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Ubuntu 20.04.6 Server + Intel VROC Array on a Supermicro SYS-1029U-TN12RV

py flag

I've got a new Supermicro SYS-1029U-TN12RV box with Intel VROC. Trying to install Ubuntu 20 LTS via a USB key. The distro I found is

https://releases.ubuntu.com/20.04.6/ubuntu-20.04.6-live-server-amd64.iso

but this installer doesn't see the VROC volumes, just the underlying disks.

There's a lot of past information about a separate HWE kernel/distro for this, e.g.,

Ubuntu 18.04.2 Server + Intel VROC Array on a Dell 7920

but I can't find a different distro for 20.

Help?

David avatar
cn flag
There is no Ubuntu 20 LTS or a version 20. Accurate info in your question is a must.
Chris Kantarjiev avatar
py flag
I'm sorry if the several mentions of 20.04.6, including the download URL I used, weren't enough to avoid confusion. So let me try again: I'd like to install an LTS version of Ubuntu 20.04 server onto a VROC filesystem. The download link that is prominent on the Ubuntu site does not work for that - the installer doesn't see the VROC devices, just the underlying storage. Is there another installer that I can use, or some setting that I have missed? Thanks.
Andrew Lowther avatar
jp flag
Did you try the legacy 20.04 server installer? This is suggested at https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=a00112944en_us&docLocale=en_US&page=GUID-AAA62004-3D92-4450-86C7-463A497337E4.html . The legacy server installer is available at https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-legacy-server/releases/20.04/release/ . I believe the legacy server was discontinued after the 20.04.1 release and is not available for any newer releases.
Chris Kantarjiev avatar
py flag
Not yet. I tried the 18.04.2 legacy installer, based on information from the comment above, figuring I could upgrade in place. I was able to boot with an HWE kernel, yay. The installer noticed the VROC/md devices and asked if I wanted to activate them, yay. But they did not show up as devices that I could choose to install onto, boo.
Chris Kantarjiev avatar
py flag
This isn't really a solution, but a datapoint: I shoved a drive into a spare slot and installed there and booted. The VROC/md devices were ... sort of there. `mdadm` complained `mdadm: No OROM/EFI properties for /dev/nvme2n1` and some googling around for that message led me to https://askubuntu.com/questions/1239082/reassemble-intel-rst-raid-on-another-mainboard which actually helped - mdadm was able to assemble the devices and resync ... that they needed to resync makes me think that somehow the BIOS tool didn't really build them correctly in the first place. That's as far as I've gotten.
Chris Kantarjiev avatar
py flag
OK, I'm finally booting from the VROC. I used the legacy 20.04 server installer at https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-legacy-server/releases/20.04/release/ubuntu-20.04.1-legacy-server-amd64.iso (thanks, Andrew). It found the VROC/md devices, asked me to activate them, and then (this was new) let me select one for the install! That all went well, and I am now booting from the VROC/md. Yay! What I don't know is if this would have worked properly all by itself, or was helped along by resyncing those volumes beforehand ... and I guess I don't care now.
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