FAQ
From LinodeWiki
[edit] Additional Sales Information
[edit] What technology is behind your Virtual Machines?
UML has been in development for a number of years, is VERY stable, has been incorporated into the kernel's main source distribution (a sign of maturity).
To get an idea of how active a project UML is, here's a list of patches going back to July, 2001.
There are a number of other UML hosting providers.
Linode is a different breed of virtual server. Shared-kernel approaches (like vserver, virtuozzo, and chroot jails) aren't as flexible or secure as UML.
The main factor in Virtual Server performance is how many VMs are placed on one host server. The shared-kernel methods lend to providers stacking 100s of virtual machines on one host. A Linode 256, for example, shares the host with a max of 40 other Linodes.
Linodes also have dedicated resources - that 128 megs of RAM is for your Linode, and your Linode only.
[edit] Do I need a domain name for my Linode?
No, not at all.
We have set up default DNS entries for all our IPs. It follows the scheme "li-X.members.linode.com", where X is the last number of your IP address.
You are more than welcome to run your own DNS servers, or outsource this service to another provider.
[edit] How much disk space does distribution x use?
Take a look at our Distribution page.
[edit] What kind of support do you provide?
We provide email-only support at this time. Typical response times are 1-6 hours, depending on time of day.
[edit] What types of payment do you accept?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
We have month-to-month and annual contracts available.
[edit] Getting Started
[edit] How do I get root or Superuser access?
Log in as user "root", and your root password.
Or, use the "su" program, which lets you 'switch users' without logging out.
Example:
su -
[edit] How do I install a Linux Distribution on my Linode?
Log into the Members section, and click "Distro Wizard". The Distro Wizard will create a new configuration profile, and set up your disks.
You can install as many Linux distros as you have space.
[edit] How to I get started with my new Linode?
Use the Distribution Wizard to install a Linux Distribution onto your Linode account. This automagically creates your disk images, creates a configuration profile, and sets up your root password.
Then, boot your new Configuration Profile and your Linode is ready!
[edit] What is a Linux Distribution?
Linux is distributed by a number of commercial and non-commercial organizations who add to, or enhance the basic functions (or kernel) of the operating system. SuSE Linux, for example, is a distribution of Linux with features of the core Linux Kernel and enhancements, which are specific to that distribution. Linux distributions come completely pre-configured to specifications set by that organization, and include configuration utilities and installers.
[edit] What is the Linux Kernel?
Linux is a clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.
It has all the features you would expect in a modern fully-fledged Unix, including true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, shared copy-on-write executables, proper memory management, and TCP/IP networking.
[edit] What should I do if my Linode won't boot correctly?
First thing you should do is Boot your Linode, then connect to the CONSOLE. This will allow you to see where the error is.
[edit] Remote Access
[edit] How do I access my Linode's console aka LISH?
SSH into the host that your Linode resides on. Use your Linode.com Member username and password. This connects you directly to your Linode's console terminal.
[edit] How do I setup remote graphical-desktop/VNC?
Start the VNC Server by typing "vncserver" at the command prompt.
You'll need VNC Viewer installed on your work station. After you install VNC Viewer, launch it, and use "<address>:1" as the connection string.
To stop VNC Server on your Linode, type "vncserver -kill :1"
[edit] Where can I find an SSH program for MacOS X?
MacOS X has an ssh program pre-installed.
Open a terminal window and use the following syntax:
ssh <username>@<hostname>
[edit] Where can I find an SSH program for Microsoft Windows?
Putty from Right here.
[edit] Where can I find an SSH program for Unix/Linux?
Most Linux/Unix installations come with SSH installed, but if you need to re-install, check out OpenSSH.
[edit] The characters look funny or there's garbage on the screen.
You want to check the emulation your terminal program is using.
Also, make sure your ssh client supports the UTF-8 character set. If not, try this:
Edit /etc/sysconfig/i18n
Change
LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
to
LANG="en_US"
Then, logout and log back in.
[edit] Upgrades
[edit] Can I upgrade my Linode to a larger plan at a later time?
Yes. Please fill out a Support ticket with your upgrade request, and we will reply with availability.
Once your migration is configured, we have an automated system which you initiate at your leisure, that copies your data over to the new host.
Note: ips might change if you're changing datacenters.
[edit] How do I add extra RAM//DISK/XFER/IPs to my Linode account?
Log into the Members area, and click "Extras".
It will display the resources that are available on the host your Linode resides on.
[edit] Support
[edit] How do I close my account?
You can cancel your account by logging into the Member's area, and clicking on the "My Account" subtab. From there, there's a cancel account link.
[edit] How do I recover or reset the root password?
Create another Configuration using the Distro Wizard. Go into the configuration profile, and *add* the disk image that needs the password reset. Save and boot the new config.
Log in as root, then mount the other disk image on /mnt, edit /mnt/etc/passwd or /mnt/etc/shadow.
Shut down, and reboot into the previous configuration profile.
[edit] Is there a limit to the number of processes I can run on a Linode?
There is an upper limit, but it's set very high. More important are the number of file descriptors consumed by your processes. File Descriptors are limited to 1024 per Linode.
--- I'm not sure that the information above is actually wrong, but it is certainly misleading. ---
On the host, each Linode uses two file descriptors for the console, one for /dev/null, one for each disk image, and one for each memory map that the UML kernel opens.
A Linode UML process typically consumes 20 to 30 file descriptors on the host. There is a limit placed on the number of file descriptors each Linode can use on the host, but it is a very high value that's only there to prevent a runaway Linode or a Linode that has fallen into the hands of those with evil intentions from borking the host by consuming all available file descriptors.
Inside your Linode, you are free to use as many file descriptors as your UML kernel is configured to handle. The limit is set by /proc/sys/fs/file-max, which has a default value of 8196 (checked in the Debian 3.0r1 distro, using the 2.4.28-linode37-1um kernel). The theoretical limit is 1,048,576 open file descriptors.
[edit] Why does /etc/fstab say "/dev/ubda" when there are no partitions?
We're using the entire device as one drive.
Note: if you create your own disk images from scratch, you can partition them.
[edit] Networking
[edit] Which TCP Ports are blocked?
The Atlanta data center blocks numerous ports, including 6667, the main port used by IRC. There is a full list available on the forum. The other data centers are not known to block any ports.
[edit] What is DHCP?
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It exists as a client and a server.
When a machine boots, it can broadcast a request for its network settings. The DHCP server responds with the correct network information for that machine.
[edit] Still have a question? Please contact us!
If you are an existing customer, please use the Support Ticket System or If you are new can go to the Sales Questions and Answers board
