Yet Another Beowulf Installation Howto

Beowulf Server Installation -- Kickstart

• make directory for kickstart files

          # mkdir /etc/beowulf
          # mkdir /etc/beowulf/kickstart        
  

• make sample kickstart file /etc/beowulf/kickstart/smpnode.ks

  -----------------------------------------------------
  lang en
  network --bootproto dhcp
  nfs --server 192.168.1.100 --dir /mnt/cdrom
  device ethernet epic100
  keyboard es
  zerombr yes
  clearpart --all
  part / --size 100
  part swap --size 128
  part /usr --size 1000
  part /data --size 2000 --grow
  install
  mouse --kickstart microsoft --device ttyS1
  timezone --utc Europe/Madrid
  rootpw --iscrypted nvBmalhaSEsCg
  lilo --location mbr
  %packages
  @ Base
  @ Networked Workstation
  %post
  -----------------------------------------------------  
  

• mount the CD with RedHat:

          # mount /mnt/cdrom
  

• export the CD and kickstart directory for all nodes: in file /etc/exports add:

        /mnt/cdrom              192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0(ro)
        /etc/beowulf/kickstart  192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0(ro)
  

  and notify the nfs server about the change:

          # /etc/rc.d/init.d/nfs stop
          # /etc/rc.d/init.d/nfs start
  

• make "better" /etc/dhcpd.conf (note the line with "filename"):

  -----------------------------------------------------
  option domain-name "wm.lc.ehu.es";
  option routers 192.168.1.1;
  option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
  
  subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {}
  
  host node5 {
     hardware ethernet 00:e0:29:29:0e:21;
     fixed-address 192.168.1.105;
     option host-name "node5.wm.lc.ehu.es";
     filename "/etc/beowulf/kickstart/smpnode.ks";
  }
  ----------------------------------------------------- 
  

• notify the dhcp server about the change:

          # /etc/rc.d/init.d/dhcpd stop
          # /etc/rc.d/init.d/dhcpd start          
  

• Now boot the station with RH boot diskette and at the "boot:" type "linux ks"

           boot: linux ks