Cakebox Install Instructions

By Adam Saltsman
11.17.03
Internet2, Ann Arbor

Go back to the Pioneer Overview section.

Step 1 - Install Red Hat Linux 7.3

- Turn on the cakebox and press the delete key to access CMOS. Make sure that the option 'Wait for F1 on Error' is DISABLED. Then, insert the Red Hat 7.3 CD #1, and Save and Quit CMOS.

- The machine will reboot itself, and the Linux Install screen should come up. Press the enter key to select 'Graphical Install' and hit Next.

- Select language 'English' and hit Next.

- Select keyboard model or closest approximation, 'U.S. English layout,' and enable dead keys. Then hit Next.

- Select mouse model, or closest approximation, and hit Next.

- Hit Next.

- Select 'Server System,' then hit Next.

- Select 'Manually Partition with Disk Druid,' then hit Next.

- Delete any partitions present, and then:
    1. Create a 23MB /boot partition, device HDA, ext3 file system.
    2. Create a 512MB swap partition, device HDA.
    3. Create a remaining space / partition, device HDA ext3 file system, and hit Next.

- Select 'Check for bad blocks while formatting (optional)', and hit Next.

- Select 'LILO' as boot loader, and hit Next.

- Select (if not already selected) 'Configure using DHCP and Activate on Boot.' Then, hit Next.

- Select 'Customize,' and make sure that only DHCP and SSH are selected, and hit Next.

- Select 'English (U.S.A.),' and hit Next.

- Select appropriate time zone. Then hit Next.

- Set up a root password, and NO user accounts, and hit Next.

- Select 'Classic X-window,' 'X-window,' and 'Gnome' packages, then 'Select Individual Packages' and then hit Next.

- Under Applications->Communications, unclick all.

- Under Applications->Internet, unclick all except: ftp, ncftp, netscape-common, netscape-communicator, openssh, openssh-askpass, openssh-askpass-gnome, openssh-clients, openssl-perl, rsh, rsync, stunnel, tcpdump, and traceroute.

- Under Applications->Publishing, unclick all except: ghostscript, ghostscript-fonts, pnm2ppa.

- Under System Environment->Daemons, unclick finger-server and telnet-server.

- Hit Next. If Linux prompts for dependencies, hit Next.

- Hit Next at the Video Config screen, and the Red Hat Install Process will begin! Hit Next again to set it on its way.

- Wait for the installation to complete. It should prompt you to insert CD #2 and CD #3; just follow the on-screen instructions. Installation will take a while, don't worry if the computer doesn't seem to be responding.

- Create boot floppy if desired. Then hit Next, and select the appropriate monitor. Hit Next, and at the custom X Config screen, hit Next yet again.

- Hit Exit and the machine will reboot. After it reboots, log in, and turn off the following services, using the following commands:
    % chkconfig --del anacron
    % chkconfig --del apmd
    % chkconfig --del crond
    % chkconfig --del lpd
    % chkconfig --del netfs
    % chkconfig --del sendmail
    % chkconfig --del isdn
    % chkconfig --del nfslock
    % chkconfig --del xinetd
    % chkconfig --del gpm
    % chkconfig --del pcmcia
    % chkconfig --del xfs
    % chkconfig --del rhnsd

- Download Yum from http://linux.duke.edu/projects/yum/. Then, install and run it using the following commands:
    % rpm -i yum-package-name.rpm
    % yum update

- Use the following command to turn on the time synchronization program:
    % chkconfig --levels 2345 ntpd on

Step 2 - Install phoneHome and Envoy packages

- First, in the /root directory, make an /internet2 directory.

- Then, download the perl/file package: http://www.umich.edu/~asaltsma/cakebox-files/cakebox.tar.gz. Save it to the internet2 folder.

- Change directories to 'internet2.'

- Unzip the package using the following command:
    % tar -zvxf cakebox.tar.gz

- Then, run install:
    % ./install

Step 3 - Administrators Only

- Run the adminAddScript with the following command line:
    % /root/adminAddScript

- You should be given a series of prompts. Just follow the on-screen instructions;

    1. Type in the cakebox name you want (follow the example).
    2. Type in a very clear and specific description, and then enter your AdminUsername and password.

  This adds this cakebox to your LDAP server. It also writes a file in the cakebox's /root directory called donotdelete.info. Do not delete it! It contains important information that the phoneHome client uses to update the hub.

Your cakebox is ready! Now, every time it reboots it will update the server with its new IP address, and other properties as well.

- To update or change any of the cakebox's ID, port number, or description, you must change the values in the donotdelete.info file that is on the cakebox.

- Type: vi /etc/sysconfig/network and add a line with the cakebox's IP, its name and number, and hostname. phoneHome and Envoy use this information to connect to the LDAP server. Also, update the file: /usr/local/ag/apps/beacon_v0.63/beacon/start_beacon.ag so that it has the same name as the one you put in /etc/hosts and adminAddScript. Also, update /etc/rc.d/init.d/envoyd and make sure it is pointed at the right directory.

- Tada! All finished. However, a good last step is to re-run Xconfigurator from a non-windowed terminal window at 16-mb RAM and 16-bit 1024x768 and make sure you set it to NOT run at boot.

How do you get from Gnome to a normal terminal window? Just type init 3 at a console command line, and it will drop you out to a normal full-screen terminal window. Then you can run Xconfigurator safely.