ubuntu.com/download/server/linuxone or https://www.ubuntu.com/download/server/s390x and download the latest Ubuntu Server release or any other LTS release that is still in service using alternate options link provided on the website.
2. Create a new LPAR (Logical Partition) with zFCP hosts e000 and e100, and assign logical unit numbers (LUNs) to them via chzdev zfcp -e e000 and chzdev zfcp -e e100 commands respectively. Then activate the LUNs using chzdev zfcp-lun -e –online command.
3. Set up a HTTP server with /srv/www as web-server root on your installation server (installserver).
4. Connect to HMC and proceed with Load From Removable Media or Server task under Recovery Load from Removable Media or Server. Fill out the following fields: FTP Source, Host computer: installserver.local, User ID: ftpuser (replace ‘ftpuser’ with your actual username), Password: ******** (replace ‘********’ with your password), Account (optional): and File location (optional): ubuntu-daily-live-server-20.04/boot.
5. Confirm the entered data and click OK.
6. Wait for the installation to complete, which may take several minutes depending on your system’s configuration.
7. Once the installation is finished, you can access Ubuntu Server for IBM zSystems and LinuxONE via SSH using authorized keys or password authentication (depending on your preference).
8. Enjoy your new s390x-based Ubuntu Server!
However, if you encounter any issues during the installation process, such as failed unmounting of file systems or loop errors, don’t panic. These are common problems that can be resolved with a few simple steps:
1. Check your system logs for error messages and identify the cause of the issue. For example, in our case we saw the following error message:
[0;1;31mFAILED[0m] Failed unmounting [0;1;39m/cdrom[0m.
[ 169.161139] sd-umount[15600]: Failed to unmount /oldroot: Device or resource busy
[ 169.161550] sd-umount[15601]: Failed to unmount /oldroot/cdrom: Device or resource busy
2. Use the ‘lsof’ command to identify any processes that are currently using the affected file system, and kill them if necessary. For example:
lsof | grep /oldroot
3. Once all processes have been identified and killed, try unmounting the file system again with the ‘umount’ command. If this doesn’t work, you may need to reboot your system or contact IBM support for assistance.
4. In some cases, loop errors can be resolved by disabling the loopback device using the ‘modprobe -r loop’ and ‘insmod loop’ commands respectively. For example:
modprobe -r loop
5. Once you have successfully resolved any issues, continue with your installation process as normal. Remember to always check for error messages during the installation process, and take appropriate action if necessary. With these tips in mind, you should be able to install Ubuntu Server for IBM zSystems and LinuxONE using autoinstall feature with s390x architecture without any issues!
If you’re not familiar with these systems, it may be helpful to consult the documentation provided by IBM or seek assistance from an experienced system administrator.