Set up master

Last modified: 22 April 2024

Install new OS

For this tutorial Noobs was used and a 64 bit version of Raspian lite (no GUI) was installed. During the installation there will be prompts for username and password.

install_language.jpg
username.jpg
password.jpg
confirm.jpg

Enable SSH

Execute:

sudo raspi-config

Enable SSH

raspi-config_main_menu.png
raspi-config_connections.png
raspi-config_enable_ssh.png
raspi-config_ssh_success.png

Set static IP

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Add the following

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.0.51
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    routers 192.168.0.1
    donamin-name-servers 192.168.0.1

Reboot. From this point everything is done over SSH. Disconnect HDMI cable, keyboard and mouse. Using a desktop device log in to the Pi,

ssh username@192.158.0.51
Enter password for username.

and upgrade the OS.

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

Change the hostname to master

sudo nano /etc/hostname

Add

master

Save and exit Modify the hosts file and comment out the local loopback address. Just keep the static address. While we are here add an entry for the first node. If you plan to have more nodes then add them under node 1.

sudo nano /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1       localhost
::1             localhost ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
ff02::1         ip6-allnodes
ff02::2         ip6-allrouters

#127.0.1.1              master
192.168.0.51            master
192.168.0.52            node1

Reboot confirm Host name change.

Install MPICH

sudo apt install mpich

Test MPICH

Create machinefile

nano machinefile

add one entry for master

master

Test:

andrew@master:~ $ mpiexec -hostfile machinefile -n 4 hostname
master
master
master
master
andrew@master:~ $

Generate SSH keys

andrew@master:/ $ ssh-keygen
Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/andrew/.ssh/id_rsa):
Created directory '/home/andrew/.ssh'.
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in /home/andrew/.ssh/id_rsa
Your public key has been saved in /home/andrew/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
The key fingerprint is:
SHA256:HRw29BTB7P4+ZpYTv/4cvTqNc3jPqz305lm0h7twtos andrew@master
The key's randomart image is:
+---[RSA 3072]----+
|         .=o+o   |
|         o =o    |
|          o..    |
|         . ..    |
|        S ..    .|
|            . .+o|
|            ..O*=|
|             XXXX|
|            EB##%|
+----[SHA256]-----+

Install pip

Pip is required to install Python libraries.

sudo apt install pip

You will probably receive a message referring to python-pip or python3-pip. Ignore these as the OS knows what it's doing.

Once pip is installed, mpi4py can be installed.

Install mpi4py

sudo pip install mpi4py

This will take a while. The action:

Building wheel for mpi4py (PEP 517)

will take several minutes to run during which time there will be no visible activity. The spinning "| / - \ |" sequence will stop as well. Just wait.

Done

Now it is time to set up the node(s).