OpenSuse
The observatory's servers and control computers run on the openSuse distribution of Linux-based software. Currently new systems are built with the 64-bit version 12.1. We install the base DVD with xfce, and add all the options for software development. The prior version 11.4 with Gnome is also in use.
During installation:
At the initial splash screen add the boot parameter "nomodeset" if a recent NVidia graphics card or GPU is present.
Add "nomodeset" to the kernel boot parameter list. It is already in failsafe.
Select Gnome as default display on systems with NVidia hardware and otherwise use xfce
Select almost all packages including PHP, MySQL, and Apache except those clearly not needed.
From openSUSE using YAST:
Remove DVD from source
Update NVidia drivers and kernel if NVidia hardware is present
Reboot and configure display
Perform updates based on default respositories as needed
Remove annoying pk-update-icon
Include the repository for gnome applications
Include the repository for education to have stellarium (or build from source)
Include the repository for vlc (or build from souce)
Use caution with mozilla updates because of flash DRM integration in versions 13.0 and higher
Add findutils-locate
Add dconf-editor
Add lsb
Confirm gfortran
Confirm mysql-community-server (remove mariadb version)
Add apache
Add php and packages
Add gsl and gsl-devel
Add libatlas3 and libatlas3-devel if available in repositories (or build from source as needed)
Add nano
Add timidity
Add audacity
Add celestia (KDE bindings)
Add stellarium
Add galculator
Add gnome-disk-utility
Add gnumeric
Add netpbm
Add libnetpbm-devel
Add python-dateutil
Add python-distribute
Add python-distutils-extra
Add python-Distutils2
Add python-cairo-devel
Add python-numpy
Add python-numpy-devel
Add python-qt4
Add libevent-devel
Add fftw3-devel, fftw3-threads, and fftw3-threads-devel
Add xfig
Add ufraw
Add gimp-ufraw
Add gphoto but not gphotofs
Add vlc
Add qiv
Add luvcview
Add openmotif
Add openmotif-devel
Add openmotif-devel-32bit
Add opemotif-libs
Add openmotiv-libs-32bit
Add yasm
Add yasm-devel
Add fltk
Add fltk-devel
Add libpng12-devel
Add libpng14-devel
Add fxload
From source or binaries in /usr/local:
Install nedit from rpm
Install mplayer
Install ds9
Install xpa
Install cfitsio
Install grace (with local FFT modifications for normalization)
Install xephem
Install pyephem (easy_install pyephem)
Install pyfits (easy_install pyfits)
Install scipy
Install astrometry.net
Install swarp
Install sextractor
Install cinepaint
Install moodle (depends on mysql, apache, and php)
From local software in /usr/local:
Install AstroImageJ
Install ImageJ
Install Aladin
Install alsvid
Install sidereal
Install xmtel (if needed)
Install xmccd (if needed)
Update /etc
Copy motd
Edit HOSTNAME
Comment out 127.0.0.2 in hosts if it exists
Add entries to /etc/rc.d/boot.local
Add profile.local
Edit /etc/dnsmasq.conf as needed
Edit /etc/sysconf/locate to run as root
Settings
Configure network as needed for additional cards defined for internal zone
Add masquerade to firewall settings if internal zone present
Start dnsmasq