The Proliant 1850R server has an embedded NIC, which is monumentally horrid when trying to use Linux - it will cause lock ups on hardware probing and the like, a common point for this to happen in a grpahical install is just after YaST shows you the keyboard layout, but before the mouse type is displayed. In a text install, it will lock up when YaST says it is probing FireWire devices. To get SuSE 9.0 installed on one of these servers, you'll need a Compaq SmartStart^® CD to boot from initially.

1. Boot from the SmartStart^® CD, and use the utility to disable the embedded NIC
2. Install a PCI NIC that you know works with SuSE. I found a 3Com card lieing around and that worked fine
3. Install SuSE

Yes, it's that simple, but if you didn't know, you could spend hours cursing and hitting the server with big sticks. The cost of a NIC is probably a lot less that the cost of time spent trying to figure it out.

Will be heading off to Nottingham in about half an hour. Hope we find the college alright, I printed out a route plan from The AA yesterday, but then forgot to bring it home - what a silly person I am!

Cell last night was cool, due to a variety of circumstances we'd moved location first from J&H's place (the cell leaders) to Dave & Catherine's (Dave of the now infamous DSL500) and then at the very last minute to our local Starbucks. Having got to *bucks, we discovered they closed at 8pm, not 9pm as we had thought, so after a coffee there, we relocated to the Southern Cross for a couple of pints and discussion. All in all it was rather good fun.