I'm a complete and utter Linux newbie. First ever install. Trying to install RedHat 8.0 onto an ext3 partition on an existing RAID-0 array on a HPT374 controller on an ABIT AT7-MAX2 motherboard. Is this possible (Highpoint drivers currently only go to RH 7.3)? Help anyone?

The linux kernel has hpt374 native support.

I think that your problem can be the ataraid compatibility of the redhat installer.

hpt didn't provide a compilable module for the hpt374 with scsi support, ... so i can't provide you a recompiled one.

I suggest you contact with the redhat support and ask for the "installation ataraid support", probably they can help you better. (Highpoint will drop ALL your mails)

Thanks sharkyr0lz,

Actually, I already emailed Highpoint and in fairness they responded with:


Hello,

Actually, the current drivers are not compatible with version 8.0.
8.0 drivers are in development, but are not yet ready for release.
The open source version could be used to compile support.

HighPoint Technologies


But I can't seem to find any source code on their website, so gave up at that point.

I will try RedHat support, but I am using a downloaded version of the distribution so don't expect them to reply.

Finally, an idea/question. I do have a spare disk on a regular IDE channel on the same machine (normally used for backups). I could install RH 8.0 onto this. If I did that, is there any easy way for me to then migrate this onto the RAID array? I assume from what you said that RH8 itself will work on the RAID array without any further ado. I have Partition Magic 8 and have already created a 10GB ext3 partition and 1GB linux swap partition on the RAID-0 array (I have 512MB memory).

Thanks again for your help.

Cool , ... the 1st reply i know

I think that they forgot put the source in the website or get confused with the HPT 370/372.

The downloaded version works as well as the bouth one.

That will work but, ... remember that you need a kernel that supports your raid to boot from the raid.

And, ... With 512mb of ram y never use the swap partition, ... probably you can make a 512MB or less without any problems.

Hello,

I bought another disk so I come back .... Everything is OK (raid 0 on abit k7r) using hpt37x2.o

So I tried to use the native driver using ac4 patch

download the oficial kernel and the -ac4 patch :
patching, compiling is OK,
I create initird like this : /sbin/mkinitrd -f --preload scsi_mod --preload sd_mod --preload ext3 --preload ataraid --with=hptraid /boot/initrd-new.img 2.4.19-ac4

I 've created :

cd /dev
mkdir ataraid
mkdir disc0
cd disc0
mknod disc b 114 0
mknod part1 b 114 1
mknod part2 b 114 2
mknod part3 b 114 3
mknod part4 b 114 4
mknod part5 b 114 5
mknod part6 b 114 6

But when I boot I've got the message :
"knod : failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k block-major-8" errno 2
mount : errno 6 mounting ext3 flags ... kernel panic".

What did I miss ?

cd ataraid ?
Is "/" in ext3 format?
You boot with grub or lilo?
you are using something like "root=LABEL=/" or "root=/dev/ataraid/disc0/part1"? ("root=LABEL=/" didn't work for me)
i don't remember ... wich is the block-major-8 module? (look at your modules.conf)

OK, I could go a little bit further (adding right line "root=/dev/ataraid/disc0/part5")... Still a warning "modprobe scsi-hostadaptater errno 2" but the booting process goes on until mount "/" fs : it's looking for "/dev/sda5" and not "/dev/ataraid/disc0/part5" in spite of I added the "--fstab=/etc/fstab-ac4" (file where I changed /dev/sda* to /dev/ataraid/disc0/part*).

Does I need to to the same thing into /etc/fstab (but I afraid to not be able to boot on my old system ...) ? thanks

Ok, I'm still stuck, trying to install RH8.0 onto my RAID array (2*40GB) on my HPT370 PCI controller on an Asus A7V/Athlon 1GHz/256MB RAM. First Linux install, total Linux newbie, Windows is no prob though

When I boot from floppy (I am using the bootdisk included in the install_redhat8_hpt372.tgz file (install_bootdisk.img)), there is no way in hell I'm getting into Virtual Console 2. I keep pressing CTRL+ALT+F2 throughout the boot sequence, but nothings happens. I can see log messages with CTRL+ALT+F3 and CTRL+ALT+F4 (or F5, don't remember).

When I boot from CD, getting into VC2 is no problem. But on the CD aren't the modified files I need to get the RAID array mounted present.

What am I doing wrong? Some advice is greatly appreciated!

Greetz, V
[edit] typo's [/edit]

The installer will ask you for a driver disk, ... say NO, ... and, ... as soon as posible pressh ctrl + alt +f2, ... write faster :P

tnx for your reaction

but, no, it doesn't ask me for a driver disk
As soon as the GUI comes up, it asks me what language I want to install in. Am I missing something here? Do I have to specify a something at the "BOOT: " (where you can enter LINUX and LINUX TEXT and such)?

[edit]
Been reading a lot of other threads about your customized floppy disk. In all threads it seems that the persons get the "driver disk" message, but I don't
I really don't get it. I got my tgz at the finegan's mirror. I create the floppy with rawrite.exe under WinXP. Tried dumping on different floppies, no effect. I'm reaaaaaally clueless now

plz help me
[/edit]

The previous screen of the language selection (but in text mode) is the driver question.

sharkyr0lz, tnx again for the help, I read in one of the threads that I should boot the floppy with "LINUX EXPERT". So I did. Now I do get the "Do you have a Driver Disk"-message. Keep ramming on CTRL-ALT-F2 as I choose "NO". It just comes up with the language selection screen. I'm not seeing this VT2.

I'll mail you my computer, you install RH8.0 for me okay ;P

No, seriously, any idea what's going wrong here? You're saying "but in text mode". What do you mean by that?

[edit] ps. booting with the CD DOES get me in VC2!! So I know how to do it.. it just doensn't work that way when booting from flop.. [/edit]

Okay, finally I get it

I wanted to install from my (RAID0) harddrive because that's where I got the images saved. I didn't burn them on CD, because I didn't think I would need to. But I do, since one cannot boot the GUI without the install CD, and so I can't enter the insmod command without the CDs

I wanted to mount my HDD, select the images there and install from there, but that doesn't work.

And I thought that the GUI was the text-like box you see when doing LINUX TEXT. And pressing CTRL+ALT+F2 there doesn't do anything

So, now I'm burning all the CDs (I only burned CD1). And now I have to figure out how to correctly partition my HDD.

But, tnx again sharky, you rock

A newbie here!!!

I have tried to intall RH9 5 times

I use the HTP370 driver for RH 9 provided by Highpoint (not the opensource). It show my disks independently and the RAID as a SCSI device.

On the 1st boot, after the install, the RAID cannot be mounted (as far I see), now shows a :

hde: read_intr: status=0x59 {drive ready seekcomplete datarequest error}
status=0x04 {drivestatuserror}

Shoud I try BEFORE pushing the exit button do this?
___________________________________
1. Press Ctrl-Alt-F2

At the prompt type the following commands:

2. chroot /mnt/sysimage (you should be able to 'ls' and see the /boot directory)
3. mkdir /mnt/floppy

Insert the disc with the new boot files:

4. mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
5. cp /mnt/floppy/initrd-2.4.18-14.img /boot
6. cp /mnt/floppy/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14 /boot
7. umount /mnt/floppy

8. Press Ctrl-Alt-F7
9. Press Exit to complete the installation

____________________________

How do I copy the the kernel image to the disk if it size is 11 Mb.?!
(I don't have linux, so I can't compile... I'm installing a fresh copy)

Any help will be appreciated!!!

Gustavo

On "Welcome to Red Hat Linux" installation screen, a prompted label "boot:" will appear at the bottom of the screen, type in "linux text expert hde=noprobe hdf=noprobe hdg=noprobe hdh=noprobe " (without quotation mark) and then press enter.
2) When prompted ¡°A few systems will need to pass special options to the kernel at boot time ¡_¡± in the ¡°Boot Loader Configuration¡± dialog, type in ¡°hde=noprobe hdf=noprobe hdg=noprobe hdh=noprobe¡± in the blank.
If you have done as above, you can't see "hde".

I'll try this NOW!!!!