Linux RedHat on Dual Opteron System

[tinkertech]

I have been requested to install Linux RedHat on a Dual Opteron system with nVidia's SLI dual graphics cards capability. Can such a system be built? Where do I check for compatability issues when it comes to Linux applications. How can I tell the RedHat version I need? I am told to used Linux RedHat 9.0 Pro; is there such a thing?

If at first you don't succeed, reboot!

 

[RhythmAce]

Red Hat doesn't have a free version any more. They have enterprise versions that come in different flavors such as server edition, work station and so on. How much you pay for them depends on the amount of support you buy with it. The free version is now called Fedora Core 4 and can be downloaded from

http://fedora.redhat.com.

You will also be able to find the compatability lists there or at

http://www.redhat.com.

Dual boot systems are very easy to setup. The linux installer will guide you through the setup. You will need to make space on your HD for the linux file system. If a partition already exists that can be used for the install, the installer will create the linux partitions you need automatically. A boot loader will also be installed. In most cases it will be grub. When asked where to install it, choose the MBR. The next time you boot the machine, you will be prompted for which OS to load. You usually have 15 seconds to choose or it will boot into the default OS. All these are set at intall but can be changed later using grub's configuration file.

 

[RhythmAce]

Sorry about the dual boot stuff. I read this before I finished my first cup of coffee. Red Hat and Fedora are compatible with both AMD Athlon64 and Opteron processors. I don't know about your graphics card but you can check the hardware compatability list on one of those two sites.

 

[jstreich]

Red Hat doesn't have a free version any more.

Fedora is Red Hat and it's free; which you point out later. But this sentence is completely wrong.

FedoraCore 4 is the best way to go, unless you think you'll to talk to their support staff.

[plug=shameless]

http://game-master.us/phpx-3.4.0/

[/plug]

 

[RhythmAce]

Fedora is Red Hat and it's free; which you point out later. But this sentence is completely wrong.

Don't mess with my sentence. It it 100% correct. I was refering to the software, not the company. The free version is now called Fedora and the store bought versions are still Red Hat. That being said, I don't see how my sentence could be wrong. Give me a star!

 

[IRudebwoy]

There is no reason why RedHat 9.0 pro won't install but it will be a 32-bit system. If you gave up the cash for a Dual Opteron system (core or physical chip) you should go with Fedora Core 4 x86_64 as the base. You can still run 32-bit apps but you get 64-bit OS and better support for current hardware.

As for the nVidia set up. Good luck... You might have better luck with another vendor.



## Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

Lorenzo Wacondo (System Administrator)

http://www.laguna-industries.com

 

[thedaver]

<flamebait>
The Fedora main page says:

The Fedora Project is a Red Hat sponsored and community-supported open source project. It is not a supported product of Red Hat, Inc

</flamebait>
So Fedora is NOT RedHat, except that RedHat supports it and sucks out all the tested goodies for their RedHat commercial products when they see fit.

Sufficiently grey? ;-)

D.E.R. Management - IT Project Management Consulting

http://www.dermanagement.com/

 

[jurgen36]

:irudebwoy
Nvidia is one of the very few video card manufaturers which fully supports linux in most of its flovours,
Regards

Jurgen

 

[IRudebwoy]

:jurgen36

True. However...

I've always had problems with anything nVidia on Linux, even M$. I guess it all started with the crappy TNT2 video card I got a few years ago and continues to this day with frequent BSOD (yes, M$) on workstations with the Quadro FX 3400.

Those problems taint my perception.

To balance things out a little. I haven't had any problems with workstations using the same engineering package on the Quadro FX 3000.

Glad to hear nVidia works for you.



## Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

Lorenzo Wacondo (System Administrator)

http://www.laguna-industries.com

 

[jstreich]

<flamebait>
<pedantic>
RedHat is a company. Their products include:
RedHat Linux (now fairly obsolete)
RedHat Enterprise Linux (their comercial product, RHEL, which comes in a few different flavors)
Fedora

The whole quote (from RedHat's site) says:

The Fedora Project is a Red Hat sponsored and community-supported open source project. It is not a supported product of Red Hat, Inc. The goal? Work with the Linux community to build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from free software. Public forum. Open processes. A proving ground for new technology that may eventually make its way into Red Hat products.

I.E. we build it. If you want to add to it, and we like what you do, we'll use it... But it's ours. However, we're not putting up any support, because you're not paying for it. It's maily a test ground for stuff to go into RHEL.

It's exsactly like getting the free version of an old RedHat Linux... No support, but it is their work, and anything they like and get ahold of under the GPL.
</pedantic></flaimbait>

NVidia drivers are closed, and while they beat the nv drivers in a few ways (TwinVeiw and hardware acceleration) there are features nv has that NVidia is missing. When in doubt buy an open card or card with open drivers... NVidia drivers have been a pain for me in that I can't get the NVidia drivers to compile with my current kernel, and if I upgrade/downgrade I lose my ivtv drivers. So, I keep patching, and waiting for a change in ivtv or NVidia so that I can get both on the same Debian system.

[plug=shameless]

http://game-master.us/phpx-3.4.0/

[/plug]

 

[128meg]

And you will nead a SMB-kernel to get the 2 cpu's working.