Possible to run Standard Linux Kernel on Kimsufi KS-3?

waphire

Hello! I had grabbed a Kimsufi KS-3 Server with Intel Atom N2800, 4GB DDR3 1066 MHZ, 2 TB config on a flash sale for 5.99 EUR. However I'm unable to run Docker on it because the OVH kernel lacks the AUFS module (required to use devicemapper). I've tried installing the distribution kernel both from the control panel (ticking the distro kernel checkbox) and manually but each time, the result is the same: server doesn't seem to boot. Has anyone here managed to solve this?

Thank you!

EDIT: Issue isn't distro specific since I've tried most of the options by now. But I'm currently speaking in terms to Debian.

EDIT2: Solution was to add intel_idle.max_cstate=1 to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT. All thanks to @Letzien.

mfs

Generally speaking, you should be able to install your distro of choice from scratch using qemu and a netboot ISO from Rescue mode (Netboot -> Rescue -> rescue64-pro)

Letzien

One of the things they do is disable cstates for the CPU. Here's a recent OVH "patch":

-   ICPU(INTEL_FAM6_ATOM_CEDARVIEW,     idle_cpu_atom),

Try adding intel_idle.max_cstate=1 to your GRUB_DEFAULT and see if it works at all before it goes dim.

Here are their kernel builds and source; you should at least be able to build the module manually if you match up the headers and your running kernel- https://last-public-ovh-kernel.snap.mirrors.ovh.net/builds/

Creativity

On the install screen click custom installation, then tick use distribution kernel.

waphire

@mfs said:
Generally speaking, you should be able to install your distro of choice from scratch using qemu and a netboot ISO from Rescue mode (Netboot -> Rescue -> rescue64-pro)

Could you please elaborate on that a little? Would manually installing Debian or any other distro would be of any value since the server doesn't boot from the standard kernel of any of the distros available as templates?

@Letzien said:
One of the things they do is disable cstates for the CPU. Here's a recent OVH "patch":

- ICPU(INTEL_FAM6_ATOM_CEDARVIEW,     idle_cpu_atom),

Try adding intel_idle.max_cstate=1 to your GRUB_DEFAULT and see if it works at all before it goes dim.

Here are their kernel builds and source; you should at least be able to build the module manually if you match up the headers and your running kernel- https://last-public-ovh-kernel.snap.mirrors.ovh.net/builds/

I'll try the cstates param and report back.

@Creativity said:
On the install screen click custom installation, then tick use distribution kernel.

That doesn't work. It leads to being stuck in the installation state, followed by an intervention and an email stating:

Installation in error, the option distrib kernel is not compatible with your server range

Please relaunch the installation with the distrib kernel option set on 'no'

Neoon

Yes, select distro kernel at install or install debian default kernel after you installed it.

waphire

@Neoon said:
Yes, select distro kernel at install or install debian default kernel after you installed it.

Either solution has the same result: not booting. Same thing mentioned in the post as well.

Creativity

waphire said: Either solution has the same result: not booting. Same thing mentioned in the post as well.

Apologies, I missed that in the first post. What OS are you trying to install? All the Debian's work for me with distro kernel, unless something changed in the past month since I tried it.

Neoon

@waphire said:

@Neoon said:
Yes, select distro kernel at install or install debian default kernel after you installed it.

Either solution has the same result: not booting. Same thing mentioned in the post as well.

Well, the N2800 works flawless with the distro kernel.
Like from Debian & Ubuntu.

What distro are you even using? I did not see it mentioned anywhere.

mfs

waphire said: Could you please elaborate on that a little? Would manually installing Debian or any other distro would be of any value since the server doesn't boot from the standard kernel of any of the distros available as templates?

The server will boot just fine, I know first-hand. Template installs are different from "real" installs. You can also partition and/or encrypt as you please (for FDE it's a little more problematic since you need a way to decrypt root at boot, but still it's viable)
Since you don't have a hypervisor (it's not a VPS) nor a KVM/IPMI, you build yourself one. Just get the iso of your distro of choice in /dev/shm and install using qemu, ssh and vncviewer. A KS-3 has 4 GB of RAM, that's enough for the job.

waphire

@Creativity said:

waphire said: Either solution has the same result: not booting. Same thing mentioned in the post as well.

Apologies, I missed that in the first post. What OS are you trying to install? All the Debian's work for me with distro kernel, unless something changed in the past month since I tried it.

The server was unusable for the first few days for me because i was constantly trying to install with distribution kernel and this is how it went: installation (distro kernel) initiated -> installation fails / gets stuck -> intervention -> installation relaunched with OVH Kernel -> installation done -> server ready.

I opened a ticket and asked about this to the support and they said that servers with <= 4 GB of RAM don't support distro kernels and that I'd have to make do with the OVH Kernel.

Neoon

What you can do, its reinstall it on Distro kernel, a Technican should show up and will take a look. Since the server does not come up.

Did you tried that?

waphire

@Creativity said:

waphire said: Either solution has the same result: not booting. Same thing mentioned in the post as well.

Apologies, I missed that in the first post. What OS are you trying to install? All the Debian's work for me with distro kernel, unless something changed in the past month since I tried it.

Installing Debian here as well. But this happens with every distro I try to install.

@Neoon said:

@waphire said:

@Neoon said:
Yes, select distro kernel at install or install debian default kernel after you installed it.

Either solution has the same result: not booting. Same thing mentioned in the post as well.

Well, the N2800 works flawless with the distro kernel.
Like from Debian & Ubuntu.

What distro are you even using? I did not see it mentioned anywhere.

I'm sorry I forgot to mention the distro. Updated the post now.

@mfs said:

waphire said: Could you please elaborate on that a little? Would manually installing Debian or any other distro would be of any value since the server doesn't boot from the standard kernel of any of the distros available as templates?

The server will boot just fine, I know first-hand. Template installs are different from "real" installs. You can also partition and/or encrypt as you please (for FDE it's a little more problematic since you need a way to decrypt root at boot, but still it's viable)
Since you don't have a hypervisor (it's not a VPS) nor a KVM/IPMI, you build yourself one. Just get the iso of your distro of choice in /dev/shm and install using qemu, ssh and vncviewer. A KS-3 has 4 GB of RAM, that's enough for the job.

This seems worth a try. I'll try it in the morning as well the cstates param and report back.

Razza

waphire said: I opened a ticket and asked about this to the support and they said that servers with <= 4 GB of RAM don't support distro kernels and that I'd have to make do with the OVH Kernel.

Weird I reinstalled my KS-2 N2800 a number of week ago used distribution kernel on Debian no issues.

waphire

@Letzien said:
One of the things they do is disable cstates for the CPU. Here's a recent OVH "patch":

- ICPU(INTEL_FAM6_ATOM_CEDARVIEW,     idle_cpu_atom),

Try adding intel_idle.max_cstate=1 to your GRUB_DEFAULT and see if it works at all before it goes dim.

Here are their kernel builds and source; you should at least be able to build the module manually if you match up the headers and your running kernel- https://last-public-ovh-kernel.snap.mirrors.ovh.net/builds/

Thank you so much, @Letzien! Adding intel_idle.max_cstate=1 to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT did it.

Letzien

@waphire said:
Thank you so much, @Letzien! Adding intel_idle.max_cstate=1 to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT did it.

OK. You're probably going to want to install tuned and set it to Performance, since this box does not like ACPI C states anyhow. Someone should tell OVH how to handle this better than removing the damn CPU support from the kernel.