Basic Scyld setup node boot problems

[Mesimer, Daniel James (UMKC-Student)]

I guess I had overlooked a few things.

I solved my problem by using the beoboot utility to create my boot disks, instead of the BeoSetup Node boot disk utility.

the command was simply:  beoboot -2 -f

I just don't understand why this made that big of a difference?

Dan 

-----Original Message-----
From:	Mesimer, Daniel James (UMKC-Student)
Sent:	Wed 9/18/2002 2:41 PM
To:	beowulf at beowulf.org
Cc:	
Subject:	Basic Scyld setup node boot problems

Hello all,

I have just set up the master node of an 8 node cluster (1 of these is my master).

I am using the Scyld Beowulf 27bz-8 edition.

Installation of the default Scyld Beowulf Master went fine.

I, then, made the node boot floppies (again default).  These boot my slave nodes just fine.  They begin RARPing and I see all of the MAC addresses in the unknown field just fine.  When I move these addresses to the Configured Nodes Section (of BeoSetup), (I believe) the slave nodes then get the phase 2 kernel and begin running it. 

But, the slave nodes then stop.  
Stating:
VFS: Cannot open root device 03:05

I thought that these needed RAMdisks to run initially and it doesn't look like that is being setup.

This is the syslinux.cfg on the floppies:
**BEGIN
default beoboot
label   beoboot
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img apm=off apm=power-off
prompt  0
timeout 100
**END

This is my (default) /etc/beowulf/fstab:
**BEGIN
# This file is the fstab for nodes.
# One difference is that we allow for shell variable expansions...
#
# Variables that will get substituted:
#  MASTER = IP address of the master node.  (good for doing NFS mounts)
#  RAMDISK = device name (/dev/<ramdev>) of a device suitable for a root fs
# Note that the "noauto" and "user" options are meaningless here.

# 40MB RAM disk by default.
$RAMDISK        /               ext2    fs_size=40960   0 0

# This is the default setup from beofdisk, once you setup your disks.
#/dev/hda2	swap		swap	defaults	0 0
#/dev/hda3	/		ext2	defaults	0 0

# These should always be added
none		/proc		proc	defaults	0 0
none		/dev/pts	devpts	gid=5,mode=620	0 0

# NFS (for example and default friendliness)
$MASTER:/home	/home		nfs	nolock		0 0
**END

I believe I need to add something to the node boot disks to allow RAMdisk setup.(?)  What would that be? OR am I just way off.  I was just assuming that it would just work.

Also, another question, Is there some advantage to using the slave nodes' disks? (I mean installing software to them?)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dan "Pierce" Mesimer 
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