Installing a Plan 9 File Server
D1140203067
Auriel (82.182.149.46)
#
#NOTE
#
#Note that this is for a stand alone dedicated fileserver. The new
#default fileserver, fossil, is described in [setting up fossil], in
#most cases it is recommended that you use fossil.
#
#INSTALLING A CURRENT PLAN 9 4TH EDITION FILE SERVER
#
#Installing a Plan 9 file server can be a bewildering experience for
#a new user. This document is intended to take some of the guesswork
#out of it. Also read [Upgrading to fourth edition] for some
#important fourth edition details.
#
#When installing a Plan 9 network, the file server should be one of
#the first machines set up, immediately after a standalone
#CPU/authentication server. The installation is fairly easy once one
#knows the steps to follow and understands what is happening.
#
#This information is cribbed from many other sources, including
#several manual pages, installation instructions from the 2nd edition
#(found online), the paper by Ken Thompson on the Plan 9 File Server,
#notes from the [email protected] archives, and reading the code in
#/sys/src/fs.
#
#Folks who are curious about the file server are encouraged to read
#any available reference material. In particular, read the manual
#pages fs(4), fs(8), and fsconfig(8). Also, the paper ``The Plan 9
#File Server,'' by Ken Thompson (available in Volume 2 of the manual,
#or via ``page /sys/doc/fs/fs.ps'') is illuminating. Further, the
#``Installing the Plan 9 Distribution'' document from the second
#edition can fill in a few of the holes, and can be found at
#[ftp://ftp.dbsystems.com/pub/plan9/install.html]. This wiki provides
#post-setup installation that can be handy. See the main [plan 9
#wiki] page. Finally, the 9fans archives, available on the web at
#[http://lists.cse.psu.edu/archives/9fans/] have quite a bit of
#collected wisdom in them, and are well worth a read when you run
#into a snag. Broadly outlined, the steps for file server
#installation are as follows:
# * creating a plan9.ini(8) file describing the file server hardware
# * creating a boot floppy with a file server kernel
# * setting network parameters and initializing the filesystem on disk
# * setting authentication information in nvram or on the floppy
# * populating the server with data and user information
# * rebooting to come up in ``normal'' mode
#
#To begin, pick a machine on the network that is going to be the Plan
#9 file server. This machine will run a specialized kernel, and will
#be dedicated to serving files. It cannot, for instance, double as a
#CPU or authentication server. In normal usage at Bell Labs, magnetic
#disk on the file server is only used as a cache for the contents of
#a WORM device. The smaller WORM jukeboxes are no longer expensive
#(see ebay.com for SCSI MMC jukeboxes such as the HP 80EX), and most
#people can afford one. There is an option to use all or part of a
#magnetic disk as a ``pseudo worm,'' which still provides one with
#the ability to use the file server's builtin backup capabilities
#(described in the file server paper by Ken Thompson). This document
#will only cover this configuration.
#
#( When the fs documentation says "WORM", it generally applies to any
#MO cartridge system, be it using WORM or MO Rewritables -- kuroneko )
#
#(I found 80EXs for $300 on ebay 9 Nov 2002 and also brand new 80EXs
#[here |
#http://www.codemicro.com/store/prod_results.cfm?mode=5&srchparm=C1100J#ABA] for $6,007.75 but none in the uk sadly )
#
#Note that the file server supports a different set of devices than
#the ``normal'' kernel. SCSI or IDE disks can be used to hold the
#file system. There are significantly fewer drivers available for a
#file server. Just 23 .c files in the /sys/src/fs/pc source code
#directory should serve as a warning.
#
#Relatively few SCSI controllers are supported. The only ones still
#being manufactured are those from LSI Logic (containing SCSI chips
#with model numbers of 53C8xx or 53C1010). Finally, the restrictions
#on VGA controllers for the normal kernel are rather more lenient for
#the file server. This is because the file server doesn't attempt to
#take advantage of the display for anything other than a very basic
#(CGA mode) console.
#
#( Its relatively important to note, the NCR/SYM/LSI driver only
#supports SCSI cards that implements the SCRIPTS interface - using
#older cards, such as the NCR 53c810 (non-A) and 825 will result in
#crashes/panics -- kuroneko )
#
#Once a machine has been chosen, create a plan9.ini file that
#describes it. In particular, specify all entries, even those that
#would otherwise automatically be found (especially the SCSI and IDE
#controllers; mine wasn't automatically detected, though reading
#plan9.ini(8) led me to believe that it would be). Also, you might
#need to explicitly set the nvr= option in plan9.ini, as the syntax
#for specifying the NVRAM location is different between the file
#server and normal kernels. However, no ``monitor'' entry is
#required; if one is present, it's ignored.
#
#Typical entries might look like this, among others:
#! ether0=type=i82557
#! scsi0=type=ncr53c8xx
#! nvr=fd!0!plan9.nvr
#! bootfile=fd0!dos!9pcfs
#
#(Note that the bootfile entry can use the newer style syntax
#<device>!<partition name>!<file> as opposed to the older
#<device>!<partition number>!<file>. This is because the bootfile
#entry is interpreted by 9load, whereas nvr is used by the file
#server kernel).
#
#Once you have a complete and accurate plan9.ini file, the next step
#is to build a file server kernel and put it, along with the
#plan9.ini file, onto a bootable floppy.
#
#NOTE: if you get a linker error that says "key_setup:
#etherga620reset: not defined", make sure to "replica/pull" for the
#latest sources or get the latest cd image. The mkfile has been
#fixed. An earlier version of the mkfile was missing the etherga620
#dependency.
#
#To create a file server kernel for a PC, starting with a standalone
#CPU and authentication server, fetch the current Plan 9 distribution
#if you aren't sure that yours is current, and install it or upgrade
#to it. Then cd to /sys/src/fs/emelie, edit 9pcfs.c (notably
#FIXEDSIZE and localconfinit()) and dat.h to set RBUFSIZE (the block
#size), and run mk. (Alternately, make a copy of the emelie directory
#and work in that.) The result should be that a new kernel is built
#and placed into a file called ``9pcfs.'' See /sys/src/fs/README and
#Thompson's file server paper for more information. In a nutshell,
#16KB blocks will be faster, but less space-efficient than 4KB blocks.
#
#Now insert a blank, formatted floppy into the CPU/authentication
#server and run
#! pc/bootfloppy /dev/fd0disk /path/to/fs/plan9.ini
#
#assuming that you're using the first floppy disk in the system and
#that you've done a ``bind -a '#f' /dev'' at some point in the past.
#
#Once done, mount the floppy somewhere and copy 9pcfs to it.
#
#( Actually, you can shortcut the whole mess of mounting the floppy
#to copy 9pcfs by using:
#! pc/bootfloppy /dev/fd0disk /path/to/fs/plan9.ini /path/to/fs/9pcfs
#which will build the floppy, and copy over the kernel in one hit. --
#kuroneko )
#
#To give an example of the whole process, I start from the console of
#the standalone CPU/auth server:
#! cd /usr/cross/sys
#! ed plan9.ini
#! ...
#! cd /sys/src/fs/plan9pc
#! mk
#! (insert floppy disk into drive)
#! bind -a '#f' /dev
#! pc/bootfloppy /dev/fd0disk /usr/cross/sys/plan9.ini
#! a:
#! cp 9pcfs /n/a:
#! unmount /n/a:
#
#The result is a bootable floppy disk with a Plan 9 file server
#kernel image on it, set as the default kernel to load at boot time.
#
#Now, eject the floppy and physically insert it into the floppy drive
#on the file server machine, and boot it. After a few minutes and a
#few error messages, the system should realize that the NVRAM
#checksum is incorrect (which is good because pc/bootfloppy
#initializes the NVRAM file on the floppy with a block's worth of
#zeros) and present you with a ``config: '' prompt.
#
#You must now configure the basic system parameters, including
#networking and the filesystem. This is largely covered in the
#fsconfig(8) manual page, and I won't go into many details about it.
#Basically, you define the service name by which the fileserver
#identifies itself using the ``service'' command, the IP
#configuration using the ``ip,'' ``ipmask,'' and ``ipgw'' commands,
#the IP address of the authentication server via the ``ipauth''
#command, the place to store configuration information via the
#``config'' command, filesystem parameters via the ``filsys''
#command, the dump device via the ``dump'' command, the instruction
#to initialize the filesystems via the ``ream'' command, and that's
#it. You'll probably want to store your list of configuration
#commands somewhere, in case you ever need to repeat them, though the
#console command ``printconf'' can print all the permanent state
#(excluding commandds such ``ream'').
#
#Note that you *must* call at least one filsystem ``main.'' Note also
#that when in config mode, the commands you type don't actually do
#anything except record actions to be taken once you leave config
#mode. To get out and actually do what you've specified, type
#``end''. If you make a mistake, you can safely reboot the machine
#and start over before typing ``end''. Finally, the ``config''
#command steals a block from a device and stashes configuration
#information in it. However, if that block is at the very beginning
#of the device (and remember that a device can be a partition in this
#context), then it will be safe since the filesystem doesn't use the
#first block.
#
#As an example, here are the commands I typed to configure my file
#server, which uses an IDE disk as a ``pseudo-worm,'' and a SCSI disk
#as the cache:
#! service lance
#! ip 192.168.2.12
#! ipgw 192.168.2.1
#! ipmask 255.255.255.0
#! ipauth 192.168.2.11
#! config w0
#! filsys main cw0fh0
#! filsys dump o
#! ream main
#! end
#
#The file server will now initialize the disks and bring itself up.
#If the system dies, it's probably due to an incorrect specification
#of hardware either in plan9.ini or during configuration. In
#particular, the system will panic if it can't find the disks. Make
#sure that your configuration is correct and try again.
#
#If you have some extra mag disk, you may also want to create an
#``other'' filsys on the file server, to store things without
#consuming WORM space. I use this for archives that I've copied from
#elsewhere on the web, and thus could recreate if necessary, but need
#to store locally, at least temporarily.
#
#Once up, set up the parameters that the system will use for
#authentication by typing the ``passwd'' command. This should ask for
#a password, authentication ID, and authentication domain. These
#should all be the same as what you used when setting up the
#standalone CPU/authentication server. Executing this command will
#also write the configuration information to NVRAM (which is usually
#a file on the floppy).
#
#At this point, the new fileserver will be in a special
#administrative mode that allows connected clients to bypass normal
#permission checking, and will also allow clients to modify the
#ownership of files (which flat out isn't possible when the system is
#running in ``normal'' mode). Before users can connect, however, the
#system will authenticate them via the authentication server, and
#must know what users exist in order to do so. We now have a chicken
#and egg problem; the system wants to authenticate users, but doesn't
#have an /adm/users for it to be able to know what users exist to try
#and authenticate. However, we can't yet mount the new file server to
#add an /adm/users. Luckily, we can type a command, ``users default''
#to create a basic set of users sufficient for installing the system
#onto the new machine. Type this now:
#! users default
#
#Now go back to the standalone machine CPU/auth server, mount the new
#file server, and load the distribution onto it. Note that when you
#installed the standalone CPU/auth server, you downloaded the
#distribution to your local disk, and it is in the directory /dist.
#One uses wrap/inst with the -ovr (set ownership, verbose, root to
#install to as next argument) to load the distribution onto the new
#file server.
#
#Note that if your CPU/auth server boots using the key of a user who
#does not exist by default (say ``tom'') you will need to create that
#user via the ``newuser'' command before loading the distribution:
#! newuser tom
#
#(Even if the file server cannot yet write to /adm/users, newuser
#appears to create a new user in its internal table. I had to edit
#/adm/users later to bring things back into sync. [[email protected]])
#
#(What I Did - I've got a SCSI disk: I took my partition suggestion
#from fsconfig(8):
#! config: service kremvax
#! config: config p(w0)50.1
#! config: filsys main cp(w0)50.25f[p(w0)0.25p(w0)25.25p(w0)75.25]
#! config: filsys dump o
#! config: ream main config: ip 192.168.1.9
#! config: ipgw 192.168.1.1
#! config: ipauth 192.168.1.109
#! config: ipmask 255.255.255.0
#! config: end
#
#! kremvax: create /adm -1 -1 775 d
#! kremvax: create /adm/users -1 -1 664
#! kremvax: create /usr 10000 10000 755 d
#! kremvax: halt
#
#(reboot)
#! config: allow
#! config: end
#
#then with drawterm
#! cpu% 9fs kremvax
#! cpu% acme /n/kremvax/adm/users
#
#then copied over the default kfs version
#! kremvax: adduser matt
#! kremvax: halt
#
#(reboot)
#
#and now I've got a writeable by only matt /usr/matt dir on the file
#server.)
#
#THOSE PARENTHESISED INSTRUCTIONS ARE WRONG.
#
#See [Upgrading to fourth edition].
#
#Assuming you use the same setup I did earlier, type the following at
#the standalone CPU/auth server console:
#! srv il!lance
#! mount -c /srv/il!lance /n/lance
#! cd /dist
#! wrap/inst -ovr /n/lance plan9.9gz
#! #(use wrap/inst for any other packages, e.g., tex)
#
#I've found that this doesn't take too long on a modern machine with
#a fast Ethernet and fast disks. My file server is a 550MHz Pentium
#III with 256MB RAM, an SYM53C875 SCSI controller, a 9GB SCSI disk
#holding ``main,'' and an Intel 82557 fast Ethernet controller.
#Installing the base distribution from a dual processor 733MHz
#Pentium III with 512MB RAM, a 3com 3c905 Ethernet controller and IDE
#disks over a Baystack 450-24T switch takes about 15 minutes or so.
#
#(It also only took 15 minutes for another 9'er with a 333MHz Pentium
#II CPU server and a 233MHz Pentium MMX fileserver, each with 128MB
#RAM, over fast Ethernet. Stuffing a 100Mbps pipe doesn't take much
#grunt.)
#
#Anyway, once the distribution and any additional software you're
#interested in is installed, you customize a few files on the file
#server before you reboot.
#
#In particular, rc/bin/cpurc, rc/bin/termrc, and lib/ndb/local are
#good candidates for customization:
#! cd /n/lance/rc/bin
#! ed termrc
#! #...
#! ed cpurc
#! #...
#! cd /n/lance/lib/ndb
#! ed local
#! #...
#! #(edit any other files you feel are pertinent)
#! unmount /n/lance
#
#See the ``Getting Started with Plan 9'' document for more
#information.
#
#Once the system is installed and administrative files have been
#customized, you add new users via the ``newuser'' command on the
#file server console. See fs(8) for more information on the
#particulars of user and group management. Note that when you create
#a user, you should also create its mailbox using the ``create''
#command.
#
#An example of creating a user might be:
#! newuser cross
#! newuser sys +cross
#! create /mail/box/cross cross upas 775 d
#! create /mail/box/cross/mbox cross upas 662 al
#
#The first command creates a user called cross, and adds him to
#/adm/users. Next, it adds cross to the group sys. Finally, it
#creates cross's mailbox (see also the -c option of mail(1) ). See
#fs(8) for more information.
#
#Now you're basically done. Either continue to play with the file
#server while in the administrative mode where you can bypass access
#permissions, or reboot it immediately via the ``halt'' command to
#enable normal access checking:
#! halt
#
#The system should boot off of the floppy and come up into ``normal''
#mode, which permission bypassing disallowed. Congratulations, your
#file server is now fully set up!
#
#Should you need to re-enable bypassing of access checks for whatever
#reason at some point in the future, you can do so by re-entering
#config mode when the machine boots and typing the ``allow'' command
#followed by ``end''. The system will prompt you with ``type a key
#within the next 5 seconds to enter configuration mode''; this is how
#you re-enter config mode.
#
#If, now that you have a file server, you want to make your CPU/auth
#server diskless, i.e., make it boot from the file server, you can do
#so by using a boot floppy with a plan9.ini and a kernel for the CPU
#server. (You can of course use your hard disk to keep both files
#there). Here is the plan9.ini I use to boot my diskless CPU/auth
#server:
#! bootfile=sdC0!9fat!9pcdisk
#! bootargs=il -g 212.128.4.1 ether /net/ether0 212.128.4.205 255.255.255.0
#! fs=212.128.4.206
#! auth=212.128.4.205
#
#As you can see, you can use bootargs to configure your gateway, ip
#address, and ip mask; fs for the ip address of your file server; and
#auth for the ip address of your auth server. In the example, the
#last IP address is the one for the CPU/auth server using the
#plan9.ini shown.
#
#[email protected]: After I got my auth server booting diskless,
#auth/changeuser wouldn't work because bootes didn't have write
#access to /adm/keys* or /adm/netkeys*. I had to delete these files
#and (they were of zero size anyway) and recreate them on the file
#server console like so:
#! remove /adm/keys
#! remove /adm/keys.who
#! remove /adm/netkeys
#! remove /adm/netkeys.who
#! create /adm/keys bootes adm 660
#! create /adm/keys.who bootes adm 660
#! create /adm/netkeys bootes adm 660
#! create /adm/netkeys.who bootes adm 660
#
#I'm not sure if this is good policy, but it worked.
#
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