This procedure has been tested on Sun, Redhat and DEC.

  • First, do a vanilla "vendor install" off the CDROM or over the net. This step is optional if the OS came preloaded.
    • DEC: This is often "boot dka400", and then answer the questions
    • Sun: On new machines, this is "boot cdrom", and then answer the questions. On older machines, you may need to use "boot sd(0,6,0)" instead.
    • Redhat
      • You need to dd/rawrite a "bootnet.img" floppy; See the appropriate Installation Guide.
      • Select "NFS Image" as the method of installation.
      • Eventually you'll be asked for how to get your IP address - select "static IP".
      • Fill in your IP.
      • Your netmask is almost certainly 255.255.255.0.
      • Your default gateway is normally the first three octets of your IP address, followed by ".1".
      • Enter 128.200.1.201 as your primary nameserver.
      • Enter autoinst.acs.uci.edu as your NFS server for the install
      • Enter the path the install image
        • For Redhat 7.1 enter /auto_install/redhat/dist-7.1/i386
        • For Redhat 7.3 enter /auto_install/redhat/dist-7.3
      • For redhat 7.3, please use grub as the bootloader, not lilo. We normally don't configure a grub password, but you can if you want.
      • For redhat 7.1 and 7.3 (and up), please be sure to say "no firewall". Any other choice will mess up your RPC services.
      • Select "Install Custom System"
      • Don't select "Use Shadow Passwords"
      • Don't select "Enable MD5 passwords"
      • Do select "Enable NIS"
      • What software to install
        • For redhat 7.3:
          • we recommend that you install:
            • Printing Support
            • Classic X Window System
            • X Window System
            • GNOME
            • Network Support
            • Messaging and Web Tools
            • NFS File Server
            • Graphics Manipulation
            • Legacy Application Support
            • Software Development
            • Kernel Development
            • Utilities
          • we recommend that you not install:
            • News Server
            • Windows Fileserver
            • Anonymous FTP Server
            • SQL Database Server
            • Web Server
            • DNS Name Server
            • Network Managed Workstation
            • Authoring & Publishing
            • Emacs
            • Everything
          • it's neither here nor there to us if you install:
            • KDE
            • Sound and Multimedia Support
            • Dialup Support
            • Router/Firewall
            • Windows Compatibility/Interoperability
            • Games
        • For redhat 6.2:
          • we recommend that you install:
            • Printer Support
            • X Window System
            • GNOME
            • Networked Workstation
            • NFS Server
            • Development
            • Kernel Development
            • Utilities
          • we recommend that you not install:
            • Graphics Manipulation
            • Dialup Workstation
            • News Server
            • SMB (Samba) Connectivity
            • Anonymous FTP Server
            • Web Server
            • DNS Name Server
            • Network Management Workstation
            • TeX Document Formatting
            • Emacs
            • Everything
          • it's neither here nor there to us if you install:
            • KDE
            • Mail/WWW/News Tools
            • DOS/Windows Connectivity
            • File Managers
            • Games
            • Multimedia Support
            • IPX/Netware(tm) Connectivity
            • Postgres (SQL) Server
            • Authoring/Publishing
            • Clustering
      • SGI:
        • turn system on
        • click on stop for system maintenance
        • install software
        • from local cdrom
        • install

    • Boot up multiuser (if the install doesn't do it for you), and log in as root. Start up an xterm or dtterm if you need to - just get something you can type shell commands in.

    • Configure the network interface, with something like ifconfig DEV IP netmask NM broadcast BDC
      • Definitions:
        • DEV is the interface name
        • IP is the IP address of the machine
        • NM is the netmask for the subnet on which the machine you're installing is located. This is usually 255.255.255.0
        • BDC is the broadcast address for the subnet on which the machine you're installing is located. This is usually the first three octets of the IP address, followed by .255.
      • OS specific info
        • On a DEC:
          • DEV will probably be tu0 (newer DECs) or ln0 (model 3000, perhaps others).
          • Example (for a host with IP 128.200.34.102) : ifconfig tu0 128.200.34.102 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 128.200.34.255
        • On an SGI:
          • DEV will probably be ec0.
          • Example (for a host with IP 128.200.16.5) : ifconfig ec0 128.200.16.5 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 128.200.16.255
        • On a Sun:
          • DEV will probably be le0 (on older machines) or hme0 (on newer, higher end machines).
          • Example (for a host with IP 128.200.240.3) : ifconfig hme0 128.200.240.3 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 128.200.240.255
        • For Redhat (nothing needs to be done, but if you did need to, you'd do this):
          • DEV will probably be eth0.
          • Example (for a host with IP 128.200.240.3) : ifconfig eth0 128.200.240.3 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 128.200.240.255
      • For a test, you could try pinging the router (DR below). If this doesn't work, there's probably something wrong with the physical cabling, or the IP address you're using. If this test fails, don't proceed to the next step until the problem is corrected.

    • Configure a default route:
      • OS specific instructions
        • DEC and SGI
          • route add default DR, where DR is the default route. DR is usually the first three octets of the IP address, followed by .1.
        • Sun
          • route add default DR 1, where DR is the default route. DR is usually the first three octets of the IP address, followed by .1.
        • Redhat (nothing needs to be done, but if you did need to, you'd do this)
          • route add default dev eth0.
      • For a test, you could try pinging one of the nameserver machines, like 128.200.1.201. If this test fails, something is probably wrong with the DR you've chosen - or a physical network problem may have crept in since the previous test. There's also a tiny possibility the network's down, or the nameserver's down.

    • Configure DNS minimally. An automated part of the procedure will complete this shortly, so you don't need to do a thorough job.
      • Add something like this to /etc/resolv.conf:
        • search uci.edu
        • nameserver 128.200.1.201
      • Some hosts will require the domain keyword, instead of the search
      • Configure the name service switch facility, if any
        • DEC
          • Edit /etc/svc.conf
          • Change the "hosts" line to read hosts=local,yp,bind
        • SGI
          • Edit /etc/resolv.conf
          • At the top, place a line that reads hostresorder local bind
        • Sun
          • Edit /etc/nsswitch.conf
          • Change the "hosts" line to read hosts: files nis dns
        • Redhat (nothing needs to be done, but if you did need to, you'd do this)
          • Edit /etc/nsswitch.conf
          • Change the "hosts" line to read hosts: files nis dns
      • As a test, you can try "telnet hydra.acs.uci.edu". Don't bother to log in. If you see a login prompt, this test is passed. If it says "unknown host", then there's probably something wrong with your /etc/resolv.conf, or the name service switch configuration.
    • Configure X
      • Redhat only. You'll probably want to run Xconfigurator now. At least with 6.2, Xconfigurator not only seems to have the most flexible options, but it also seems to yield better video output than the options available during the normal GUI and text installation procedures.
    • Grab the script to finish the install
      • ftp to autoinst.acs.uci.edu
      • Log in as anonymous.
      • cd /pub/hokey
      • lcd /tmp
      • ls
      • Grab the script appropriate for your OS version. Call it OSVER, even though it'll really be something like osf1-4.0, or irix-6, or redhat-4.2, or sunos-5.
      • exit the ftp session
    • Run it: /bin/sh /tmp/OSVER (EG: /bin/sh /tmp/sun4-5)
    • This time only you can ignore the errors at the end from diff. When you invoke after via run-after, you very much want to pay attention to these.
    • /etc/reboot (except on OSF/1, where you must halt and then boot from the firmware - otherwise it'll try to reboot from the cdrom)
    • At this point, if all has gone well, you're done