Change amazon-linux to ubuntu when loading clusters using spark_ec2.py - linux

Question

When I launch from the provided scripts for ec2 (spark_ec2.py) the cluster get spun off with amazon-linux nodes. I want it to be ubuntu.(spark_ec2.py => I am currently using the brew version and hope thats not an issue)
After searching I found following thread that discuss a similar issue. But unfortunately there is no clear answer provided on how I would change default Operating System of the cluster nodes.
Spark AMI for AWS EC-2
In addition to that when I started the cluster I tried to launch a spark-shell and ended up with following error:
java.lang.RuntimeException: java.io.IOException: Filesystem closed
at org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.session.SessionState.start(SessionState.java:522)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.client.ClientWrapper.<init>(ClientWrapper.scala:194)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.client.IsolatedClientLoader.createClient(IsolatedClientLoader.scala:238)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.HiveContext.executionHive$lzycompute(HiveContext.scala:218)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.HiveContext.executionHive(HiveContext.scala:208)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.HiveContext.functionRegistry$lzycompute(HiveContext.scala:462)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.HiveContext.functionRegistry(HiveContext.scala:461)
at org.apache.spark.sql.UDFRegistration.<init>(UDFRegistration.scala:40)
at org.apache.spark.sql.SQLContext.<init>(SQLContext.scala:330)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.HiveContext.<init>(HiveContext.scala:90)
at org.apache.spark.sql.hive.HiveContext.<init>(HiveContext.scala:101)
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:57)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:526)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.createSQLContext(SparkILoop.scala:1028)
at $iwC$$iwC.<init>(<console>:15)
at $iwC.<init>(<console>:24)
at <init>(<console>:26)
at .<init>(<console>:30)
at .<clinit>(<console>)
at .<init>(<console>:7)
at .<clinit>(<console>)
at $print(<console>)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkIMain$ReadEvalPrint.call(SparkIMain.scala:1065)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkIMain$Request.loadAndRun(SparkIMain.scala:1346)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkIMain.loadAndRunReq$1(SparkIMain.scala:840)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkIMain.interpret(SparkIMain.scala:871)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkIMain.interpret(SparkIMain.scala:819)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.reallyInterpret$1(SparkILoop.scala:857)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.interpretStartingWith(SparkILoop.scala:902)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.command(SparkILoop.scala:814)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoopInit$$anonfun$initializeSpark$1.apply(SparkILoopInit.scala:132)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoopInit$$anonfun$initializeSpark$1.apply(SparkILoopInit.scala:124)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkIMain.beQuietDuring(SparkIMain.scala:324)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoopInit$class.initializeSpark(SparkILoopInit.scala:124)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.initializeSpark(SparkILoop.scala:64)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop$$anonfun$org$apache$spark$repl$SparkILoop$$process$1$$anonfun$apply$mcZ$sp$5.apply$mcV$sp(SparkILoop.scala:974)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoopInit$class.runThunks(SparkILoopInit.scala:159)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.runThunks(SparkILoop.scala:64)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoopInit$class.postInitialization(SparkILoopInit.scala:108)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.postInitialization(SparkILoop.scala:64)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop$$anonfun$org$apache$spark$repl$SparkILoop$$process$1.apply$mcZ$sp(SparkILoop.scala:991)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop$$anonfun$org$apache$spark$repl$SparkILoop$$process$1.apply(SparkILoop.scala:945)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop$$anonfun$org$apache$spark$repl$SparkILoop$$process$1.apply(SparkILoop.scala:945)
at scala.tools.nsc.util.ScalaClassLoader$.savingContextLoader(ScalaClassLoader.scala:135)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.org$apache$spark$repl$SparkILoop$$process(SparkILoop.scala:945)
at org.apache.spark.repl.SparkILoop.process(SparkILoop.scala:1059)
at org.apache.spark.repl.Main$.main(Main.scala:31)
at org.apache.spark.repl.Main.main(Main.scala)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606)
at org.apache.spark.deploy.SparkSubmit$.org$apache$spark$deploy$SparkSubmit$$runMain(SparkSubmit.scala:731)
at org.apache.spark.deploy.SparkSubmit$.doRunMain$1(SparkSubmit.scala:181)
at org.apache.spark.deploy.SparkSubmit$.submit(SparkSubmit.scala:206)
at org.apache.spark.deploy.SparkSubmit$.main(SparkSubmit.scala:121)
at org.apache.spark.deploy.SparkSubmit.main(SparkSubmit.scala)
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Filesystem closed
at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSClient.checkOpen(DFSClient.java:323)
at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DFSClient.getFileInfo(DFSClient.java:1057)
at org.apache.hadoop.hdfs.DistributedFileSystem.getFileStatus(DistributedFileSystem.java:554)
at org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.session.SessionState.createRootHDFSDir(SessionState.java:599)
at org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.session.SessionState.createSessionDirs(SessionState.java:554)
at org.apache.hadoop.hive.ql.session.SessionState.start(SessionState.java:508)
... 62 more
<console>:16: error: not found: value sqlContext
import sqlContext.implicits._
^
<console>:16: error: not found: value sqlContext
import sqlContext.sql
This is the first time I am working with AWS, after many attempts I figured all the actions that I needed to take to launch a cluster but now I am dealing with above two issue which may or may not be related to one another.