Attempts to successfully install virtualmin on a dedicated server result in the server freezing. I then have to visit my provider’s control panel and reboot the server. Once I do that, I then chose to re-run the install.sh script and it swiftly goes to conclusion without error or lock up.
The server is a quad core machine with 4GB DDR3 memory and 2 x 500GB disks and my chosen OS is Debian 7 64 bit. I monitored the install process in another terminal window and the server load did peak at 1.87 for a second but settled down quite quickly. Memory usage climbed no higher than 1.2GB throughout - and was at that level when the machine locked up.
I have looked at the kern.log and dmesg files and apart from a reference to a missing hibernation file there is no obvious error that I can see (though I’m no expert with such log files). I have attached two virtualmin log files and both appear to suggest the install routine went the full distance. I could access the second log file straight away because the server did not lock up on me when I ran the install routine for the second time, but to get to the first virtualmin log file I had to reboot the server, as mentioned above.
With all that done, I could log in to my virtualmin interface and on a quick tour all seemed perfectly okay to me.
But, I’m afraid paranoia has got the better of me. The first run of install.sh seems to have completed quite successfully despite the machine then locking up. And it is that wretched lock up: it is not normal and has got me fretting - do I have some hardware or software issue waiting to bite me in the butt once I’ve take the time and trouble to load up all my domains, and set up my databases, and my mailboxes, make my DNS changes, etc.?
My service provider declines to help. It’s an umanaged server and any software problems are down to me to resolve - which I know and accept, but that is based on the initial predicate that the hardware is okay. And it seems it’s down to me to prove it’s not if I suspect otherwise. Though unfair, that’s what I am trying to do.
I have run some quick diagnostics (smartctl) on the hard disks but that reports no errors. Does any kind soul have any suggestions about any other steps I can take to pacify my paranoid concerns? Or, heh, it all seems to work, so should I bury my fears and plough ahead - in hope?