SCO

Even though IBM states that the x3500 server is Openserver 6.x compatible, it is still a bit of a trick to install SCO Openserver 6 to the machine because the standard method of installing the BTLD required to install the OS requires that the driver be written to a floppy which doesn't exist on newer machines. Here's the workaround that we found: There are probably easier ways, and I'd love to know them, but this got us by. -hope this helps others in the community.



Mount the ServerRAID 9.0 Support CD to an existing SCO Openserver machine
( # mount /dev/cd0 /mnt)

Use the Openserver dd command to create a floppy
( # dd if=/mnt/diskette/SAS/aacopenserver.img of=/dev/rfd0135ds18 bs=32k)

Unmount the ServerRAID CD and mount the floppy
( # umount /mnt)
( #mount /dev/fd0135ds18 /mnt)

Create a CD with the files in the directory on the floppy

(We ftp'd to the SCO machine retrieved the directories with filezilla and burned a CD from our MAC/Windows desktop)

Set up the RAID partition by pressing Control-A during boot on the X3500

Boot the Openserver 6.x CD from the X3500

When prompted to add more drivers insert the CD just burned with the driver

Reinsert the Openserver 6.x cd.

Continue the install. The SCO Openserver 6.x OS natively detects the Broadcom NIC's on the x3500.

BTW if you know of a forum somewhere that I can post this on let me know.

Note the BTLD Image is also available on Adaptec's site by searcing Openserver + serverraid 8E.

Quentin Krengel
612-605-5217

It's even easier to do if you have a USB floppy. Most of the ServeRAID 9 drivers also have a diskette "image" which can be "written" to a 1.44 MB floppy disk, with the "included" tools. Once this diskette is created, SCO 6 should be able to locate the USB floppy drive and load the "revised" HBA driver (aacraid usually.)

Only one problem is that is you are using USB keybaords / mice, these may not work when the USB floppy drive is connected. It seems that IBM may not have provided enough power over the USB ports for all "4 ports."

I must post another reply. I just got field support on a new IBM x3400 that is to be used with SCO. Once completed, the field service agent showed be an email which tells the agent that as of January 2008, IBM officially no longer will support their servers with SCO.

We are on our own for SCO!

Do you suppose that might have something to do with SCO's new owners going after IBM again.