CentOS - Dec 2010 - how to install Linux on an IBM xserver 335 server without graphics card?

Hi All,

I recently got some IBM Xseries 335 servers 2nd hand, and noticed they
don't have any graphics card. Some google searched indicate they only
have an uplink port, which you could connect to another (other model)
IBM server and use that as the head node. But, I don't have one
available.

It has 2x GB NIC's, and what looks like a management port, but I can't
figure out how to use it. SSH & HTTP connections to it was futile. OR,
it was assigned a dedicated IP, on a different subnet than ours but
it's not written down anywhere so I don't know what IP to connect to.

Does anyone know how to get Linux installed onto these devices? We
have a PXE server in the office which I generally use for this setting
up servers over the LAN, but they always have a VGA port.

-- 
Kind Regards
Rudi Ahlers
SoftDux

Website: http://www.SoftDux.com
Technical Blog: http://Blog.SoftDux.com
Office: 087 805 9573
Cell: 082 554 7532

On Sun, Dec 19, 2010 at 6:59 PM, Rudi Ahlers <Rudi at softdux.com>
wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I recently got some IBM Xseries 335 servers 2nd hand, and noticed they
> don't have any graphics card. Some google searched indicate they only
> have an uplink port, which you could connect to another (other model)
> IBM server and use that as the head node. But, I don't have one
> available.
I believe we can use serial console to it.
Use a null modem cable to connect to the serial console and use tool
like Hyper terminal or minicom.

I hate it too when server doesn't provide such a simple graphic card
and choose the "cool" serial console method.

Rudi Ahlers wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I recently got some IBM Xseries 335 servers 2nd hand, and noticed they
> don't have any graphics card. Some google searched indicate they only
> have an uplink port, which you could connect to another (other model)
> IBM server and use that as the head node. But, I don't have one
> available.
They do have a graphics card - the 'uplink' port is a KVM port that has 
VGA and PS/2 - this is certainly the case with the X335's we have.

If you can get hold of a C2T breakout cable, then you should be able to 
plug in a keyboard/mouse/screen.

Just google for 'IBM C2T X335 cable'

James Pearson

> I recently got some IBM Xseries 335 servers 2nd hand, and noticed they
> don't have any graphics card. Some google searched indicate they only
> have an uplink port, which you could connect to another (other model)
> IBM server and use that as the head node. But, I don't have one
> available.
That'd be the C2T (Cable Chaining) technology they were using back
then. It's essentially a KVM switch system built into the server, the
idea being that if you have a rack of 42 of them you can hookup up a
single monitor/keyboard/mouse to the stack and with the press of a
button switch between the servers.

All you need to get access to the console on these units is a C2T
Breakout cable. It looks like a custom KVM cable with PS2/VGA ports on
one end and a DVI port on the other.


-- 
Drew

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."
--Marie Curie