Software Installation and

System Administration

for DEC Workstations

(Alpha-OSF/1 and Mips-Ultrix)

This page has been constructed by one of the system administrators of the Sternwarte (J.M.B.) for documentation and information of the whole AIUB sytem group, but probably it can help also other people in the AI in fixing problems. Please report any tip not mentioned here!
For special system management infos see the helpfile 'merke' of Mr. Lay.

List of tips and other information:

Server in the AIUB:
- 'aibn55': 1st floor server for the YellowPages, the AIUB FTP account, the Mail server and most Ultrix software, and managing the local login disk '/user1';
- 'aibn20': General server of the 1st floor for Alpha software;
- 'aibn58': 1st floor server for the MO juke-box (see the 64 devices mounted at '/j00a', etc.);
- 'aibn90': Server for Ultrix software of the 2nd floor, YP mirror, and managing the local login disk '/user2';
- 'aibn91': WWW server for the AIUB;
- 'aibn40': Server for the AIUB Linux machines (system configuration, no software);
- 'aibn70': Ultrix server of the 3rd floor, YP mirror, server of the HP Laserjet 4M 'lps3';
- 'aibn31': Alpha server of the 3rd floor, managing the local login disk '/user3' (the server size will be enlarged in the near future).
Version of the installed operating system:
The normal system on workstations at the Sternwarte is for
- Alphas: OSF/1 (equal to 'Digital Unix') V3.2 R214, V3.2C R148 (V: version, R: release), or V4?;
- Mips: Ultrix 4.3A R146 or R25;
- Pentium PCs: S.u.S.E. Linux 5.0 (06/97 distribution on 3 CDs), Kernel 2.0.30 (non-DEC, given for completeness)
  [1st Linux on aibn43, 44 and 45 was S.u.S.E. Linux 4.4.1 (03/97 distribution on 2 CDs), Kernel 2.0.27].

Some helpful commands in managing the system:

  'fsck -y'
     (in case of known problems, e.g. by a dying harddisk [message:"Cannot read
      BLK ..." etc.], this command -making a file system check giving "yes" to
      all repairing requests- should be performed in console mode after
      typing 'boot' and getting the prompt '#'),
  'uerf -R'
     (getting information about the system configuration on DEC Alphas and
      Mips', see 'man uerf' for further details),
  'dump 0bf 126 - /dev/rz2c |restore rf 126 -'
     (1-1 copy [dump] of hard disks under Ultrix).

See also the commads for managing Linux systems.

Stuff about /etc/fstab:
The mounted devices (except MOs which are mounted by the script 'mo_mount') are defined in '/etc/fstab'.
On the 'aibn25', which is additionally configured to run stand-alone (see BUSCA), one has to make changes ! also ! to '/etc/switch.boot/fstab.cluster'.
Example for an Alpha-OSF/1 machine (only a part):

  '/dev/rz3a           /           ufs rw 1 1'
  '/dev/rz3d           /usr        ufs rw 1 2',
  '/dev/rz3b           swap1       ufs sw 0 2',
  '/dev/rz0b           swap2       ufs sw 0 0',
  '/dev/rz0a           /aibn31_0   ufs rw 1 3',
  '/usr/local@aibn20   /usr/local  nfs rw,bg 0 0',
  '/user1@aibn55       /user1      nfs rw,bg 0 0',
  '/usr/var/spool/mail@aibn55 /mail-spool  nfs rw,bg 0 0'.

If you want to change the exportations of Alpha-HDs (e.g. for new workstations) do:

  [as root:]
  'vi /etc/exports'
    (the file should contain lines like the following one:
       '/aibn31_0       aibn53 aibn55 aibn57 aibn58 aibn16 aibn17 aibn18 aibn20 aibn21a ibn23 aibn24 aibn25 aibn31 aibn32 aibn33 aibn34 aibn38 aibn39 aibn42 aibn43 aibn44 aibn45 aibn70 aibn71 aibn72 aibn73 aibn74 aibn81 aibn90 aibn91 aibn92 aibn93 aibn94 aibn95'
     for each disk; the list of machines with permission to mount a device
     could differ depending on the special disk),
  'cd /sbin/init.d',
  './nfs stop',
  './nfs start'.

Example for an Mips-Ultrix machine (only a part):

  '/dev/rz0a:/:rw:1:1:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz0c:/usr:rw:1:2:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz0d:/tmp:rw:1:3:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz0e:/local_backup:rw:1:4:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz0f:/dlenv0:rw:1:5:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz1a:/dlclient0:rw:1:6:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz1b::sw:0:0:ufs::',
  '/dev/rz4c:/cdrom:ro:0:0:ufs::',
  '/local@aibn55:/local:rw:0:0:nfs:soft,bg:',
  '/soft1@aibn55:/soft1:rw:0:0:nfs:soft,bg:'.

Starting the MO juke-box:
If the MO juke-box has problems in starting, one should swith off the racket, and after switching on typing the following lines on the 'aibn58' in single user mode (after the prompt '>>>':
```
  'init',
  'config 5'.
```

Creating a new user:
This is done by the following steps:

  'slogin -l root aibn55'
    (logging in the main YP server as system manager 'root'),
  'adduser'
    (program in '/local/bin', need some information as input like
     username, name in real life, login disk, first password).

This cammand will do changes to the files:

  '/etc/yp/src/passwd'
    (list of users and encrypted passwords),
  '/etc/yp/src/group'
    (list of groups),
  '/usr/spool/mail'.

If you want to make changes to these files, you have to enter:

  'cd /etc/yp',
  'make passwd',
  'make group',
  'make aliases'

to update the system.

Changing the mail-alias and getting latest global information files:

  'slogin -l root aibn55'
    (logging in the main YP server as system manager 'root'),
  'cd /etc/yp/src',
  'vi mail.aliases'
    (editing the mail-alias file),
  'cd ..',
  'make aliases'
    (updating the system - this is done for 'aibn55' and the mirrors 'aibn90'
     and 'aibn70' automatically),
  'exit',
  'slogin -l root aibn91'
    (logging in the machine carrying the global ASCII files used on all
     3 platforms: Mips-Ultrix, Alpha-OSF/1 and Pentium-Linux),
  'ssh aibn55 cp /etc/yp/src/mail.aliases ~jbraun/all',
  'cp ~jbraun/all/mail.aliases /aibn91_0/globals/site-info'
    (saving a new file informing about the current mail-aliases).

In a similar way you can update the files informing about all hosts and about the users:

  'slogin -l root aibn91',
  'ssh aibn55 -n "cat /var/dss/namedb/src/hosts" > /aibn91_0/globals/site-info/host_old',
  'vi /aibn91_0/globals/site-info/host_old'
    (adding the lines:
       '#'
       '# Auxiliary File for the WWW URL /~sysstw/   ??.??.1999   ??:??'
     with the correct date and time of the last update),
  'ypcat passwd > /aibn91_0/globals/site-info/users_old',
  'vi /aibn91_0/globals/site-info/users_old'
    (adding the lines:
       '# Auxiliary File for WWW URL /~sysstw/'
       '# Last changes: ??.??.1999, ??:?? by J.M.B.'
       '#'
     with the correct date and time of the last update).

One should get the up-to-date E-Mail list of Astronomers [by Chris Benn & Ralph Martin], containing the files 'astropersons', 'astroplaces' and 'astropostal' (and in case of a new version the file 'README'), via the WWW URL 'ftp://ftp.ast.cam.ac.uk/guide/' and put these files into the directory '/aibn91_0/globals/astro/'.
In a last step it will help to run the system scripts 'df_stw' and 'du_stw' in the directory '~sysstw/bin/' to update the disk information at the Sternwarte (see the aliases 'sh_df_d', 'sh_du_d' and 'sh_du_p' in the file '~sysstw/conf/.alias').

Connecting new Alpha HDs:

  'MAKEDEV rz4'
    (creating device for SCSI ID 4; for tapes one has to specify:
     'MAKEDEV tz6' for SCSI ID 6 tape drive),
  'disklabel -wr rz4 XYZ'
    (label disk for unknown HD, otherwise specify the drive instead of
     giving XYZ),
  'disklabel -r rz4',
  'newfs /dev/rrz4g XYZ'
    (create the file system on SCSI ID 4, partition g).

After booting an Alpha machine, one can enter in Single User Mode (behind the prompt '>>>')

  'show dev'

to get a list of all detected SCSI devices.
If you encounter problems, change the SCSI ID and then enter

  'init'

to initiate the system (including the SCSI host adapter);

Ultrix:

  'cnfg';
  'cnfg nr' (with nr the number for SCSI devices).

Making new entries for the nameserver:

  'slogin -l root aibn55'
    (login on the nameserver),
  'cd /var/dss/namedb/src',
  'vi hosts'
    (make changes; ONLY lowercase letters! besides in remarks),
  'cd ..',
  'bin/make_hosts'
    (attention: UNDERSCORE !),
  'vi hosts.db',
  'vi hosts.rev'
    (changing the date of these two files - before the word 'Serial'),
  'kbn -XFSZ named' or 'kbn -HUP named'
    (for replacing all files, including cache),
  [these steps were done for the nameserver, now proceeding for YP changes:]
  'cp /var/dss/namedb/src/hosts /etc/yp/src/hosts',
  'cd /etc/yp',
  'make',
  'exit'
    (That's it!).

Maintain the printer:

  'slogin -l root aibn70'
    (logging in the printer server as system manager 'root'),
  'lpc'
    (starting the "Line Printer Control program"),
  'clean lps3'
    (removing the temporary files for printer 'lps3').

Additionaly one can see the printer jobs by giving the Unix command:

  'lpq -Plps3'

and delete individual printer jobs (e.g. with ID 25) by:

  'lprm -Plps3 25'.

Maintaining and configuring the WWW server:
For getting the WWW server alive after it was broken, just follow the steps below:

  'slogin -l root aibn91'
    (logging in the WWW server machine as system manager 'root'),
  'cd /aibn91_0/cern_httpd_3.0/bin',
  'start_httpd.restart'
    (in case of restarting the CERN server) or
  'start_httpd'
    (in case of starting it the first time).

For configuring, do:

  'slogin -l root aibn91',
  'cd /aibn91_0/cern_httpd_3.0/config',
  'vi httpd.conf'.

Netscape (Communicator version 4.03b8, OSF_32):
The installation was done on the 'aibn31' by the following steps:

  'slogin -l root aibn31',
  'cd /aibn31_0',
  'mkdir ns403b8',
  'ftp ftp.uni-paderborn.de',
     'cd /ftp/disk3/unix/netscape/communicator/4.03/4.03b8/english/unix/osf1_32/base_install',
     'get README.license.txt',
     'get README.txt',
     'get communicator-v403b8-export.alpha-dec-osf3.2.tar.gz'
       (the file 'navigator-v403b8-export.alpha-dec-osf3.2.tar.gz' is not
        running on our system:
        "unresolvable symbol in /aibn31_0/ns4/netscape: __cxx_gem_dispatch") ,
     'quit',
  'gzip -dc communicator-v403b8-export.alpha-dec-osf3.2.tar.gz | tar -xvf -',
  'rm communicator-v403b8-export.alpha-dec-osf3.2.tar.gz',
  'mkdir java/',
  'mkdir java/classes/',
  'mv *.jar ./java/classes/',
  'gzip -dc nethelp-v403b8.nif | tar -xf -',
  'gzip -dc netscape-v403b8.nif | tar -xf -',
  'gzip -dc spellchk-v403b8.nif | tar -xf -',
  'rm *.nif',
  'ln -s /aibn31_0/ns403b8 /aibn31_0/ns4'.

Additionally each user should add in the Alpha branch of his '~/.cshrc' file the following lines:

  '# For the new Netscape Navigator 4.03b8',
  '      setenv MOZILLA_HOME /aibn31_0/ns4'

and the following line in the '.alias-alpha' file:

  'alias ns4 "/aibn31_0/ns4/netscape -install"'.

Network Switch (100/10 MBit, RJ45) Information:
Port setup (with number and room) can be requested from CISCO by:
```
  'slogin aibn55'
  'telnet cisco'  (responsible: G. Lay and U. Nass)
  'show port'
```

Back/forward to:

Computer System's Homepage of the Sternwarte
Software on Alpha and MIPS computers of the Sternwarte
the Sternwarte Bonn Homepage

First version:	13th	September,	1997
Last update:	28th	August,	2000

Jochen M. Braun
(E-Mail: jbraun@astro.uni-bonn.de)