FreeVPS Host Installation/Update

This document will guide you through the FreeVPS installation procedure:

• Required Packages
• Installation Procedure

Prior to FreeVPS installation, see FreeVPS Host Preparation in a separate document.

Required Packages

X here is the latest available package version that can be downloaded from FreeVPS download area.

kernel-freevps and freevps-tools are freeware packages developed by Positive Software that include FreeVPS Kernel, a standard RedHat kernel patched to support VPS and FreeVPS Tools for VPS host and virtual servers management.

Notes:

• For servers with RAM 4GB and more, we recommend installing the kernel-freevps-hugemem package (supports up to 64 GB of memory).
• For host servers with multiple CPUs, install kernel-freevps-smp package. Skip this if you have already installed kernel-freevps-hugemem as it also supports SMP.
• If your server hardware is not standard, you will probably also need to install the kernel-freevps-unsupported package (not trusted by RedHat).
  
  

Installation Procedure

1. Enter the server console as root. The installation procedure requires reboot, therefore it is preferable to reboot from the server console so that you can reload from the old kernel if the problem with the new one occurs.

2. Download the required packages:

   # wget path/to/download-location/package-X.rpm

   where:
   - path/to/download/location is a corresponding OS package download location;
   - package is the name of the downloaded package;
   - X is the latest available package version.

   Important: When installing VPS into an H-Sphere cluster, check package versions required for H-Sphere VPS install, as it may not work with the packages of the latest version.

3. Put the downloaded packages into a separate directory, for example, to /root/inst.

4. Install the downlaoded packages in the same sequence that they come in the Required Packages table with all installation dependencies satisfied:

   # rpm -Uvh package-X.rpm

   where:
   - package is the name of the downloaded package;
   - X is the latest available package version.

   Important: Use -ivh option instead of -Uvh when installing kernel-freevps-X to allow your server boot with old kernel, if it can't start with a new one.

   To check if the kernel update has taken place, go to the /boot directory and execute:

   # cd /boot
   # ls -la

5. Edit your boot loader configuration file (/boot/grub/grub.conf, or /etc/lilo.conf) so its default variable is set to take newly installed kernel as the boot image. In the examples below default is set to boot server with kernel-freevps-1.3-1.

   • grub.conf
     

     default=0
     timeout=10
     splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
     title Red Hat Linux (2.4.21-freevps-1.3-1)
       root (hd0,0)
       kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-freevps-1.3-1 ro root=/dev/sda5
       initrd /initrd-2.4.21-freevps-1.3-1.img
     title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-3)
       root (hd0,0)
       kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/sda5
       initrd /initrd-2.4.18-3.img
     

   • lilo.conf
     

     prompt
     timeout=50
     default=linux_patched
     boot=/dev/sda
     map=/boot/map
     install=/boot/boot.b
     message=/boot/message
     linear
     
     image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-3
         label=linux
         initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-3.img
         read-only
         root=/dev/sda5
     
     image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-freevps-1.3-1
         label=linux_patched
         initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.21-freevps-1.3-1.img
         read-only
         root=/dev/sda5
     

   Important! Keep the old kernel image settings, so the system can start if anything goes wrong with the new kernel installation.

6. (Skip this step if you use grub boot loader.) Apply changes to lilo.conf:

   # lilo

   If you correctly edited lilo.conf, the command will list all labels' values as added.

7. Reboot the server:

   # shutdown -r now

8. To check patched kernel version, run:

   # uname -a