[Peterboro] Win2k to Linux upgrade, or "How I learned to Love the Kernel"

[paul.ireland at Cummins.com]

Morning all,

I've just spend the last 36 hours migrating one of the PCs I use at home 
as a file server from W2K to Debian, and as a comparative newbie I thought 
I'd share the experience......

Sunday 1pm
Youngest child reports that "The big computer in the back room keeps 
beeping and rebooting", the "Big PC" being my W2K file server with 3 years 
worth of data, music, photos, and misc software.  On taking a look I 
discover that said PC is so infected with Virri and malware that it could 
probably pass the Turing Test.  On questioning said youngest child he 
reports that "I've bin usin' that PC when you are at work to surf the net 
'cus my PC is broke init?"  Short but pointed argument follows between 
youngest, partner and myself as to who's fault it is that youngest PC is 
also now a zombie bot from Hell.  Lock self in back room and attempt to 
fix server.

Sunday 3pm
After several reboot-disinfect-RPC Called reboots, half a pack of cigs and 
several pints of coffee I decide enough is enough and that the current OS 
has to go.
Coffee and nicotine inspired idea of migrating to Linux and Samba.  Brief 
search of desk draws supplies one ubuntu CD and one Debian DVD.  Pop discs 
from server and copy 100gb data over to my PC.

Sunday 5pm
re-install discs and boot Ubuntu CD on server, Decided to be "clever" and 
using LVM to span the 3 IDE and 2 SCSI discs in one volume.  Take best 
guess at pre-install disk partitioning wizard.  Install Ubuntu base.

Sunday 6pm
First reboot, fsck falls over when trying to mount LVM volume, caused by 
bad partitioning of /dev/hdb.  Figure I can fix it later and Control-D to 
continue with install.

Sunday 7pm
Rug-rats complaining that I've not cooked tea yet, Install finished but 
still erroring on /dev/hdb. Cook tea whilst trying to read LVM HowTo on my 
laptop.  Eat tea whilst reading HowTo and re-partition disks.

Sunday 9pm 
Still partioning disks, LVM volume is corrupted everytime server is 
rebooted.  Decide to leave that problem for tomorrow and work on 
installing Samba and VNC.  Install VNC, Install VNC4, Install TightVNC. 
Read VNC docs about using display:0.  Uninstall VNC, VNC4, TightVNC. 
Re-install VNC4.  Still cant VNC to display:0.  Check for vnc.so, check 
xorg.conf, re-check xorg.conf.  Smoke 2nd half of pack of cigs.  Read more 
docs on VNC. Decide to leave VNC issue till tomorrow.

Sunday 11pm
Install Samba, use Fast Start samba docs to configure server and member 
server of my domain.  wbinfo -u fails, wbinfo -g fails wbinfo -t works. 
Can't browse smb shares from my XP laptop.  Re-read smb docs, repeat 
configuration process. re-re-read docs.  Have "dis-agreement" with partner 
about time spent in backroom vs time spent making partner coffees/talking 
to partner etc.  Bang head repeatedly against desk.  Headbanging has no 
effect, smb still not working.

Monday 1am
At wits end, decide sleep might help.

Monday 10am
Lock self in backroom and re-install unbuntu with no LVM.

Monday 12pm
Ubuntu re-installed and Samba/VNC packages reinstalled, perform full apt 
upgrade.  set up LVM volume again.  volume still corrupt after reboot. 
Removed SCSI drives from volume, Volume now good after a reboot.

Monday 3pm 
Still cant browse smb shares, still cant VNC onto server.  repeated 
desk-head interface issues has left dent in head and desk.

Monday 3:30pm
Spend 30 minutes trying to figure out why a CDROM drive will not boot a 
DVD.  pull DVD drive from PC and install in server.  Start Debian install.

Monday 4:30pm
Debian installed,  Install Samba, VNC and Firefox.  Use same smb.conf and 
documnentation as from Unbuntu install, smb now working.  use same 
settings for VNC and VNC now working...... Weep into empty coffee cup.

Monday 5:00
Start the copy of 100gb data back over the network.  Watch lights flash on 
switch.  Decide that Ubuntu on desktop = good, Ubuntu as server = bad.

Lessons Learned:
I know more about smb, vnc and LVM than I did 48 hours ago.
Its not always a good idea to try and be clever.
There seems to be issues getting smb and VNC to work under ubuntu, and the 
synaptics package manager didnt seem to want to include the dependencies 
when selecting packages.  I dont have a clue what was going on with smb, 
but the VNC issues appears to be related to moving from XFree to Xorg.
LVM doesnt seem to like building volumes when combining IDE and SCSI 
devices.  To be fair I didnt check the docs/HowTos so this may be a known 
problem, or it may be down to a fault SCSI drive....
I've learned a lot more in the past two days that I would have done just 
using Ubuntu on my laptop and having the odd fiddle with different apps.
Never *ever* let your kids near your servers....... 


Regards


Paul Ireland
EMEA Depot Coordinator
CBS IT Peterborough
(+44) 1733 414725

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