Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Dedicated Server : how to install Linux on an IBM xserver 335 server without graphics card?

[SoftDux]

Hi All,

I recently got some IBM Xseries 335 servers 2nd hand, and noticed they don't have any graphics card. Some google searched indicate they only have an uplink port, which you could connect to another (other model) IBM server and use that as the head node. But, I don't have one available.

It has 2x GB NIC's, and what looks like a management port, but I can't figure out how to use it. SSH & HTTP connections to it was futile. OR, it was assigned a dedicated IP, on a different subnet than ours but it's not written down anywhere so I don't know what IP to connect to.

Does anyone know how to get Linux installed onto these devices? We have a PXE server in the office which I generally use for this setting up servers over the LAN, but they always have a VGA port.

[gavo2o]

I have one in the office that is used for dev work. THey have an inbuilt KVM system and you need a C2T cable in order to get video and PS2 out on them. You can also use a PCI VGA card which I did until I got the C2T cable.

[SoftDux]

Sadly, I've gotten no-where with this yet.

I installed CentOS onto another server's (I freed up an HP Prolaint DL360 with the same drive bays) drive, but it doesn't bootup the drive. I think it gives an error, but I can't tell. I also can't see it requesting an IP from the DHCP server, nor can I ping the hard coded IP (i.e. I first setup the installation with DHCP, then changed it to a hard coded IP).

I know this sounds funny, but I don't have a null-modem cable. Anywhere. I know we had one a few years ago but can't find it.
The PCI graphics card that I could get my hands on is too low so the VGA port is below the chassis. Short from ripping the motherboard out, it won't work. But, while googleing to see if I could fit a PCI graphics card in, I also found some posts where people say the PCI card's burnt some lanes on the PCI-X port, so I don't want to try this and find out it might blow a track.
No one that I could get open right now has a C2T cable in stock.