EFS Systems on a Linux Base: Getting Started

14 EFS Systems on a Linux Base: Getting Started

specific Linux kernel options and FLEX-ES installation must access a kernel source tree that

accurately reflects the kernel being used.

FLEX-ES does not claim support for all PC hardware. FSI publishes a list of supported

machines, and this is a relatively small list. It is our experience that many other machines

work well, but that the very latest machines may have problems. (As mentioned, these are

usually Linux problems, but nevertheless may prevent you from using FLEX-ES successfully.)

Therefore, if you want to use FLEX-ES with the very latest, largest, fastest, super PC server

or mobile computer you must recognize that you are probably beyond the range of

supported

systems. It may work, but you

may need to learn something about Linux drivers, kernel

builds, and kernel levels and you may need a little more patience than users of more prosaic

machines. Restrictions (and fixes) discussed here are subject to frequent changes. If any of

these concerns apply to you, you should obtain the latest advice from whomever provides

your FLEX-ES support.

USB 2.0 ports

If your system has USB 2.0 ports, we suggest you use FLEX-ES Release 6.2.11 (or later) and

Red Hat 9.0.

1000BaseT LAN adapters

The newest mobile computers and server systems may include 1000BaseT Ethernet

adapters. These are not supported by the stock Red Hat 8.0 kernel. The kernel source

distributed by FSI and Red Hat 9.0 both support the more common 1000BaseT LAN

adapters.

Large memory

Servers with 1 GB or more memory require kernel changes to be most effective. This

requires rebuilding the kernel.

2.1.4 Disk space needed

PC disk drives are much larger than they were a few years ago. A FLEX-ES system running

z/OS requires a considerable amount of disk space. What is considered ample space for

normal PC usage may not be adequate. Consider the following:

򐂰 Red Hat Linux 9.0 needs 2 to 7 GB of disk space, depending on the installation options

selected. This includes a reasonable amount of work space and the space needed by

FLEX-ES modules.

򐂰 If you have a dual-boot system (probably with Microsoft Windows as the “other” system),

you need whatever disk space that system requires.

򐂰 Most S/390 (and zSeries) software is installed on 3390 volumes. FLEX-ES emulation of

3390 volumes uses almost exactly the same amount of space as the original device being

emulated. For example, a 3390-3 can contain about 2.8 GB of data and FLEX-ES

requires 2.8 GB of disk space on your PC to emulate a 3390-3.

򐂰 The amount of disk space needed for a z/OS system varies greatly. It might be as little as

a single 3390-3 (2.8 GB), although such a system would probably not be very useful. A

small TSO-oriented system might be four 3390-3 volumes and perhaps a 3390-1 for local

data sets. This would be slightly over 12 GB. A larger system, such as the prebuilt systems

available to certain users on CDs, if fully installed, might need 12 or 13 3390-3 volumes,

plus at least one local volume, with a total of about 40 GB. If a large amount of local data

is involved, space is needed for this.