Connect each computer to a monitor, keyboard, mouse and network. Power on and ensure it boots the installed operating system (typically an OEM version of Windows) and establishes a gigabit speed connection to the Internet.
Install Windows Operating System and Service Pack
The laboratory is currently running Windows XP with NUS site license and OEM license.
We were also provided a Norton Ghost Disk for installing WinXP SP2.0 on these machines, with MS Office 2003, antivirus, and DVD utilities for the LG Burners installed.
Afterward, machines should be upgraded using "Windows Update" to Microsoft XP Service Pack 3. Install CentOS 5
We use the image DVD prepared earlier on to intall CentOS 5 on our server if they have no operating system. Here provides a general installation step for CentOS 5 from the DVD image. Follow the instructions in the installation: 1. Install using the graphical mood. 2. CD test: this is to make sure the boot DVD work. It takes about 20 minutes. 3. Choose language -> English 4. Select the appropriate keyboard for the system --> U.S.English 5. Would you like to initialize this drive, erasing ALL DATA? --> Yes 6. Remove Linux partitions on selected drives and create default layout on the drive /dev/hda --> Yes 7. Network Device: active on boot eth0 DHCP Hostname set automatically via DHCP 8. Choose time zone. 9. Set root password. 10. Choose the installation packages accroding to the function of the PC. Desktop - Gnome
Server Server -GUI Virtualization Clustering Storage clustering Packages from CentOS extra: this requires active network. Customize later.
11. The installer will check the avalibility of the above package. 12. Install and reboot. This takes about 30 minutes. Settings after instal the OS system: 1. Firewall:enabled. Dependes on the function of the computer, choose the trusted services: FTP, Mail(SMTP), NFS4, SSH, Samba, WWW (https), Telnet, WWW(http). This can also be edited later. 2. SELinux: The default setting is enforcing. 3. Kdump: enabled. Give a memory of 128mb to backup in case of system crashes. This requires reboot later. 4. Set current date and time 5. Create user for non-administrative 6. Sound card testing 7. No additioanl install cd 8. Reboot For detail network setting and administration, please refer to Linux Network Adiministrators Guide.
| Testing network connection
1. Check the hardwares: make sure all the cables are cnnected properly.
2. Test the computers are connect to internet:
(1) Open the web browser and key in any website see if the computer is connected.
(2) In both Linux and Windows command prompt: nslookup <web address / hosts name / IP address>
(3) In both Linux and Windows command prompt: ping <hostname / IP address>
3. Check the network configuration of the machines.
(1) In Linux, use ifconfig
(2) In Windows command prompt use ipconfig
The above two commands give the information of ethernet adapter IP address and the status of network connection. More details are given here:
In addition, with graphical interface, the settings can be found at system-> Admin -> Network in Linux system.
4. Check if the ethernet is active.
For example: ifconfig eth0 up to make the ethernet work.
If need to change the configuration, go to /etc/sysconfig/network-script to find the respective one.
eg: IP fixed eth0. The config file is /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 # Intel Corporation 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet Controller
DEVICE=eth0 BOOTPROTO=none HWADDR=00:11:25:04:5C:03 ONBOOT=yes DHCP_HOSTNAME=web1 TYPE=Ethernet USERCTL=no IPV6INIT=no PEERDNS=yes IPADDR= <the IP address of the machine> NETMASK=255.255.255.0
GATEWAY= <the router IP address> eg: DHCP enabled eth0. The config file is /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 # Intel Corporation 82541EI Gigabit Ethernet Controller
DEVICE=eth0 BOOTPROTO=dhcp HWADDR=00:0D:60:B6:EE:94 ONBOOT=yes DHCP_HOSTNAME=wendy.blueprint.org TYPE=Ethernet USERCTL=no IPV6INIT=no PEERDNS=yes 5. Check /etc/resolv.conf The resolv.conf configuration file contains information that determines the operational parameters of the DNS resolver routines installed in the operating system. In our case, it should have the following line: nameserver <the router IP address> |