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