Installing Linux on a Compaq PL4500
Updated February 07, 2003
Created May 10, 2001

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The PL4500 is about the only server I can think of that Linux cannot use the embedded SCSI controller. What this means is that the PL4500 will work with Linux, but you will have to put in a controller card that Linux supports.
Ok, let's make it unmistakably clear that:
1) Linux will install and function on the PL4500.
2) Linux is not able to use the embedded (integrated/built-in) SCSI controller at all - there is no Linux driver for it.

Questions and Answers on the PL4500

To make this page easier to get your questions answered, I have added a Question and Answer section.

Ok, let's make it unmistakably clear again that:
1) Linux will install and function on the PL4500.
2) Linux is not able to use the embedded (integrated/built-in) SCSI controller at all - there is no Linux driver for it.

Here is the short message
on the PL4500

1) Basically you can not use the embedded (integrated) SCSI controller with Linux.

2) You must use an "add in" SCSI or Array controller card for hard drives.

3) If you use an array controller for the hard drives, then you need a separate SCSI controller for the CD-Rom and/or Tape drives. Compaq array controllers are not able to control CD-Rom drives.

Linux can install and function on the PL4500 without having a CD-Rom. This can be done by performing a network install.

The CD-Rom will not work until you get a controller for it. Adding CD-Rom support to Linux after install is not a hard task.

Ok, let's make it unmistakably clear again that:
1) Linux will install and function on the PL4500.
2) Linux is not able to use the embedded (integrated/built-in) SCSI controller at all - there is no Linux driver for it.

Accessing the CDROM:



I would suggest using a Linux supported ISA or EISA SCSI controller to access the CD-ROM. Please email me to let me know which controller card(s) you have been able to use in this situation with the PL4500, I'll add it to the list so others will know which cards work (most cards should work). One choice is a EISA card that has the NCR53c710 chipset, this would use the sim710 driver.

IDE? I really don't want to discuss IDE in the PL4500 because it's not supported. It may or may not work putting in an IDE card, send me an email if you get that working. I don't want to be involved in getting it to work, but if you do have success, then let me know some of the specific cards and CD-ROM models used.

Accessing the Hard Drives:



Controllers to Use with the PL4500:

I would suggest either using the same card you use to access the CD-ROM (go from SCSI card to bottom of drive cage, out of top of drive cage to CD-ROM), or I prefer one of the Compaq Smart Array Controllers. There seems to only be two EISA array controller cards to fit this situation: Compaq Original Smart Array Controller and the Compaq Smart-2/E Controller. Both of these cards use the cpqarray (smart2) driver.

Installing without the CD-ROM:

Don't let "not" having a CD-ROM drive stop you from getting Linux installed on your PL4500. Sure CD-ROM's are nice, but these days that is not a good excuse to abort the install. Do a network install for now and then at a later time add a SCSI controller for your CD-ROM if you must use it. By the way, all it should take at a later time to add support for the CD-ROM once you install the SCSI controller should be to 1) create a link for /dev/cdrom, and 2) add an entry for the CD-ROM in /etc/fstab -- that's it, no big deal -- nothing to stop the install over.

Network Install - Alternate Method:

If you don't have or can't find a SCSI controller for your CD-ROM drive and you have a Compaq EISA array controller in the PL4500, then skip worrying about getting a controller for the CD-ROM. Do a network install:
  1. Set up another server/workstation as either an ftp or nfs server (this can be any type of machine - you can even use for ex. Win98 with WarFTP [freeware] to set up Win98 as an ftp server)
  2. Make the bootnet.img floppy (boot disk provided with your distribution that will allow network install)
  3. Boot from the floppy and perform a network install
  4. The installer will ask you for the address of the ftp or nfs server and the path, the rest of the install is usually very much the same as a CD-ROM install
Now, of course, you won't be able to use the CD-ROM until you put in a supported controller, but don't let that stop you from using the rest of the machine.

Installing with the Compaq Original EISA Smart Array Controller:

If you will be installing with the Compaq Original EISA Smart Array Controller then please reference the smart.html page.

Installing with the Compaq Smart-2/E Controller:

If you will be installing with the Compaq Smart-2/E Controller then please reference the smart2e.html page.

Ok, let's make it unmistakably clear again that:
1) Linux will install and function on the PL4500.
2) Linux is not able to use the embedded (integrated/built-in) SCSI controller at all - there is no Linux driver for it.
SMP on older Compaq Servers:

Compaq's early SystemPro/ProLiant SMP design was created long before the Intel MPS specification. Since the 2.2 and 2.4 Linux kernels only support Intel MPS architectures, these early MP servers can only be used in single processor mode:

SystemPro/XL
ProLiant 2000
ProLiant 4000
ProLiant 4500

Compaq is considering making its early MP specifications available to the public, or even adding the support to the Linux kernel. If you are interested in participating in the development of such support, or have one of these servers you would like to run Linux SMP, please send an email to John Cagle c/o linux.feedback@compaq.com. Be sure to put John Cagle's name in the email so it will be forwarded to him.

Ok, let's make it unmistakably clear again that:
1) Linux will install and function on the PL4500.
2) Linux is not able to use the embedded (integrated/built-in) SCSI controller at all - there is no Linux driver for it.
MEMORY CDROM INT_SCSI NET_INST

Memory

If you are having problems detecting your memory, then read the memory.html page. All the instructions for getting more than 16MB of memory are located here:

memory.html
MEMORY CDROM INT_SCSI NET_INST

Accessing the CDROM on the PL4500

If you want to use the SCSI CDROM that is on the PL4500 you will need to add in a Linux supported SCSI controller card to connect to the CDROM drive. You may not use the embedded SCSI controller as there is no driver in Linux for the embedded SCSI controller card on the PL4500.

Note: A CDROM is not required to install Linux on a computer system. Options available are Network installation.
MEMORY CDROM INT_SCSI NET_INST

Using the Integrated SCSI Controller

Currently (May 2001) there is no driver for the integrated SCSI controller on the PL4500. Add in a SCSI controller card if you need one.
MEMORY CDROM INT_SCSI NET_INST

Installing Linux over the network without a local CDROM

Get another system with a network card. Set up either FTP, HTTP, or NFS on that other system so that it will share the Red Hat CDROM. Create the /images/bootnet.img floppy. Boot the PL4500 on this network boot disk and have it connect to the network server you set up.
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