more research on the cymru install procedures

howto/new-machine-cymru.md

@@ -6,6 +6,62 @@ of serial ports).
 
 # How-to
 
+## Initial RAID setup
+
+The built-in RAID controller must be disable in order to use software
+RAID, which we *do* want. Hardware RAID is always a headache as it
+requires proprietary drivers that are hard or impossible to find. By
+using software RAID, we have the same uniform interface on all
+servers.
+
+To disable hardware RAID on Cymru hardware (PowerEdge R610 or R620
+machines), you have access to the BIOS. This can be done through a
+Virtual console or serial port, if Serial redirection is first enabled
+in the BIOS (which requires a virtual console). Then:
+
+ 1. reboot the server to get into the BIOS dialogs
+ 2. let the BIOS do its thing and wait for the controller to start
+    initializing
+ 3. hit <kbd>control-r</kbd> when the controller dialog shows up
+
+This will bring you in the RAID controller interface, which should
+have a title like:
+
+          PERC H710P Mini BIOS Configuration Utility 4.03-0002
+
+In the `VD Mgmt` tab:
+
+ 1. press <kbd>F2</kbd> ("operations")
+ 2. select "Clear Config" and confirm
+
+Another way to do this is to:
+
+ 1. select the "virtual disk"
+ 2. press <kbd>F2</kbd> ("operations")
+ 3. choose "Delete VD" and confirm
+
+"press <Control-R>: to enter configuration utility"
+
+For good measure, it seems you can also disable the controller
+completely in the `Ctrl Mgmt` tab (accessed by pressing
+<kbd>control-n</kbd> twice), by unticking the `Enable controller BIOS`
+and `Enable BIOS Stop on Error`.
+
+To exit the controller, hit <kbd>Esc</kdb> ("Escape"). Then you need
+to send <kbd>control-alt-delete</kbd> somehow. This can be done in the
+`Macros` menu in the virtual console, or, in the serial console,
+exiting with <kdb>control-\</kbd> and then issuing the command:
+
+    racadm serveraction powercycle
+
+## Bootstrapping installer
+
+Once you have a sane RAID configuration, you need to bootstrap some
+Debian SSH server to allow our installer to proceed. This must be done
+by loading a [grml](https://grml.org) live image through the Virtual console (below).
+
+TODO.
+
 ## idrac consoles
 
 Dell servers have a management interface called "IDRAC" or [DRAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_DRAC)
@@ -57,10 +113,27 @@ the "maximize" button (a square icon) to make it bigger.
 It might also be good to keep an *installed* Ubuntu release inside a
 virtual machine, because the "boot from live image" approach works
 only insofar as the machine doesn't crash. Note that you should
-install the `spice-vdagent`, `xserver-xorg-video-qxl` packages to get proper resolution.
+install the `spice-vdagent` (or is it `xserver-xorg-video-qxl`?)
+package to get proper resolution. In practice, I couldn't make this
+work and instead hardcoded the resolution in `/etc/default/grub` with:
+
+    GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x720
+    GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep
+
+Thanks to [Louis-Philippe Veronneau for the tip](https://veronneau.org/how-to-capture-a-remote-irc-session-live.html).
 
 ### Booting a rescue image
 
+It is possible to load an ISO image (say for rescue) through the DRAC
+interface. Head for Overview -> Server -> Attached
+media. Unfortunately, only NFS and CIFS shares are supported, which
+is... not great. But we could, in theory, leverage this to rescue
+machines from each other on the network, but that would require
+setting up redundant NFS servers on the management interface, which is
+hardly practical.
+
+It is possible to load an ISO through the virtual console, however.
+
 This assumes you already have an ISO image to boot from locally (that
 means inside the VM if that is how you got the virtual console
 above). If not, try this:
@@ -76,10 +149,26 @@ the menus:
  2. Click the `Add image` button
 
  3. Select the ISO image you have downloaded above
+ 
+ 4. Tick the checkbox of the image in the `Mapped` column
+
+ 5. **Keep that window open!**
+
+ 6. Choose the `Virtual CD/DVD/ISO` option in the `Next Boot` menu
+
+ 7. Choose the `Reset system (warm boot)` option in the `Power` menu
+
+The BIOS should find the ISO image and **download it from your
+computer** (or, rather, you'll upload it to the server) which will be
+slow as hell, yes.
 
- 4. Choose the `Virtual CD/DVD/ISO` option in the `Next Boot` menu
+If you are booting a grml image, you should probably add the following
+options to the Linux commandline:
 
- 5. Choose the `Reset system (warm boot)` option in the `Power` menu
+    console=ttyS0,115200n8 ssh
+
+This will activate the serial console and start an SSH server with a
+random password.
 
 ### Serial console access
 
@@ -119,18 +208,6 @@ Current status is shown with:
 
 This should be good enough to get us started.
 
-### Loading an ISO image
-
-It is possible to load an ISO image (say for rescue) through the DRAC
-interface. Head for Overview -> Server -> Attached
-media. Unfortunately, only NFS and CIFS shares are supported, which
-is... not great. But we could, in theory, leverage this to rescue
-machines from each other on the network, but that would require
-setting up redundant NFS servers on the management interface, which is
-hardly practical.
-
-It is currently unclear how we'll be able to setup those machines.
-
 ### Other documentation
 
  * [Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller](https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/ca/en/cabsdt1/integrated-dell-remote-access-cntrllr-7-v1.50.50/idrac7ug1.50.50-v1/overview)