Problem installing Redhat EL3 on a DL380 G4

[Guy Knights]

We're having trouble installing Redhat Enterprise Linux 3 (version 3) on a newly purchased Proliant DL380 G4 server.

After inserting the linux install cd in the drive and booting up, it starts the install process but then says no hard drives have been found. They appear during the POST, so I assume there is a driver or firmware issue.

I've been trying to install the firmware without any luck, as the server doesn't have a FDD and the USB one I tried is not picked up by the Firmware Maintenance utility (it does get detected in the Redhat install though).

I also tried downloading and creating a driver diskette using the Linux smartarray disk image on the HP site, but Linux says there are no appropriate drivers on the disk.

Can anyone please help? We need to get this up and running asap.

Thanks,
Guy

[Andrius]

Hi,

I assume its integrated 6i controller. Do you created logical volumes within the controler BIOS or beter with SmartStart CD provided with your server ?

Andrius

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi Guy,

You'll need to get hold of the latest version of RHEL3.

I had exactly the same issue with a new DL380 G4, which couldn't be installed with the RHEL3 Update 1.

If you download Update 4 from RedHat you'll find that it finds the 6i controller and disks correctly and things will install fine.

Cheers,
Rob

[Rob Leadbeater]

A quick update.

Having just reinstalled one of these, you can use RHEL3 Update 3 as well.

Cheers,

Rob

[HGN]

Hi

This is a known issue in the sense RedHat does not have drivers for smart array controller.

1.You need to download the array driver from the HP site
2.Create the driver floppy as per the instruction on HP site(can be copied to an already existing unix/linux server and then to floppy)
3.Use the RedHat Release CD mentioned in the HP site to get the correct Release version you can download the iso image from the RedHat site.
4.Provide the driver CD during install.
%.Once it reads the floppy it will find the hard drive and you are ready to install the OS.

Make sure you create the array before you start the OS install.

Rgds

HGN

[Rob Leadbeater]

HGN: Your comments would be appropriate if the server in question had a floppy drive...

Cheers,
Rob

[Jeff Hoevenaar]

I am having the same problem.
Did you get this working?
How can I tell which Update version I am running and where exactlly can I get a new update for RedHat ES 3.0?
I am not finding a download on the redhat site.
Thanks.

[Daniel Hili]

I believe Rob had the answer and you can gain access to the update binaries from the Redhat Network web page (rhn.redhat.com) which you will need a valid redhat support entitlement to access.

RHEL 4 is also now available so you may want to use that.

Firmware shouldn't be your issue but if you want to update it without an FDD then you can use the HP firware maintenance CD that either came with your server or a new revision has just been released that you can download from the HP software and download support pages. You can also try the HP Drive Key Boot Utility (cp004934.exe) that I have found useful on occasion for installing firmware from a USB key device on a G4.
(http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/romflash.html)

Dan

[SIVAKUMAR.P]

First I tried to update the BIOS and Firmware and We are trying to load Red Hat
Enterprise server3.0 on a DL380 G4 with a smart array 6i controller, during the power on
Self test the system recognizes the 6i controller and created logical drive RAID1 (36GBX2NO'S).

The Red Hat Installation is not recognized the disk drivers and therefore it says
No place to install the operating system. The installation program is not finding the
Logical drive. During the installation we see the 'CCISS' driver attempt to and apparently
Successfully load, this should enable Red Hat to see the logical drive, but it does not detect.

I down loaded a new driver (cpq-cciss-2.4.50-30.rhel3.i386.dd.gz) from
The hp support site and have tried to load that drive but still problem persist.


Finally I download Red Hat Update3 Image from following site
(http://mirror.lnnu.edu.cn/01.iso/02.as3-updates3)and start the installation
It is working fine, because the Customer previous OS-Kernel Ver: 2.4.21-4 but download
OS-Kernel ver: 2.4.21-20.So it is problem with kernel Compatibility issues.