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2 S/390 PID: ThinkPad Enabled for S/390
1.1 Purpose of this redbook
This IBM Redbook introduces ThinkPad/EFS systems and describes the installation process
for a particular configuration of these systems. The configuration used is the base
configuration selected by IBM’s S/390 Partners in Development (PID)
2
program for members
of that program. Many of the specific details described here are for these PID systems and
the OS/390 (and z/OS) software packages IBM provides for PID members who obtain
systems through this program. However, the descriptions in this book can be generalized to
apply to most other ThinkPad/EFS systems and installations.
ThinkPad/EFS systems are available only through IBM business partners, and are not
available directly from IBM. In normal situations, the business partner performs the initial
machine setup—including hardware installation, basic Linux operating system installation,
initial disk configuration, and FLEX-ES installation. This redbook describes these same steps
and, in a sense, describes steps that a normal ThinkPad/EFS user should not need to
perform.
We include this material for several reasons:
Understanding how a system is set up, even though someone else may have done it for
you, leads to a better understanding of the system.
The system owner may accidently (or intentionally) delete or destroy part of the underlying
elements of his system. If this happens, he might ask his IBM business partner for
assistance, or he might prefer to rebuild the system himself.
Significant upgrades to the underlying elements (hardware, Linux, FLEX-ES) may require
a partial or complete rebuilding of the system. Again, the system owner has the option of
using business partner assistance or implementing the upgrade himself.
After describing initial system setup, we describe the installation of an OS/390 Application
Development CD-ROM system. These are usually known as AD systems, and are available
only to PID members who obtain systems through the PID program. The OS/390 (and z/OS)
systems involved are typical small implementations of these operating systems. The only
unique factor is the packaging on CD-ROM. If you are not a PID member, this section of the
document may not be of interest.
Another redbook, Netfinity Enabled for S/390, SG24-6501, duplicates much of the material in
this ThinkPad Enabled for S/390 book. The ThinkPad material is based on Linux, while the
Netfinity material is based on UnixWare or Open UNIX.
3
A third redbook, NUMA-Q Enabled
for S/390, SG24-6215, is based on different text and is a recommended companion to both
the Netfinity and ThinkPad books, even though the NUMA-Q EFS system is no longer
available.
1.2 ThinkPad/EFS systems
A ThinkPad/EFS machine is an IBM ThinkPad laptop running Linux (the Red Hat 7.1
distribution for the discussions in this redbook). A Linux application package, FLEX-ES,
emulates a S/390 (processor and I/O). The emulated S/390 is used to run OS/390 and all the
normal subsystems and applications that run under OS/390. FLEX-ES emulates typical
S/390 I/O devices such as 3390 disks, 3480/3490 tape drives, and 3174 controllers. Normal
3270 terminal connections are through TN3270 sessions to a FLEX-ES program that makes
these sessions appear to the emulated S/390 as local, non-SNA 3270 devices.
2
Also known as IBM’s PartnerWorld organization.
3
Open UNIX 8.0 is the replacement and upgrade product for UnixWare 7.1.1. References in this document to
UnixWare also apply to Open UNIX.