Using VNC for remote graphics installation of Red Hat and SuSE on a power server

When installing PowerLinux on a power server, one of the most common challenges users face is the lack of a graphical interface. There are two reasons for this: one is that the user rarely configures the video card on the power server, or is a virtual partition, the video card is not allocated, and the power server is mostly located in the user's room and can only be accessed by the network.

The power server, managed by the HMC (Hardware Management Console), can easily open a virtual terminal and provide a character interface. Both Red Hat and SUSE support the character installation interface, but the character interface is less configurable and inconvenient to operate than the graphical installation interface. In particular, Red Hat 6, the character installation interface is not able to select the package to install, only a basic, excluding X Windows and http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/16493.html "" > Desktop System. After that, only the user can install the X Windows and Desktop installation package under the character interface, and then start the graphical interface. Relative to the graphical installation interface, the process is relatively complex and cumbersome.

Here's a way to install PowerLinux remotely via VNC (Virtual receptacle Computing). The user does not need the video card, also does not have in the engine room, may through the graphical interface installs the PowerLinux (including Red Hat and the SUSE), this is very useful and convenient for the power user, especially the first contact PowerLinux user. Below is a detailed description of how to install Red Hat 6 and SUSE 11 with VNC.

Red Hat 6

Installation Prerequisites:

A power server that creates a partition for Linux installation, which communicates with the local PC. Take Red Hat 6.1, for example, to download the Red Hat 6.1 ISO file, which has been virtual discs for this partition through VIOS virtual. (You can, of course, burn the physical disc directly in the physical CD-ROM that belongs to the partition) to manage the HMC of this power server to manage this partition. (IVM of course, but this article does not discuss) install a VNC client on a local PC, RealVNC is very good (download the address see Reference resources).

Installation steps:

With the HMC, verify that the partition that will install Linux has the appropriate hard drive, virtual or physical network card, and that it communicates with the local PC. The installation CD is available for partitioned access through virtual or physical means.

Through the HMC, start the partition, open the virtual terminal, enter SMS (System Management Services), and choose to boot from the CD.

After you receive the boot: prompt, enter the startup parameters:

Boot:linux VNC ip=172.16.58.239 gateway=172.16.58.1 netmask=255.255.255.0

Where the IP is used by the VNC service is also the IP that the server will use later, depending on your situation settings. The Gateway and netmask parameters are entered in the actual network environment.

Figure 1. Enter startup parameters

After the carriage return, display the [Disc Found] dialog and ask if the media is testing and choose Skip.

Figure 2. Skip Media detection

The following interface is displayed to show that the VNC service has been started.

Figure 3. VNC Service startup complete