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Roadsguy

6 Posts

107530

February 1st, 2014 09:00

How to install Ubuntu to PowerEdge 1850 - Update: Installed, but not booting?

I recently got a used PowerEdge 1850 (BIOS version A04) without an OS, with plans to install Ubunutu Server. I read that you can boot from a USB flash drive to it, so I used a tool to make an 8 GB USB 2.0 flash drive bootable to install the OS. I set the USB drive emulation to auto, and the USB controller to On with BIOS Support. In the boot order, floppy-emulated USB drive was set to top priority. The flash drive was plugged into the front-right USB port, with a keyboard in the front-left, if that matters.

When I turn it on with this all set up, once it reaches the final line ("Press CTRL-E to enter BMC setup within 5 seconds," without any flash drive it just says "No boot device available" at this point), it doesn't do anything. It just stays on an empty line, no error or anything. I know it didn't freeze because the underscore is flashing. Pressing any key will cause a single beep, even F2 to enter the BIOS setup.

There is a 73 GB HDD in Slot 0 (left), nothing in Slot 1 (right), and 4 GB RAM. No hardware inside has been changed.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? If I just have something set wrong, can someone give me step-by-step instructions from scratch (i.e. a blank flash drive/CD and the downloaded ISO), or at least point me in the right direction to set up the flash drive properly if that's the problem?

EDIT: All is going good. Ignore my next post in the thread. I'll post if any new complications arise.

DELL-Daniel My

Moderator

 • 

6.2K Posts

February 2nd, 2014 09:00

it still hangs on the final line in the startup after the "Press CTRL-E for BMC setup" line, with the underscore flashing, so I know it's not frozen.

It found bootable media and is trying to boot from it. It appears that the boot loader is not initializing properly. I would suggest reformatting and reinstalling the operating system again. The issue does not appear hardware related. You may want to try a different version of Ubuntu.

Thanks

DELL-Daniel My

Moderator

 • 

6.2K Posts

February 1st, 2014 14:00

Hello roadsguy

I set the USB drive emulation to auto, and the USB controller to On with BIOS Support. In the boot order, floppy-emulated USB drive was set to top priority

If the emulation type is set to auto then it is likely presenting the USB as a hard disk. Go to the boot order and put hard disk at the top. Then go to the Hard-Disk Drive Sequence and set the USB emulation as the top option. If that does not work then set the USB emulation type as Hard Disk. If it still does not work then use a different utility for creating your pen drive.

Thanks

Roadsguy

6 Posts

February 1st, 2014 17:00

It sounds like you have it loading up. It would be best to ask Ubuntu experts regarding the driver questions. Ubuntu has only recently been validated to work on any of our servers. We do not have any Ubuntu drivers for the 1850. I'm sure if you ask in an Ubuntu forum someone will know how to get it to work with a generic driver.

Thanks
Never mind about the last post. Turns out I had earlier disabled the network card in my mad dash to figure out settings to get it to install from a disc (probably just configured the disc incorrectly). Sorry for the extra complication... The installation is running on the "Installing the base system" screen as I'm typing this, and I haven't run into any more issues.

Roadsguy

6 Posts

February 1st, 2014 17:00

Well, all went well getting it to boot based on your recommendations, but I ran into other issues inside. I selected English as the language, selected "Install Ubuntu Server" in the main menu without changing any settings, and got the keyboard configured. However, when it tried to detect the network hardware, it sent me to a screen saying "No Ethernet card was detected. If you know the name of the driver needed by your Ethernet card, you can select it from the list. *scrollable list of drivers that I know nothing about*" I do have an Ethernet cable plugged into the right-hand port on the back, and the connector lights on the router are blinking. Why is it not detecting this? If that is not an issue, then which driver should I select? Should I even be posting this here at this point rather than on the Ubuntu forums? This seems more like a hardware issue, and thus more relevant on the Dell end rather than on the Ubuntu end.

DELL-Daniel My

Moderator

 • 

6.2K Posts

February 1st, 2014 17:00

It sounds like you have it loading up. It would be best to ask Ubuntu experts regarding the driver questions. Ubuntu has only recently been validated to work on any of our servers. We do not have any Ubuntu drivers for the 1850. I'm sure if you ask in an Ubuntu forum someone will know how to get it to work with a generic driver.

Thanks

Roadsguy

6 Posts

February 1st, 2014 18:00

Okay, the installation process went smoothly. When it finished, I turned off the server and pulled out the flash drive. I then turned it back on, and set USB emulation back to Auto. The boot order was already C: drive, CD-ROM drive, and floppy drive, so I didn't change that. I set the hard drive sequence to System BIOS Boot Device, and then the internal Maxtor HDD. With these settings, it still hangs on the final line in the startup after the "Press CTRL-E for BMC setup" line, with the underscore flashing, so I know it's not frozen. I also tried it in the HDD sequence of Internal Maxtor HDD, and then System BIOS Boot Device (the reverse). This gave the same result. Is it just taking a really long time to start up, or is something still wrong?

Roadsguy

6 Posts

February 2nd, 2014 13:00

This solved my issue! I simply installed the standard version of Ubuntu instead.

Thanks for the help.

tgloeckner

1 Message

February 14th, 2014 09:00

Hi.... 


at this time i will install ubuntu on an poweredge 1850....  old, good hardware :-) ...  but it dosent work...


which ubuntu version should be work?  I use 12.4.4  LTS Desktop  ( 64 bit )...

Thanks

Tino

fabiojrsantos

3 Posts

November 28th, 2017 09:00

Hello everybody...

So what was the mess of this plot, anyone got it? I was able to boot, but in ubuntu installation I do not pass because of several errors. even the kernel.

Att,

@fabiojrsantos

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