Installing Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS on HP Proliant Microserver Gen8 G1610T?

[Enternetjohan]

I recently bought a HP Proliant Microserver Gen8 G1610T.  I have outfitted it with one 500GB WD Black drive (slot 1) and one 6TB WD Red drive (slot 2) along with an extra 4 GB Kingston 1600 memory. Now I am trying to install Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS without much success. I am new to both servers and Ubuntu.

I am installing Ubuntu through a USB since the server lacks a optical drive. I have made a USB installation stick through pendrive. I intend to install Ubuntu on my 500GB disk and use the 6TB disk as storage. In the future I will add additional 6TB disks as need arises.

Since I am new to both servers and Ubuntu, I would appreciate if someone could give me a detailed installation guide on a newbielevel on how to install and configurate Ubuntu. Once the operating system is installed, configurated and updated and all necessary HP drivers installed and updated, I intend to install Samba and Plex Media Server along with some program to facilitate remote administration from my windows 7 notebook and maybe some program that will let me access the servers content from the web.

I have tried installing Ubuntu on my own to the best of my ability and through googling but ran into trouble almost directly. I have not changed or fiddled with any of the BIOS-settings or other settings when trying to install. The installation attempts were made on "out-of-box"-settings. First I inserted the USB, then started the server. After booting (F11) to USB, I get the main installation screen, where I choose Install Ubuntu. As soon as I get to the automatic network configuration I run in to trouble. The installation fails to automatically configurate DHCP, no matter which Broadcom option (em1 or em2) I choose. At this point, I have aborted the installation. I have not managed to solve this issue. The installation attempt was done both with the network cable not attached and attached.

Also, during my googling, I have read that this particular server does not support Ubuntu 14.04 and that the B120i needs updating with special drivers in order to work and to reduce fan noise. I would like to know how to do this, preferably in an easy step-by-step solution.  I have downloaded the hpvsa (trusty version) and tried to make a driver injector usb through Windows 7 and the diskpart program without success. Don't know how if the USB injector turned out OK and how, and in what order, to use it to update the drivers.

Phew. Lots to do and lacking in knowledge to do so I would appreciate all the help I can get! Thanks

[Jimmy Vance]

14.04 shouldn't have any issues with the NIC's in the Gen8 Microserver. If you want to use the RAID mode of the B120i you need to get the hpvsa driver from launchpad https://launchpad.net/~hp-iss-team/+archive/ubuntu/hp-storage?field.series_filter=trusty instructions for use should be on that site.

For the fan speed issue, make sure you have the latest iLO firmware and systeROM update.

I'm not sure the system will recognise your 6TB disk as 3TB are the max sixe shown in the quickspecs. If I recall, I tried a 4TB disk once and the system didn't recognise it.

[Enternetjohan]

Thanks for your answer. I did try to install Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS again and managed to solve the Broadcom issue. When partitioning the drives, the 6TB-drive did show up and it was also listed as 6TB. Would that be evidence that the system did recoqnise the disk? If not, how do I test this?

I managed to get through all the steps in the installation program. After finishing the installation and rebooting, the system won't start Ubuntu. Instead I get the following messages in an endless boot loop: "Attempting boot from nic", "no boot filename received", "Non-system disk or disk error".

When attempting to boot from my USB, I get the error "No such device: 6566edfc-bbfc-4022-a5f6-c66449c1a333", and the system enters something called "rescue mode" and "grub rescue". No idea what this is.

When installing, I partitioned my 500 gb to: 6 GB "Swap", 44,1 GB "/" with EXT4 and 450 GB "/home" with EXT4. My 6 TB I partitioned to: 6 TB "homea" with EXT4. I might have forgotten to set the boot flag to "on" on my 44,1 GB "/" partition.

So... Basically I can not start Ubuntu, I can not re-install Ubuntu and the system doesn't seem to recoqnise USB:s anymore... Please help me solve this issue. At least I would like to be able to boot off the USB again and try re-installing everything..

[Jimmy Vance]

Which I had more suggestions, but I haven't worked with Ubuntu on this server. I know it can be done as I 've seen Ubuntu running on this server in both RAID and plain SATA modes.

[ads_uk]

I've recently installed ubuntu 14.04 LTS on this machine without issue. 

However, I used a network boot not USB drive to install it.

[ChrisCousins]

Hi ads_uk, did you manage to install Ubuntu on the Gen 8 without any fan noise issues etc.? If so I would really apprechiate any info on how you achieved this. I'm new to Linux, and to owning a Gen 8 Micro Server. My setup is as follows:

• 1X HP ProLiant Gen 8 Server
• 8GB Ram
• 2X WD RED 3TB Drives

A friend has configured the server which is currently running on CentOS because we could not get Ubuntu to load without the fan speed issue. However I would prefer Ubuntu.

Any help would be greatly received!

Thanks,

Chris

[syedzainraza]

I have also installed Ubuntu through Virtual CD/DVD rom. It installed successfully. After restrating, it is in continous loop. Ubuntu is not getting started.

Really stucked.

[Enternetjohan]

Hi! A short update. I did manage to install Ubuntu through a USB. The trouble with broadcom was due to not having connected all cables correctly. Ubuntu runs well without any issues so far. I have configured my server as a Ubuntu Plex media server. I have noticed that it seems to struggle with streaming mkv files. Now I am also trying to figure out how to access the server through a remote web access.

[syedzainraza]

Hi,

I have also installed Ubuntu. But I am unable to boot.

I am using RAID 1. I am afraid, there might be issue in Booting, but i have seen all the options and RAID Controller is enabled for booting.

Can you please help me out in this.

Thanks

[1956]

I beleive the Microserver is very similar to the ML10 V2, as both are gen 8 servers with the B type Contollers.  According to the following HP page: http://h17007.www1.hp.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/supportmatrix/exceptions/ubuntu_exceptions.aspx

"NOTE: The B140i storage controller (HPDSA) driver v1.2.4-140 is ONLY supported with Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (v3.13.x) kernel. Please use AHCI Mode with newer Hardware Enabled Kernels (HWE). Future platforms with the Dynamic RAID controller will be certified using AHCI SATA mode."

Also look at the specific exception notes for the Microserver.  Bottom line is Ubuntu 14.04 with the HP Smart Array contoller don't work together so you have to use the Ubuntu software Raid.

I found you need to make a couple changes in the BIOS (F9) to disable the default HP controller if you are using Ubuntu software Raid.  I had similar boot issues until I made these changes.  In the BIOS you need to change the System Options/SATA Controller Options to Enable SATA AHCI Support and in the PCI Devise Enable/Disable make sure the HPSmart Array Contoller is disabled.  

[Jimmy Vance]

Should make some clear clarifications here.

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@1956 wrote:

.  Bottom line is Ubuntu 14.04 with the HP Smart Array contoller don't work together so you have to use the Ubuntu software Raid.

---

 The "B" series of HP Dynamic Smart Array controllers require a closed source driver (hpvsa and hpdsa) that is only supported with Red Hat and SUSE.  There were a few releases of these drivers for Ubuntu, but these are no longer recomended. Systems using 'B" series controllers should be used in AHCI mode.

The "P" series Smart Array controllers use the hpsa driver which is open source that is included in the main kerenl tree and picked up by pretty much every distribution.  "P" series controllers work fine with Ubuntu.

Regards