Setting up the cluster

Installing Ubuntu Server 12.04

Always use default actions except for the following actions:

1) Do not use detect keyboard layout. Instead choose English/US manually.

2) Set Host name: ubx (where x is the number of the node, e.g., 0 for the master node.)

3) Set full name of new user as: apl-admin

4) Set user name for account as: apl-admin

5) Do not encrypt the home directory.

6) Partition method: Guided-use entire disk

7) Do remove existing logical volume data.

8) Leave HTTP proxy information blank

9) Set update management to be: No automatic updates

10) Choose software to install: openSSH (nothing else)

11) Install GRUB: yes

12) Once completed update the system.

Settings and software

Our cluster is based on this tutorial: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MpichCluster

However, we have the following additions/exceptions:

1) To find IP addresses for nodes, log onto the node and type the following command: ifconfig

Then look for the inet addr in the eth0 section.

1) When prompted to give an SSH-passphrase, leave this field blank.

2) In all nodes change etc/ssh/ssh_config to have the following line:

   Port 41122

3) In all nodes change etc/ssh/sshd_config, add the following line:

   Port 41122
   PermitRootLogin no 

NOTE: this should replace the line which previously said "PermitRootLogin yes"

4) Before installing MPICH2, run the following commands:

   sudo apt-get install build-essentials gfortran gfortran-multilib autoconf