Failed to install GRUB on Adaptec controller

cristianff · 05-18-2010, 10:44 AM

Hello guys,

I´m trying to install Debian on my server.

Some hardware descriptions:
- Inel Xeon processor
- 03:01.0 RAID bus controller: Adaptec (formerly DPT) SmartRAID V Controller (rev 01)

There is configured by hardware one RAID 5 on four scsi disks of 73GB.

I tryed with Lenny and Squeeze versions and both presented the same error when the install try to install grub:

main-menu[1250]: INFO: Falling back to the package description for auto-install
main-menu[1250]: INFO: Falling back to the package description for ai-choosers
main-menu[1250]: INFO: Menu item 'grub-installer' selected
grub-installer: info: architecture: i386/generic
main-menu[1250]: WARNING **: Configuring 'grub-installer' failed with error code 1
main-menu[1250]: WARNING **: Menu item 'grub-installer' failed.

The disk partitioner find the array on /dev/i2o/hdax depending of my partition table, I guess that my array should be
on /dev/sdax, my partition table is below:

/boot - primary partition 200MB (ext3) - flag boot on

LVM´s
/ - lvm 30GB (ext3)
/var/log - lvm 20GB (ext3)
/var - lvm 150GB (ext3)
swap - lvm 2GB (linux swap)

This problem is in the kernel that don´t load by default i2o drivers?

PS: I installed Ubuntu Server 9.10 and it work fine, the grub was installed with no problems.

Question: There is a bug with Debian installer when work with Adaptec controllers? I´m looking for solutions but
I not found one yet.

Thanks,

Cristian

cristianff · 05-18-2010, 10:54 AM

...
Searching on Google I found this text but it doesn´t work to me:

Code:

This problem is solved by the creation host links /dev/sdaX on
/dev/i2o/hdaX (e. g. ln /dev/sda /dev/i2o/hda && ln /dev/sda1
/dev/i2o/hda1 && ln /dev/sda2 /dev/i2o/hda2 && ln /dev/sdaX /dev/i2o/hdaX)
and install system in /dev/sdaX, after the fact will have to correct by
hand the parameters of bootloader or remake kernel with options

Device Drivers  --->
        <*> I2O device support  --->
| |      --- I2O device support                            | |
| |[*]   Enable LCT notification                | |
| |[*]   Enable Adaptec extensions              | |
| |[*]   Enable 64-bit DMA                      | |
| |           <*>   I2O Configuration support              | |
| |[*]     Enable ioctls (OBSOLETE)             | |
| |           <*>   I2O Bus Adapter OSM                    | |
| |           <*>   I2O Block OSM                          | |
| |           <*>   I2O SCSI OSM                           | |
| |           <*>   I2O /proc support                      | |

and correct /etc/fstab (replace /dev/i2o/hd*X by /dev/sd*X)

I created the links as "ln /dev/sda /dev/i2o/sda but the error when was the same.

thks