Need help installing on HP ML310e using HP Intelligent Provisioning

[luco]

Hello,
I'm completely new to Amahi (and Linux and servers for that matter) and I would like to get Amahi installed on my newly acquired HP ML310e Gen 8 V2 server.
Has anyone done Amahi install on this HP server?
So far, I have installed my 2x2TB HDDs and a 32GB MicroSD card into the server. I have not turned it on yet as I'm just checking through all the documentation to familiarize myself with the setup process. It sounds like any OS install on this server is to be done via HP Intelligent Provisioning.

How would I go about installing Amahi 8 on this server? I would like to install it to the SD card and keep the HDDs for data only.

I have my ISP's wireless router/modem and a Windows 7 PC. Should I first connect the HP box to my router and set it up over my network and then use an Amahi DVD and run it inside HP Intelligent Provisioning?

Cheers.

[bigfoot65]

Recommend you check the wiki for guidance. There is some documentation there for HP servers that might help.

[luco]

Thank you!
I found this guide: https://wiki.amahi.org/index.php/Instal ... icroServer.

After reading the Amahi 8 install instructions, I realized that since I need to install Fedora 21 Server edition first, so I should really look for how to install Fedora21 on the HP ML310e server.
That led me to finding this suggestion:

I disabled Intelligent Provisioning and enabled SATA AHCI support. Now I have been able to successfully boot into Fedora 20 and then I upgraded to Fedora 21. I hope this is useful to other people that wants to install Fedora in a computer like this.

Source: https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/questi ... 310e-gen8/

I also found this article suggesting that the HP RAID controller can/should be disabled to ensure a smooth installation:
http://www.serveradminblog.com/2014/11/ ... ler-howto/

So, I guess that is what I will try to do:
- disable HP RAID driver (I don't really need RAID capabilities as my plan is to use the first HDD for media, second HDD for important data and backups, and I will be adding a third HDD later for video surveillance recording)
- disable HP Intelligent Provisioning

Does this sound like a good plan?

[bigfoot65]

Not sure what is best, but you have to follow whatever guidance you can find. Only way to know is to try it. I would not recommend installing Fedora 20, then upgrading to Fedora 21 though. Best to install Fedora 21 initially.

[luco]

Thank you.

So, I started up the server, checked for any HP updates via Intelligent Provisioning. There were no new firmware updates.
So, after that I disabled the IP in BIOS, switched the SATA Controller from RAID to AHCI and proceeded to install Fedora 21 from my burned DVD.
I got to the stage where Fedora install is asking for destination. The problem I have is that it only sees the two HDDs I have installed, but does not see my 32GB micro SD card, which I have installed in the tower. I want to install Fedora and Amahi on that SD card and keep the HDDs completely for data.

So, I went to search for a solution for OS installs onto the microsd card in this server, but so far, have not found much.
Any ideas on how to make the SD card an option for Fedora install?

[bigfoot65]

Not sure if you can use an SD card for Fedora.

I am sorry, but this is unsupported and we cannot be of further assistance.

Recommend you search the internet for potential solutions. BTW, SD cards have a much shorter life expectancy than a hard drive.

[luco]

Thank you.

I am now looking for a way to install an SSD and put Amahi on that. I believe I need an extra SATA controller in the server, so I can keep all the drive bays for storage.
It seems like making server hardware work as server is more complicated than turning an old PC into server with Amahi.

[bigfoot65]

Sounds good.

It seems like making server hardware work as server is more complicated than turning an old PC into server with Amahi.

The HP servers do not appear as friendly as other hardware platforms. Many users who have the HP servers have had problems. They are probably designed to run proprietary software and not Linux.