Install Debian on a Dell PE 1950 III Quad Core Xeon E5410
 

Dear Specialists,

I have just got a Dell PowerEdge 1950 which I want to install with Debian Etch and the two SAS harddiscs need to run in RAID1.

1. Which Debian do I ue: debian-40r3-ia64 or debian-40r3-i386 ?
2. How do I install the RAID1 ?
3. Dies anybody has alrady has any experience with this Dell?

I have read so many problems with the SAS and the Network that before installing anything I hope somebody can give me the right tips.

Thanx,

Ronald

1. Assuming you want 64 bit, neither -- use the AMD64 version. The ia64 version is Itanium only, and the i386 is 32 bits. The AMD64 version (despite its name) works with both Intel and AMD X86-64 (what Intel calls EM64T) processors.

2. Do you have built in RAID functionality (either on motherboard or via a card)? If not you'll need to use mdadm to set up and configure RAID -- it's been awhile since I installed Debian, but there should be a way to do this in the install. If you have embedded RAID you can try to use that -- just make sure Linux has the right driver for your RAID card.

3. This is a fairly common Dell server model. I know Dell sells Red Hat Enterprise Linux on this hardware (though I've had no experience with it personally) so everything **should** work. If not, you might want to consider going with CentOS instead of Debian, since its a rebuild of RHEL.

1. Thank you! Will start preparing a minimal boot dvd with the AMD64 version. debian-40r3-amd64-netinst

2. It is a 'Perc 6i Integrated Controller' supplied by Dell with driver with it. But I wrote many stories bout loosing the harddiscs after installation of Debian. Shall I install the drives before doing the reboot after installing Debian?

3. It isnot possible for me to choose :-( because the used software is based on Debian.

Thanx again!

Could consult Dells website about your RAID controller...

http://linux.dell.com/storage.shtml


Not sure what you mean about losing hard drives.. the drives go off-line ? Fail ? other ?

I installed today the AMD64 version (debian-40r3-amd64-netinst), everything looks good. Regarding the RAID1, I was afraid that the new debian will have problems with the controller software and couldn't find the harddiscs anaymore after rebooting. But it look likes it embedded software, installed the Debian with the RAID1.