[CentOS] CentOS vs RedHat packages

Ross S. W. Walker rwalker at medallion.com
Sun Aug 5 17:26:58 UTC 2007


> -----Original Message-----
> From: centos-bounces at centos.org 
> [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Scott Ehrlich
> Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 12:32 PM
> To: CentOS mailing list
> Subject: RE: [CentOS] CentOS vs RedHat packages
> 
> On Sun, 5 Aug 2007, Ross S. W. Walker wrote:
> 
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: centos-bounces at centos.org
> >> [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Scott Ehrlich
> >> Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2007 8:43 PM
> >> To: CentOS mailing list
> >> Subject: Re: [CentOS] CentOS vs RedHat packages
> >>
> >> On Sat, 4 Aug 2007, Shawn Everett wrote:
> >>
<snip>
> >>
> >> The basic issue I have encountered is, after freshly 
> installing RHEL5
> >> 64-bit Server on a Dell Poweredge 2950, everything is fine.
> >> After logging
> >> in for the first time, I configure services as I want via
> >> system-config-services. But after doing so, and rebooting, at
> >> first the
> >> filesystem claims there is a system error and prompts for the root
> >> password for a fsck, or control-D to reboot.
> >
> > Scott, do you remember what the system error was at boot?
> >
> > It may be that config-services turned off an essential 
> system startup
> > service.
> >
> > I found 'chkconfig' much more reliable and easy to use on 
> the CLI than
> > config-services in the GUI.
> 
> I'll check that out - thanks!
> 
> >
> > Also what method did you use to reboot your system after 
> config-services?
> >
> 
> I forget - either reboot at the command window, or reboot 
> from the gui. 
> Never a "hard" reboot.

Did it hang while doing the shutdown that forced you to hit
the power button?

If it doesn't have Internet access, does it have any network
access, cause if DNS isn't working properly and /etc/hosts
isn't fully populated there can be hangs while it timeouts
doing name-lookups and I have had some admins think that
the machine is frozen and do a hard power-off and power-on
then wonder why their file-systems were corrupted.

> >
> >> I opt to reboot, and the system then complains of python
> >> errors, but there
> >> are no more system errors.  But, when I revisit
> >> system-config-services, I
> >> immediately experience python errors.
> >
> > Possible file-system corruption in and around where the 
> python libraries
> > are since they were last used... Maybe due to a dirty shutdown?
> 
> I always go for a "software" shutdown where/when possible - 
> never power 
> cord nor power switch.
> 
> >
> >> To try and potentially help resolve this problem, I recently
> >> updated the
> >> BIOS and some of the firmware.   I then performed a fresh
> >> install again.
> >> I then downloaded RH's Enterprise 5 Supplement ISO, along 
> with Dell's
> >> OpenManage ISOs for Enterprise 5.   I'm hoping something
> >> among this back
> >> of changes will help solve the python configuration problem.
> >
> > Did you install the latest dell drivers for your controller 
> (Perc 5/i?),
> > the drivers for these controllers are updated/fixed frequently.
> 
> I let RH install its own drivers.   I will probably then 
> simply reinstall 
> the OS again, this time with linux dd to utilize the Dell 
> PERC drivers.

Linux like any OS has basic drivers to get it up and running, but
those drivers tend to be a little out of date and they could have
some critical issues that appear when run under load.

Best practice is always to install the latest hardware drivers from
the manufacturer after/during install, especially for storage and
network (video for workstations).

> Unfortunately, I was unable to get the PERC firmware to successfully 
> update with Dell's utility.  I may ask them for a resolution on that, 
> unless I can overcome it another way.

Make sure compat-stdc++-33 is installed as the Dell installers use the
older c++ libs.

Making sure the firmware is current is also critical because some of
Dell's initial firmwares have some serious integrity flaws.. :-(

> >
> >> If not, I may opt to see how well CentOS 5 handles things.
> >
> > It will unfortunately handle them exactly the way RHEL 
> does. As it is
> > RHEL...
> >
> >> I'm mostly interested in the PostgreSql and Java pieces.
> >
> > And a stable and reliable system to run them on I hope. ;-)
> >
> 
> Of course.
> 
> >> If it comes down to it, I could always place a trouble call
> >> with Dell and
> >> RedHat and see if either of them has a helpful solution.
> >
> > And the forecast calls for pain...
> >
> >> Anyone on the list experience the same kind of problem, and find an
> >> answer?  If so, what was it?
> >
> > At this point it really can be anything, I would start by 
> getting the
> > latest PERC driver from Dell and installing it, uses dkms to keep it
> > current on updated kernels. You will need cc, binutils, kernel-devel
> > installed before hand for it to fully work right on the initial
> > install.
> 
> Always pre-installed - never know when they will be needed...

Good, cause a lot of people install the dkms and then the dkms-driver
and think it is installed, but it wasn't able to compile and install
the driver because the build system wasn't in place during the install.

A 'dkms status' will tell you the status for each dkms managed driver
for each kernel installed on the system.

dkms is especially handy when you have a bunch of Xen domU kernels
installed too as it can manage drivers for those too.

> >
> >> The server is not connected to the Internet, and likely never
> >> will be -
> >> strictly out-of-box CDs.
> >
> > Should not make a difference, except you will have a hard 
> time getting
> > the latest bug-fixed and security-fixed versions of the system.
> >
> > I would look into finding a way to get this puppy to get the latest
> > updates, either via proxy server or internal update server.
> 
> I've got other methods.
> 
> I'll try your suggestions when I return to work tomorrow.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Scott
> 

Good luck,

-Ross

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