On Tue, 17 Sep 2002, gracie wrote:

> ... the major consideration will be the ease of task for installing
> Linux in 100 pc's.

The computer technicians at the Ateneo de Manila University 
computer labs are experts at doing this for Windows, but the 
technique is easy to modify for Linux. Here goes:

It is better if all the 100 pcs have the same network card, video
controller, sound-card, mouse, etc.  If using scsi disk, it is 
better if they all have the same scsi controller.  Memory size
may differ but not by very much.  The idea is so that you can install
once on the most typical computer and "copy off" to all the others.
Then minor post-install modifications are done to set IP address, etc.

Let me explain this "copy off" scheme.  

1. Select a most typical computer and install linux (say RedHat) on this.
Make sure that everything is working right (networking, X, sound, etc.).
Now tar the entire installation onto a (possibly different) hard disk.
Shutdown the system.

2. One at a time, cable the hard disk of each of the other 99 PCs
onto another disk controller (secondary ide or scsi) of this already
working Linux box.  Run fdisk, mkfs and untar to copy the entire
installation in one fell swoop to the new hard disk.  Cable this disk back
to its original PC.  Boot this PC using an emergency boot disk/CD
to boot into the newly installed Linux.  Run lilo to get it to boot
on its own without the emergency boot disk/CD.  Make individual
adjustments (netconfig to set IP, etc.).

Of course, with 100 PCs, more than one person should do this
if you want to do the job in a reasonable amount of time.

> Also, I need some opinions of on the design structure for the file system on
> our linux server with proper partitions if we intend the server to be used
> as a news server receiving 1GB of newsgroup messages each day over the
> internet with 100 users who will log each day to run scientific applications
> and internet resources.

Can you find an ISP that will give you news feed?  Most local ISPs
don't want to touch news, since it is too much of a headache.
Ask our Mozcom expert Orly.  Also Murphy's Law states that news
is guaranteed to fill up all your terrabytes of online disk and off
line tapes, and will never give you rest.  "For the yoke I will give
you is easy, and my burden is light" has never applied to news.

PMana

_
Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph
To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Fully Searchable Archives With Friendly Web Interface at http://marc.free.net.ph

To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to 
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Reply via email to