When the system has rebooted, log in as root and check the /etc/modules.conf file to ensure that the network interfaces have been properly assigned to the proper driver, as shown in the following example:

[root@master-channel /root]# cat /etc/modules.conf
	alias eth0 eepro100 
alias eth1 eepro100 
alias scsi_hostadapter aic7xxx 
alias eth2 acenic 
alias parport_lowlevel parport_pc 
post-install sound-slot-0 /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -L >/dev/null 2>&1 || : 
pre-remove sound-slot-0 /bin/aumix-minimal -f /etc/.aumixrc -S >/dev/null 2>&1 || : 
alias usb-controller usb-uhci
alias char-major-195 NVdriver
options NVdriver NVreg_EnableVia4x=1
alias char-major-253 imagesync
alias char-major-254 windrvr
include /etc/modules.alsa

Note that the Gigabit Ethernet driver acenic has been aliased to eth2. Linux will sometimes assign the wrong driver to the wrong adapter and while the network will appear to function, no packets will be sent or received.

If necessary, manually edit the file /etc/modules.conf to correct driver misassignments and enter the following:

[root@master-channel /root]# depmod

To further verify that the network is functioning, enter the following:

[root@master-channel /root]# netstat -ina
Kernel Interface table
Iface   MTU Met    RX-OK RX-ERR RX-DRP RX-OVR    TX-OK TX-ERR TX-DRP TX-OVR Flg
eth0   1500   0    91918      0      0      0   122900      0      0      0 BRU
eth1   1500   0        1      0      0      0       55      0      0      0 BRU
eth2   1500   0   110353      0      0      0        2      0      0      0 BRU
lo    16436   0       21      0      0      0       21      0      0      0 LRU

Note that in the preceding example, all interfaces have activity.

Further, detailed verification of network setup can be determined from the following files:

If the system is a master channel, ensure pconsole functions properly by using it to attach to one or more channels, as shown in the following example:

[root@master-channel /root]# pconsole.sh channel0 channel1