Compatibility with Dell Poweredge 1850 SCSI (solved)

[grahamj]

Hello
I am new to Linux. I am trying to install Puppy Linux onto a Dell Poweredge 1850 with SCSI Raid 0 300gb with a Perc 4E/SI
I can run Puppy Linux but when I go to setup and install I don't get the choice of the scsi drives to install the operating system to. It just shows the USB Pen drive.

Does anybody know if the PE1850 is compatible please?

Regards
Graham

[bigpup]

Before we get into getting it installed.

Need this info.

Is Puppy Linux going to be the only operating system(OS) on the internal drive?
If no.
What OS's are also going to be on the drive?

This will determine exactly how to best do the Puppy install.

What Puppy Linux version you try to use is really up to you.

But we must know what Puppy version????

How much RAM does this computer have?

You say you can run Puppy from some kind of install, on some kind of device.
Run it and use the program Pup-Sysinfo ->Devices -> Drive storage -> SCSI
Tell use what is gives for info about them.
You can highlight and right click menu copy in this program, to paste in a forum post.

[grahamj]

Hi

Thanks for replying.

When testing BionicPup I get a brief error about CPUTemp (?) not being supported on this hardware

Only one operating system, no VMs or anything smart.

I don't mind what version of Puppy or Linux, just whatever works. Don't mind trying them all, just a case of reinitialising the raid array so no great problem. I have tried Debian, OpenSuse and Zorin which do install but I get a constantly flickering white screen, ctrl alt f2 briefly shows a login for 2 seconds then disappears. Looks like a display driver issue?

There is 9GB of DDR2 PC2/5300p ECC 667mhz. Bear in mind both of these 1850s may well be 32bit but don't know until I get into it, Bios does not shed any light other than it is a 2.8ghz processor. 64bit Ubuntu and Mint fail with a Kernel Panic error. Also Windows Server 2012 fails with a boot loop.
Not sure if a tool like hwinfo would shed any more light, if this was windows I could run CPUId which may explain what I have.

I am just looking to extend the life of two aging dell servers (16 years old) and study Linux at the same time. These computers are in my test lab so not a problem to keep formatting until a solution presents

According to Dell the following operating systems are supported if this helps
BIOS
Linux
Novell Netware
Novell SuSE Linux ES 10
Novell SuSE Linux ES 11
Red Hat® Ent Linux 4
Red Hat® Ent Linux 4.5
Red Hat® Ent Linux 4.6
Red Hat® Ent Linux 4.7
Red Hat® Ent Linux 5
Red Hat® Ent Linux 5.2
Suse Linux ES 10
Suse Linux ES 9
SuSE Linux ES 9
VMware ESX 3.5
VMware ESX 4.0
VMware ESX 4.1
VMware ESXi 3.5
VMware ESXi 4.0
VMware ESXi 4.1
Windows 2000
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 x64
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 x64
Windows Server 2008 x86

Is that everything? Please let me know if there is anything else.
Thanks again
Graham

[mikewalsh]

@bigpup :- You MAY find this one's a bit out of the ordinary, mate. I don't know if your standard advice will work here.

@grahamj :-

A Poweredge, huh? That's a Dell 'blade'-type rack server, if I'm not mistaken. Yes?

If so, our Admin, @rockedge , is probably the best guy to advise you. I know he has a Poweredge himself, so has first-hand experience of these beasts.

I didn't think these things were intended for using with a standard GUI desktop. Aren't they normally run 'headless', and controlled via SSH from some other machine? I believe you'll find most of those 'supported' OSs are all server editions anyway.

Do they even have a built-in GPU?

[~~~~~~Later....]

Hm. Okay. 1 OR 2 Intel Xeons; even the Dell official spec-sheets doesn't say what models they are. But judging by the other bumf mentioned, these sound more & more like Pentium 4 (NetBurst-gen) Xeons. Man, she's an oldie.

AND an embedded ATI Radeon 7000-m graphics chip. I'm surprised at that. The ATI badge alone dates it; AMD bought ATI out in 2006, so yeah; 16 yrs old sounds about right.

Wait and see if rockedge chimes in. He'll know what can & can't be done with this, if anyone can.

Mike.

[bigpup]

I didn't think these things were intended for using with a standard GUI desktop. Aren't they normally run 'headless', and controlled via SSH from some other machine? I believe you'll find most of those 'supported' OSs are all server editions anyway.

I was thinking the same thing, but who knows what may have been done to make them work more like a regular computer.

In the first post.

I can run Puppy Linux but when I go to setup and install I don't get the choice of the scsi drives to install the operating system to.

So you say it will boot to a working Puppy Linux desktop?
I assume Puppy version is on a USB drive or CD/DVD?

If this is correct, it will boot to a working Puppy desktop, from an install on a USB drive or CD.

I think the problem is Puppies support for raid drive setups.
May just not have support built into the Puppy version or the driver support.

Have you got a way to hook the drives up in just a normal setup? Not in raid anything?

Lets pick a specific Puppy version to work with.
Bionicpup32 8.0 would be good one to start, if it is only 32bit capable.

[bigpup]

According to the users manual you can get here:
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us ... -1850/docs

There are a lot of settings you can do to the bios.
The manual tells you how to run the system setup program.
All kinds of settings and options for a lot of stuff.

SCSI controller settings is one.
If you disable raid and set it to SCSI

it will function perfectly fine in SCSI mode and the drives will just be running in JBOD.

JBOD is suppose to be the two drives, will appear as one single drive, with all their disks.

According to these specs:
The PowerEdge 1850 can be equipped with up to two 64-bit single or dual core Intel Xeon processors,
That indicates it is a 64bit system.

[grahamj]

Hi
Thanks for your help. I went into BIOS and turned raid off and set it to scsi. Everything now installs perfectly.

The Puppy hardware info does report the processor as being 64bit capable so going to have a play with different versions. Downloaded Ubuntu Focal 64 (Fossapup).

Regards
Graham

[mikewalsh]

Hi
Thanks for your help. I went into BIOS and turned raid off and set it to scsi. Everything now installs perfectly.

The Puppy hardware info does report the processor as being 64bit capable so going to have a play with different versions. Downloaded Ubuntu Focal 64 (Fossapup).

Regards
Graham

Nice one. Admittedly, as I said earlier, I've never heard of a server with onboard GPU, but there's a first time for everything. So; it seems RAID was the culprit in this case.....

Let us know how you get on, please.

Mike.

[rockedge]

Sounds like a server that was laid out for computation with a GPU installed. Perhaps object detection.

I have 2 DELL PowerEdge servers one of which is a rack mounted blade type R210 II. With MATOX graphics it's best at file serving or running something like Proxmox VE and as a headless machine.

I use the R210 II for lots of web server and web site dev and it compiles packages well.

Also crunches out the KLV-Airedale SFS and ISO's on a regular basis. There is no audio at all!

[grahamj]

Thanks for all the help.

The servers (2x1950s, 5x1850s and 1x1750) were due for the skip so I bought all of them for £10 and have pressed them back into use as test machines in my homelab.

The 1950s are running Linux Mint and Windows Server 2012r2.
I am left with 2x1850s as the rest didn't make it (gave 2 away and killed 2 when I tried to do a processor update). These are both running Bionic 64

Happy to post any spec info if it helps anybody.
I am really pleased with how Puppy works to be honest. It isn't the prettiest distro but functionality wise it does everything I need.

I have wanted to take Linux for a spin for many years but couldn't get on with it in the early red hat days

Regards
Graham

[mikewalsh]

@grahamj :-

Excellent! Puppy strikes again.....

Seriously, though; no, she isn't the "prettiest" distro out there, it's true.....but appearance-wise, as with anything, she's what you make of her. For instance, here's my own 'take' on Bionicpup64:-

[Click to enlarge:-]

Graphic design is a long-standing passion of mine, and over the last 8 years or so I've really put it to good use. I design every one of my desktops from the ground up....

As for functionality, well; she frequently surprises many people as to just how versatile she can be.

(You must excuse the gender assignment. I've always thought of Puppy as a "she"; stems from my own long-standing habit of referring to anything technical or mechanical in the feminine. Dates back to my early youth, when my old man was a keen yachtsman. Boats are something else that are traditionally referred to in the feminine by their owners. I guess the habit kind of rubbed off on me..!!)

Don't forget; any further questions, we're always here. Enjoy Puppy!

Mike.

[grahamj]

Hi Mike

I like that layout, hadn't realised the themes were so flexible.
Will have a look at the manual !

Even more impressed !

Cheers
Graham

[mikewalsh]

@grahamj :-

Hi Mike

I like that layout, hadn't realised the themes were so flexible.
Will have a look at the manual !

Even more impressed !

Cheers
Graham

Do bear in mind that I'm NOT using any 'theming' here. Everything you see on the desktop - the 'docks', etc - are all created by me. These are literally drawn directly onto the chosen background (which is found through multiple web searches).

Essentially, I'm a design 'nut'. AND I happen to like a 'busy' desktop. Not many do.

My tool of choice is a Windows app running under WINE.....PhotoScape, from Mooi Tech. I began using this thing nearly 14 years ago, mid-term through XP's life-span. I still use it because

• a) I got so used to it, and

• b) I've never found anything this side of the fence that has quite the same combination of simple-to-use features in a single package.

Luckily, it runs 100% perfect under WINE. ROX-filer (which controls the 'pinboard' overlay) and JWM (which is the window manager) might seem to many to be an old-fashioned, fiddly way of doing things. But it's one of the most flexible & lightweight combos I know of for tinkering with. And Puppy appeals to 'tinkerers'.....

Mike.