[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       beowulf
Subject:    BEOWULF cluster... how to start?
From:       Daniel Ridge newt () cesdis ! gsfc ! nasa ! gov
Date:       1997-09-30 13:23:32
[Download RAW message or body]


John,

> cluster for our research institute (Sudbury Neutrino Observatory), but the
> web pages at cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov weren't able to show us how to get started.
> I've downloaded the kernel 2.0.30 RPM from the webpage, but no instructions
> were given on how to patch and build the kernel... could you help, or point me
> to a document that explains the process step by step?

For this src RPM, the instructions are per normal RPM. (Forgive me if
you are not familiar with the RedHat RPM scheme.. I will elaborate)

RedHat RPMS are available in two forms: Binary and Source. Binary RPMS
are what they appear to be (runnable binaries) and Source RPMS contain
the sources and patches and scripts necessary to generate the
corresponding Binary RPM.

Source RPMS include pristine sources + patches. In this case, the pristine
source is the kernel source tree as distributed at ftp.funet.fi. The
patches are a collection of patches that should be applied at build time
to the kernel. RedHat selects most of these patches, but the kernel
SRPM available from CESDIS includes patches for channel bonding, 
improved network drivers from Don Becker, and other patches that are 
relevant to Beowulf (including a set of corrections to the 2.0.30-31
kernel locking facilities ala Erik Hendriks)

If you prefer to untar and patch manually, these beowulf patches are
available at:

ftp://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/beowulf/software/patches/

and today include:

  question_patch-2.0.30	(prompts you for Beowulf support during config)
  bonding_patch-2.0.30  (network device channel bonding)
  locking_patch-2.0.30  (Erik's kernel locking fix)

You can install these patches against (at least) 2.0.30 and 2.0.(pre)31
kernel source trees cleanly.

Cheers,
	Newt

-------------------------------------+---------------------------------
   Daniel Ridge                      |   USRA  CESDIS
   Beowulf Project                   |   Code 930.5
   email: newt@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov  |   Nimbus Rd., Bldg. 28, Rm. W274
   tel:   301-286-3062               |   Goddard Space Flight Center
   fax:   301-286-1777               |   Greenbelt, MD.  20771
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\_|_/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/people/newt

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]