Prerequisites

• Add new server to DNS - there is already a section for the relevant subnet
• Punch hole through Informatics firewall for this server
  • add hostname of server to iptables.trustedHosts in live/ipfilter.h
• Copy LCFG profile of existing server in vxrdppool pool
  • Make sure that #define INSTALLING is uncommented

Install base Ubuntu VM

• ssh vsphere.inf.ed.ac.uk
  • This is a VM which has the VMware Remote Console application installed (this is installed using a horrible binary blob, so risky installing on managed Ubuntu machine)
• google-chrome https://vcsrv-kb1.is.ed.ac.uk
• choose Launch VSphere Client (HTML5)
• username = ed\{uun} - eg ed\ascobie
• pass = "EASE" password
• Menu / VMs and Templates
  • should find our hosts under either AT or KB in Informatics / vxrdppool
• Select the VM you are working with
• For new machine
  • Actions / Edit Settings / VM Options / Boot Options / Boot Delay = 2000ms
• From Summary page - Launch Remote Console (under tiny window)
• Open xdg-open (can choose to always do this in future)
• Connect Anyway - certs are broken
• Should now see a console
• Virtual Machine / Power / Power on
• From window menu - Choose Virtual Machine / Removable Devices / CD/DVD Drive 1/ Connect to Disk Image File (iso)
  • choose Other Locations - Computer / isos / ubuntu-20.04.1-live-server-amd64.iso - and open
• May need to Virtual Machine / Power / Reset Guest
  • Once BIOS started, Hit escape after reset to select Boot Menu
• Boot from CD-ROM drive option
  • Ubuntu server install should start
    • Sometimes this is a bit flakey and you need to do a few power cycles to get the VM to pick up the CD-ROM image (ugh)
• Ubuntu install
  • Language = English UK
  • Keyboard Config = English UK
  • Network config
    • Should be DHCP, but can't get that to work - IS appear unable to fix. Will investigate....
    • Select ens192 / Edit IPv4
      • IPv4 method : Manual
        • Subnet: 129.215.10.0/23
        • Address: ... IP address given
        • Gateway: 129.215.11.254
        • Name servers: 8.8.8.8 (for now, might change to Inf DNS)
        • Search domains: inf.ed.ac.uk
    • No Proxy
  • Use standard package mirror
  • Ignore new installer update
  • Disk partioning
    • Chose "Use an entire disk"
      • Assuming disk is 150GB
        • Default setup will create a 150GB volume group and create a 75GB root partition within that vg.
        • Add additional volumes by selecting 'ubuntu-vg' and choose create logical volume
          • lv-tmp 25G ext4 /tmp
          • lv-afs 25G ext4 /var/cache/afs
          • lv-log 15G ext4 /var/log
          • lv-swap 8G swap
  • Profile setup
    • Set hostname appropriately
    • Username = diceinstall, password = {some password}
    • Note can't set server's name to be FQDN - TODO: might change if DHCP works?
  • SSH setup
    • Install openssh server, but don't import ssh identity
  • Featured Server snaps
    • Choose none
  • Install should now proceed
  • Reboot - should boot off disk
  • should now be able to ssh to the new VM

Convert to LCFG

• ssh to new server
• Login using 'diceinstall' account, password as specified above
• Start 'root' shell
  • sudo bash
• wget http://groups.inf.ed.ac.uk/mp-unit/vxrdp/convert_to_lcfg
• chmod +x convert_to_lcfg
• ./convert_to_lcfg
• reboot

Enable XRDP service

-- AlastairScobie - 31 Aug 2020