Okay, everybody!
I'm getting closer to my goal for getting MOSIX up and running on my little
network (I've got 3 computers altogether). I'm writing this to get myself a
little confidence as I make changes to the two machines that are actually
going to be running MOSIX. I also want to list the hoops I've had to go
through to get this far.
First, there's the hardware. I've got a Compaq Pentium 133 as the main node,
which I got from work for $50. I had a time figuring out what was wrong with
booting it in Linux, though, since the ethernet card had a chip in it for
Bootware (whatever that is) that seemed to be looking for some kind of a
server. But I got that solved -- took out that chip! I also had to get a
second ethernet card for my PowerPC, since this is my firewall/nat machine
(thanks to Derrick Glidden for the script to get nat working). In a stroke of
luck, I also got a 3COM12-port ethernet hub for $10 from work. To this I've
connected my PowerPC, the P-133, and a 486/66 I got for free from a guy I
used to work with. The 486 was a challenge, since it has unknown hardware,
and I couldn't figure out how/where the interrupts were, nor whether the
ethernet card I had was going to work or not. After much haggling with trying
to get kernel 2.4.x burned to a CD (I'd normally ask the list, but I'm rarely
able to go to meeings) so that I can get support for the 3COM ethernet card
3c509...I compiled the kernel, but no dice on the ethernet card. I finally
figured that one out, though after some help from this list about the isapnp
tools. The tools helped me figure out what kind of ethernet card it is, and
the kernel recognized it, but it still didn't work. I then had a brainstorm:
The kernel modules aren't being recognized by the kernel! I had to insmod the
exact path to the module, and then it was recognized, and I was finally
connected! Whew!
Second, there's the software. I just talked about the kernel, but now there's
the MOSIX stuff. I had originally gotten the 1.5.2 version of MOSIX, but when
I went to look again, I saw that it is now at 1.5.7, which matches up with
the 2.4.17 kernel. So, I just copy the source from my PowerPC to the other
two computers, untar, and then follow the MOSIX instructions, since MOSIX
patches the kernel. Actually, it does more than that, since it also automates
a lot of the kernel building process, and it changes a few files (5 /etc
files and two or three others). Now is the fun part. Because the automatic
patch/build/install process wasn't tested on Debian, I have to make a few
adjustments on my own. This primarily relates to the fact that Redhat/SuSE
have different directory structures when it comes to init files. The docs
seem aware that Debian might be used, but the auto install doesn't check the
environment, unfortunately...
Third, there's heart, a.k.a., lack of confidence ;-) I'm afraid of updating
the LILO and rebooting on the 486, since I had such a hard time getting the
ethernet card to work. With the Pentium, the problem is that I haven't been
able to figure out LILO on a machine that also has Win95 on the primary drive
(Linux is on a secondary drive)...so I boot from floppy for now. It works. I
have to update the kernel to another floppy, I guess. Another thing that I
think about is that I'm doing something that will really change these two
computers (and I feel like there's no going back)...if I mess up, I'll have
to start over again, or get stuck, or something. Maybe it's just stupid
fear...
More updates as they happen!
Russell
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