[GLLUG] Fw: .c and .h files

[Bill Bartilson]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Bartilson" <bbartilson at comcast.net>
To: <linux-user at egr.msu.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 4:05 PM
Subject: .c and .h files


> Hello folks,
>
> I'm a newbie around here.  Long time computer user...mostly for audio.
>
> I spent about four years as a network admin at a public school district
west
> of Lansing.  Lots of neat stuff going on out there.  Building to building
> 802.11 wireless over 7 buildings and 25 sqare miles total.  A number of NT
> domains, something like 1000 9x and what not clients.  A couple of more or
> less self contained Mac networks.  And a number of RH systems that were
> surprisingly easy to set up and maintain.
>
> A year ago I left and became an audio guy again - supervising audio
services
> at LCC.
>
> My problem:
>
> I've got a number of old IBM servers (mostly 520's) on which I'd like to
> install some flavor of linux.
>
> The architecture is old, but I've never had any problem installing Linux
on
> anything until now - regardless of the age of the hardware.
>
> The disk controllers in these things are MCA SCSI guys, for the most part
> IBM ServerRAID style, as well as some with onboard SCSI controllers I have
> yet to identify properly.
>
> I've tried 7.x and 9.0 installs of RH with no success.  Even though all
seem
> to include a ServerRAID option in the disk config, the install won't
> recognize that the controller exists, and so there are no drives on which
I
> can install.
>
> Poking around on the 'net I've found a number of references to 'drivers'
and
> such available for this old architecture, but they aren't in a format that
I
> understand.
>
> The 'drivers' are gzipped files with a .c and a .h file in them
Extracting
> them to a floppy and letting the install see them is no help.  (not that I
> really expected it would be)
>
> From reading the documentation, I have found no reference that would tell
me
> what to do with these files in order to make use of them during an
install.
>
> It seems that Debian may be a choice...I went to BN today and found 0
books
> with Debian included.  I started to DL Debian, and I'm having some trouble
> figuring out the whole jigdo thing.  Seems like I ought to make a list of
> the files I need and put it in a batch script or something.  Typing one
file
> name at a time seems like a *really* long way to go about getting the
> distribution.  I'm obviously missing something completely here.
>
> I'm gonna mail order a set of disks, so that may be some help.  At $14.50,
I
> can hardly argue. :)
>
> I also DL'ed the Gentoo .iso's and I'm about to burn them.   I just found
> out about the 'new' Microsoft direction in which RH is heading, and Gentoo
> was the recommendation of such geeks as I have access to directly.  So
I'll
> be trying that shortly.
>
> So, to summarize;
>
> 1.  I'm a smart guy, but I have very little administration experience with
> Linux.  My experience was that you set it up, and it just worked until a
> major hardware failure occurred.  My RH servers never did anything but
work
> flawlessly until a drive crash or a power supply failure.  And, I mean,
> never.
>
> 2.  I know and can use vi, but that's really the level of my expertise at
> it's maximum.  I know what a cron job is, but I have no idea how to create
> one.  Hopefully that paints a picture of the level of assistance I need.
>
> 3.  I'm not particular about flavor of linux at all.  One that would load
> would be good. :)
>
> 4.  Specifically, info about how to make use of these .c and .h files, or
> any distribution that would work with this old IBM microchannel stuff
would
> be most appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill
>