Traven Configuration
The hardware and hosting is documented on
UkRiseupServer and
TravenInfo is the place where everything else is documented. During configuration, documenation will occur on
TravenSetUp.
Intro
There has been a lot of discussion about what
hardware to get for the new server located in the Seattle colo. This has most recently revolved around the presumption that
debian 'sarge' (testing) will be installed on it.
There are
install guides online. The
debian grimoire also has lots of useful information and links - particularly the information about using
dm-crypt for encrypting partitions, as discussed on
UkCrypto. However, these are the
main installation guides for sarge (various formats and architectures). The UK server will be an
i386 machine.
Overview
From:
http://www.debian.org/releases/sarge/i386/ch03s01.html.en
- Back up any existing data or documents on the hard disk where you plan to install.
- Gather information about your computer and any needed documentation, before starting the installation.
- Create partition-able space for Debian on your hard disk.
- Locate and/or download the installer software and any specialized driver files your machine requires (except Debian CD users).
- Set up boot tapes/floppies/USB sticks, or place boot files (most Debian CD users can boot from one of the CDs).
- Boot the installation system.
- Select installation language.
- Activate the ethernet network connection, if available.
- Create and mount the partitions on which Debian will be installed.
- Watch the automatic download/install/setup of the base system.
- Install a boot loader which can start up Debian GNU/Linux and/or your existing system.
- Load the newly installed system for the first time, and make some initial system settings.
- Install additional software (tasks and/or packages), at your discretion.
Hardware
Specifics
BIOS
- will be on the hardware already - duh!
- also - 3ware card
- netinstall cd
- debian cd 1 did not work - wierd!
Partitioning
This can be done after booting from the cdrom:
http://www.debian.org/releases/sarge/i386/ch06s03.html.en#partman ... we need to figure out the exact partitions on imc-uk-tech
soon though!
The machine might run better
without a swap partition -- ahmisa-web1 works a lot better without swap and it has less than 1Gb of RAM, this machine has 4Gb.
- /imc/ 225Gb
- Static Mir sites this can be a mirror of /imc/mir/ on ahmisa (which is almost 40Gb at the moment) and also where the Mir production servers on the box write the site to. In the future it could be nfs exported to a rsync and or apache server.
- /mir/ 75Gb
- Production Mir sites and database files and apache and tomcat logs. This partition could be encrypted.
- /backup/ 50Gb
- Database dumps this is the partition to rsync to backup machines. The key thing to backup is database dumps and these contain sensitive information. Media files are effectivly backuped up via the mirrors. This partition could be encrypted.
- /var/ 20Gb
- Mail spool, logs etc.
- / 15Gb
- /etc/ /usr/ etc.
- /upload/ 5Gb
- ftp and or webdav uploads of media files.
- /home/ 5Gb
- Not so much space should be needed for users directories. This partition could be encrypted.
- /tmp/ 5Gb
- Lots of tmp space can be handy for creating dvd iso image and such like.
It might be too much hassle to encrypt some of the partitions, on the other
hand it would be nice... A lot of research had been done by jeff on this, see
UkCrypto#Filesystem
Bios setup
this machine will be installed using debian netinstall cd - more info at
http://www.debian.org/CD/
Boot manager
Grub is recommended by
deb.riseup.net although the current debian default is lilo. This is likely to be changed for sarge.
--
GarconDuMonde - 12 Feb 2005 - started - had to do other stuff tho.. will work more on it