Image:SNTT : Installing Traveler on an old 32 bit server is so much easier with linux than windows server 2008

Note 1 : Notes 8.5.2  is beta and there are no guarantees that the features described here will be in the final product that IBM ships.

Note 2 : The description below is for a development server and may or may not be suitable for production depending on your circumstances.

Having moved to Amazon EC2 I I recently decommissioned an old Dell Poweredge 650 server and decided to put it to good use to test 8.5.2 CD5. This server has no DVD drive, is 32 bit and cannot boot from USB.

My original plan had been to get some more experience of Server 2008 R2 but I ended up going down the Linux route as it was much simpler.

Linux Install

Download CDs for Centos 5.5 ( yes I know it is not officially supported )
Do a minimal install – don’t even choose the server options
Access the server via SSH using Putty
Upload the install files using Win SCP
Install Domino
Install Traveler ( using the silent install feature )
Install Daniel Nashed’s startup scripts

Windows Install

Check Server 2008 R2 requirements – 64 bit – oops
Eventually find Server 2008 Standard 32 Bit
Can only be installed from DVD – oops
Create a boot usb instead using this very useful hint – easiest way to make a boot disk I have seen so far
Server won’t boot from USB – oops
Create a Windows 7 Recovery Disk
Boot from the Recovery Disk
Navigate to the option for command prompt
Plug in the USB drive
Access the Server 2008 setup files on the USB drive
Install Windows Server 2008
Upload Domino Install Files
Install Traveler

The thoughts that came to mind were :

  • Wow – Linux Traveler
  • Is IBM missing a trick by not jumping on the green bandwagon and allowing people to recycle old 32 bit servers ?  
  • The whole Linux dependency problems that were such a pain in R6 and R7 seem to have totally vanished  
  • My colleague who uses an iPhone just continued to sync via Traveller against the IP address ( now a Linux server ) – he never noticed the change.  
  •  Wouldn’t it be great if IBM supported a free distribution of Linux ( I run Domino on Ubuntu and CentOS, albeit on a small scale  )
  • The 64 Bit install

    To satisfy my original intention to try out Server 2008 I decided to install it on my 64 bit laptop.

    I have previously installed 64 Bit Centos  which allowed me to install it to and then boot from a USB drive leaving the original 32 bit Windows 7 install on the laptop intact.

    No such luck with Windows. It will not install to a USB drive so you need to create a partition or swap out the disc – I guess I needed a disc upgrade anyway, maybe I should buy a 64 bit dev server after all. You would almost think that it was MS who sold hardware.

    p.s. MS do some great software too !