IBM Spectrum Scale for Windows does not support disks with 4K sector size.
IBM Spectrum Scale for Windows does not support OpenLdap for Windows-Unix user-mapping. The only way to achieve Windows-Unix user-mapping in GPFS is via Identity Mapping for Unix (IMU) from Microsoft.
Exporting IBM Spectrum Scale file systems as Server Message Block (SMB) shares (also known as CIFS shares) from IBM Spectrum Scale Windows nodes is not supported.
GPFS V3.5.0.11 and later versions of 3.5, support Windows Server 2012 (Datacenter and Standard) in homogeneous clusters only. IBM Spectrum Scale V4.1 has no such limitation.
NFS serving (any version of NFS) by GPFS Windows nodes is not supported.
The mmapplypolicy command is not supported.
If installing GPFS V3.5 on Windows 7, only the Enterprise and Ultimate x64 SP1 editions are supported as they include Subsystem for Unix-based Applications (SUA), a component of the operating system required for GPFS on Windows. In order to install SUA on Windows 7, go to Control Panel, click on Programs and then Turn Windows features on or off.
Since Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate and Windows 8.1 Enterprise are desktop operating systems, these nodes can only operate as NSD clients and do not support direct attached disks. It is recommended that most GPFS administrative commands be executed on non-Windows 7 nodes.
IBM Spectrum Scale for Windows is not supported in any environment where Citrix Provisioning Services are deployed.
In IBM Spectrum Scale homogeneous Windows clusters, the Windows nodes can perform most of the management and administrative operations. The exceptions include:
Certain GPFS commands to apply policies, administer quotas and administer ACLs.
Support for the native Windows Backup utility.
In IBM Spectrum Scale V4, the following user commands require Administrative privileges. They can only be run by a user who is a member of the Administrators group: mmchfileset, mmcrsnapshot, mmdelsnapshot, mmdf, mmlsdisk, mmlsfileset, mmlsfs, mmlspolicy, mmlspool, mmlssnapshot, and mmsnapdir.
Encryption is not supported on Windows. The encryption function in the Advanced Edition should be disabled when Windows nodes are in the cluster.
IPv4 subnets are not supported on a cluster that is defined with IPv6 primary addresses (hostname) that contains Windows nodes.
With V4, V3.5 and V3.4.0.14 (and later), a DMAPI-enabled file system may be mounted on a Windows node, with certain restrictions.
There was a recent announcement of the release of Latest kernel 3.18.4 which includes many changes, you can check the Changelog for the complete list of changes.
WARNING: Installing a new kernel may render your system unusable or unstable. If you proceed with the installation using the instructions below, make sure you back up any important data you have to an external hard drive.
Installing Linux Kernel 3.18.4
So, we're gonna install our latest and stable release of linux kernel 3.18.4 on our CentOS 7 Linux Distribution which is based on fedora. We we'll be tutoring about 2 common ways of install linux kernel 3.18.4 on CentOS 7.
1. Using ELRepo
2. Compiling and installing from the source
Note: Please make sure to choose anyone of the above ways.
First we'll gonna go for installing using ELRepo as its the easiest way to do.
Installing using Elrepo
1. Downloading and Installing ELRepo
We'll first gonna download the GPG key of ELRepo and install the relrepo-release package. As this tutorial is for CentOS 7. We'll gonna install elrepo-release-7.0-2.el7.elrepo.noarch.rpm using the command below.
Now, we'll gonna install the latest stable kernel 3.18.4 from the ELRepo repository. To do so, we'll need to enter the following commands in a shell or terminal of the CentOS 7.
The above command will automatically install the Linux Kernel 3.18.4 build for CentOS 7.
Now, here below is the another way of installing the latest kernel 3.18.4 by compiling from the source.
Compiling and Installing from the Source
1. Installing the Dependencies
So, first of all we'll need to install the dependencies required to compile the linux kernel but most of the machines must have it preinstalled.
# yum install gcc ncurses ncurses-devel
Then, we'll gonna update our whole system.
# yum update
2. Downloading the package
We'll now gonna download the latest and stable release of linux kernel 3.18.4 inside /tmp using wget command from the official repository of Linux Kernel. You can also download the kernel directly from the site kernel.org .
# cd /tmp/
# wget https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/linux-3.18.4.tar.xz
3. Extracting the package
Once the file is downloaded we'll extract it under /usr/src/ directory by running the below command.
# tar -xf linux-3.18.4.tar.xz -C /usr/src/
# cd /usr/src/linux-3.18.4/
4. Configuring
For New Kernel Configuration
Now we'll run the make menuconfig command in the shell or terminal to configure the Linux kernel. Once we've executed the below command a pop up window with all the menus appears. Here we can select our new kernel configuration. If you unfamiliar with these menus, just hit double ESC key to exit.
# make menuconfig
For Old Configuration
If you like to configure your latest kernel with old configuration then simple type the below command.
# make oldconfig
Step 5: Compiling
Next, we'll execute the make command to compile the Kernel 3.18.4 . The compilation would take at least 20-30 minutes depends on your system configuration. I had got an error while compiling the kernel saying bc command not found. You can fix that by installing bc using the command yum install bc .
# make
6. Installing into the system
Once the compliation is complished. We'll now finally install the Kernel in our Linux System. The below command will create files under /boot directory and also make a new kernel entry in your grub.conf file.
# make modules_install install
7. Verifying Kernel
After installing our latest kernel 3.18.4 we'll want to verify it. To do so we'll just type the following command on the terminal. If everything went fine, we'll get your kernel version ie. 3.18.4 enlisted in the output.
Linux Mint and Ubuntu are both known as two of the most newbie-friendly distros around. Ubuntu is the most popular — so much so that Linux Mint is based on it. But there are real differences between the two. Which one is right for you?
Background
Ubuntu began in 2004 when millionaire Mark Shuttleworth founded Canonical. The first release was version 4.10, referring to October 2004. A new one becomes available for download every six months. Each fourth version serves as an LTS (long-term support) release; Ubuntu 16.04 LTS launched in April 2016.
For the first six years of the project, Ubuntu’s tagline was “Linux for Human Beings.” While Canonical has changed the branding, Ubuntu remains a distribution aimed at new users.
Linux Mint first hit the scene in 2006. The distro is built on top of Ubuntu but takes extra steps to remove obstacles for newcomers. One key distinction from most other distros is the inclusion of Flash and proprietary codecs out of the box. This will change with the upcoming release, version 18. Then users will have to download codecs during or after installation.
While the numbers are different, Linux Mint releases typically come a few months after each Ubuntu version. Starting with 17, every LTS marks a new version number, with the three subsequent releases being x.1, x.2, and x.3.
512MB RAM (2GB recommended) 5GB of disk space (25GB recommended) 1024 x 768 screen resolution
Linux Mint:
512MB Ram (1GB recommended) 9GB of disk space (20GB recommended) 800 x 600 screen resolution (1024 x 768 recommended)
Both need a DVD drive or USB port for installation.
Ubuntu and Linux Mint have similar system requirements. The biggest impact on resources comes from which desktop environment you choose and the software you install.
Installation
Ubuntu and Linux Mint both use the Ubiquity installer. This means if you can figure out how to install one, you know how to install the other. The experience isn’t identical, but it’s close.
That’s not to say that Ubuntu and Linux Mint support identical hardware. That can change depending on which version of the Linux kernel each comes with. Other software decisions can affect what runs where. Ubuntu has more resources and users to point out problems, so you might find better support there. Your mileage may vary.
Linux Mint and Ubuntu both support UEFI. Linux Mint is not certified by Microsoft, so disable Secure Boot before attempting installation. With Ubuntu, you can leave Secure Boot enabled.
Interface
Most distros default to one of the standard Linux desktop environments. Both Ubuntu and Linux Mint develop their own.
Ubuntu uses the Unity interface. This is a GNOME-based desktop environment common only to Ubuntu. A global menu and notification area occupy a panel across the top, and applications live in a dock along the side. You launch software from the Dash, the dashboard that appears when you click the Ubuntu icon.
Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop is an alternative to GNOME 3, born before the latter won over the hearts of many long-time Linux users. Cinnamon provides a familiar feel for people moving over from Windows or a Chromebook. Applications appear in the panel along the bottom, with a launcher menu in the bottom left and system icons on the right.
Linux Mint 18 marks the debut of Cinnamon 3.0. You can get an overview of new features in the video below.
Both Ubuntu and Linux Mint come with their own user themes. Ubuntu has Radiance and Ambiance, while Linux has Mint-Y, a new look based on the Arc theme and Moka icons.
Unity may feel more familiar to Mac OS X users, while Linux Mint makes for an easy transition for Windows users.
Software
Ubuntu has its own interface, a new package format, an upcoming display server, and other infrastructure. But it doesn’t come with many exclusive apps. One holdout, the Ubuntu Software Center, went away in the latest release. Now Ubuntu uses GNOME Software alongside many other GNOME apps. When software doesn’t fit in with the Unity interface, Canonical makes patches to ease the situation.
In response to the same issue, Linux Mint is introducing X-Apps. These are generic applications aimed at traditional GTK desktop environments. They continue to use titlebars and menubars, elements the GNOME desktop has phased out for GNOME 3.x. The screenshot below shows Xviewer, an alternative image viewer to Eye of GNOME.
The team develops many apps specifically for Linux Mint. The distro has its own package manager, backup tool, upload manager, and others.
In either case, you will be able to continue using the vast majority of the open source software you know and love.
Official Spins
There are ten versions of Ubuntu listed on the distro’s website. Besides the Unity desktop, you have alternative “flavors” that default to GNOME, KDE, LXDE, XFCE, MATE, and MythTV. There are also specialized distributions, such as Edubuntu for education, Ubuntu Studio for multimedia producers, and Ubuntu Kylin for Chinese users.
Linux Mint has four main options. There’s Cinnamon, MATE, KDE, and XFCE. 17.3 has two versions, one with and without codecs, but this will change with version 18. There are also OEM images that manufacturers can use to pre-instal Mint.
Both distros let you set up your own desktop environments, but if you want to experiment with a bunch without configuring things yourself, Ubuntu is the way to go.
Ubuntu vs. Linux Mint: Which Will You Choose?
Ubuntu is the more well-known of the two distros, but Linux Mint is also one of the most popular out there. Both provide users with a great introduction to Linux. More Ubuntu-related web content exists due to the size of its community, which is a big help when you’re starting off. But much of what applies to Ubuntu also applies to Mint.
