This topic applies only on the Linux operating system.

Preparing Linux systems for installation

This topic describes how to prepare a Linux® system for installing WebSphere® Application Server.

Before you begin

The installation uses an InstallShield MultiPlatform (ISMP) wizard. You can use the graphical interface of the wizard. You can also use the wizard in silent mode.

On the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Version 10 operating system, the xorg-x11-libs package exists, by default. This package contains the following libraries, which are required to properly operate WebSphere Application Server:
  • libXp
  • libXmu
  • libXtst
For more information on this package, see the Novell Web site.

About this task

Preparing the operating system involves such changes as allocating disk space and installing patches to the operating system. IBM® tests WebSphere Application Server products on each operating system platform. Such tests verify whether an operating system change is required for WebSphere Application Server products to run correctly. Without the required changes, WebSphere Application Server products do not run correctly.

While this topic lists many steps that are common to all Linux distributions, specific Linux distributions might require additional steps. Complete all common steps, as well as any additional steps that are required for your distribution. If your distribution is not listed in this topic, but is supported by WebSphere Application Server, check for any post-release technical notes that are available for your operating system at the product support site at http://www.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/was/support/. If a technical note is not available for your distribution, additional steps might not be required.

When additional steps are required, it is typically because a default installation of the distribution does not provide required libraries or operating system features. If you install WebSphere Application Server on a customized Linux installation that has installed packages which differ significantly from the packages provided by a default installation of the distribution, ensure that your customized installation has the packages required for WebSphere Application Server to run. WebSphere Application Server does not maintain lists of the packages required for each Linux distribution or for updates to each distribution.

For WebSphere Application Server to run adequately, your Linux installation must have the following items:
  • Kernel and C runtime library
  • Current® and all compatibility versions of the C++ runtime library
  • X Windows® libraries and runtime
  • GTK runtime libraries

Procedure

  1. Log on to the operating system.

    You can log on as root or as a non-root installer.

    Select a umask that allows the owner to read/write to the files, and allows others to access them according to the prevailing system policy. For root, a umask of 022 is recommended. For non-root users a umask of 002 or 022 can be used, depending on whether the users share the group. To verify the umask setting, issue the following command:
    umask
    To set the umask setting to 022, issue the following command:
    umask 022
  2. Download and install the Mozilla Firefox Web browser so that you can use the launchpad application on the product disk and the Gnome and KDE shortcut menu entries for WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment.

    If you do not have the Firefox browser, download and install the browser from http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/.

    Note: It might be necessary to run >firefox &url from directories other than the one where Firefox is installed, so ensure that Firefox is in the path. You can add a symbolic link to the Firefox directory by entering:
    >ln -s /locationToFirefox/firefox firefox
  3. Optional: Export the location of the supported browser.

    Export the location of the supported browser using a command that identifies the actual location of the browser.

    If the Mozilla Firefox package is in the /opt/bin/firefox directory, for example, use the following command:
    export BROWSER=/opt/bin/firefox
  4. Stop all WebSphere Application Server-related Java™ processes on the machine where you are installing the product.
  5. Stop any Web server process such as the IBM HTTP Server.
  6. Provide adequate disk space. The amount of disk space required varies with the number of features or products installed. If you are installing the product using the installation wizard, the installation summary panel indicates the approximate amount of disk space required based on the features and products you have selected. Installing all features and products, including the centralized installation manager (CIM) requires approximately 3 GB of disk space. Installing all features and products without the CIM requires approximately 2 GB of disk space. This estimate includes the following products, components, and features:
    • Main application server product installation
    • Profiles
    • Sample applications
    • IBM HTTP Server
    • Web server plug-ins
    • Application Client for WebSphere Application Server
    • IBM Update Installer for WebSphere Software

    If you plan to migrate applications and the configuration from a previous version, verify that the application objects have enough disk space. As a rough guideline, plan for space equal to 110 percent of the size of the applications.

  7. Verify that prerequisites and corequisites are at the required release levels.

    Although the installation wizard checks for prerequisite operating system patches with the prereqChecker application, review the prerequisites on the Supported hardware and software Web site if you have not done so already.

    Refer to the documentation for non-IBM prerequisite and corequisite products to learn how to migrate to their supported versions.

  8. Increase the ulimit setting in the bash command shell profile to prevent addNode and importWasprofile problems.

    The addNode command script can fail when adding a node, or the importWasprofile command can fail when importing a configuration archive. The importWasprofile command might fail during the installation of a customized installation package (CIP) when the CIP includes a customized profile.

    Set a higher ulimit setting for the kernel in the bash shell profile script, which is loaded at login time for the session.

    Set the ulimit on your Linux command shells by adding the command to your shell profile script. The shell profile script is usually found under your home directory:
    1. cd ~
    2. vi .bashrc
    3. ulimit -n 8192
  9. Restore the original copy of the etc/issue file if the file is modified.

    The prereqChecker program in the installation wizard uses the file to verify the version of the operating system. If you cannot restore the original version, ignore the Operating System Level Check message about the operating system being unsupported. The installation can continue successfully despite the warning.

  10. Verify the system cp command when using emacs or other freeware.
    If you have emacs or other freeware installed on your operating system, verify that the system cp command is used.
    1. Type the following command prompt before running the installation program for the WebSphere Application Server product.
      which cp
    2. Remove the freeware directory from your PATH if the resulting directory output includes freeware. For example, assume that the output is similar to the following message: .../freeware/bin/cp. If so, remove the directory from the PATH.
    3. Install the WebSphere Application Server product.
    4. Add the freeware directory back to the PATH.

    If you install with a cp command that is part of a freeware package, the installation might appear to complete successfully, but the Java 2 SDK that the product installs might have missing files in the app_server_root/java directory.

    Missing files can destroy required symbolic links. If you remove the freeware cp command from the PATH, you can install the Application Server product successfully.

  11. Complete any distribution-specific set up.

    Complete the steps for your distribution:

    If you are using a supported distribution other than those listed above, examine the WebSphere Application Server support site for any technical notes that are published for your distribution. If technical notes have been published, apply the fixes.

  12. Verify that the Java SDK on the installation image disk is functioning correctly, if you created your own disk.

    For example, you might have downloaded an installation image from Passport Advantage®, or you might have copied an installation image onto a backup disk. In either case, perform the following steps to verify that the disk contains a valid Java software development kit (SDK).

    1. Change directories to the /JDK/jre.pak/repository/package.java.jre/java/jre/bin directory on the product disk. For example:
      cd /JDK/jre.pak/repository/package.java.jre/java/jre/bin
    2. Verify the Java version. Type the following command:
      ./java -version

      The command completes successfully with no errors when the SDK is intact.

  13. Grant a non-root installer ID the correct file permissions to create menu entries in Gnome and KDE.

    Before the installation, the root user can grant write permission to the non-root installer for the /etc/xdg/menus/applications-merged directory. Then the Installation wizard creates the menu entries during the non-root installation.

    Otherwise, you must run scripts to create and remove the menu entries while WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment is installed. See Non-root installations for more information.

Results

This procedure results in preparing the operating system for installing the product.

What to do next

After verifying prerequisites, verifying the product disk, and setting your installation goals, you can start installing. Use one of the following links to open the installation procedure that you require.
Install the Network Deployment product on your operating system.
  • Perform a custom installation.

    The custom installation lets you select features to install. The features include the core product files (required), the sample applications (optional), non-English language packages for the administrative console (optional), and non-English language packages for the application server runtime environment (optional).

    See Installing the Network Deployment product.

  • Perform a silent installation.

    A silent installation requires you to edit the example response file to contain all of your installation choices. After creating a valid response file, issue the install command with the silent parameter from a command window.

    See Installing silently.

  • Install additional features to an existing product.

    After using a custom installation to omit one or both of the optional features, you can install the product again to add the features. Select a missing feature to install it.

    See Installing additional features on an existing Network Deployment product.




In this information ...


IBM Redbooks, demos, education, and more

(Index)

Use IBM Suggests to retrieve related content from ibm.com and beyond, identified for your convenience.

This feature requires Internet access.

Task topic    

Terms of Use | Feedback

Last updated: Oct 22, 2010 2:23:46 AM CDT
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/wsbroker/redirect?version=compass&product=was-nd-dist&topic=tins_linuxsetup
File name: tins_linuxsetup.html