Howto setup SATA/PATA (on ASUS P4C800 Deluxe)

Hi!

I have a P4C800 Deluxe motherboard that I am trying to setup as:

- 2 x 120GB SATA (software/OS RAID - not BIOS), will hold Mandriva 2006 install)
- 1 x 250GB PATA (old disk with LVM/ReiserFS
- 1 x 80GB PATA (old disk LVM/ReiserFS)

However, there are many settings in the BIOS and I don't know which one to use of:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Compatible IDE mode:
Main > IDE Configuration > Onboard IDE Operate Mode = Compatible
Main > IDE Configuration > IDE Port Settings = [Primary P-ATA + S-ATA | Secondary P-ATA + S-ATA | P-ATA Ports only]

Enhanced IDE mode:
Main > IDE Configuration > Onboard IDE Operate Mode = Enhanced
Main > IDE Configuration > IDE Port Settings = [P-ATA+S-ATA | S-ATA | P-ATA]

Advanced > Onboard Devices Configuration > Onboard Promise Controller = [Enabled | Disabled]
Advanced > Onboard Devices Configuration > Onboard Promise Controller Enabled = [Operating Mode = IDE | RAID]
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The installer hanged when I tried:

Enhanced IDE mode Enabled with P-ATA + S-ATA
Advanced > Onboard Devices Configuration > Onboard Promise Controller = Enabled
Advanced > Onboard Devices Configuration > Onboard Promise Controller Enabled > Operating Mode = IDE

I don't want to mess up my drives with existing data, but I still want Mandriva to be able to recognize them after install.
I read the motherboard manual (page 49, dlsvr03.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/sock478/P4C800/e1286_p4c800.pdf) and the main question is whether Linux 2.6 / Mandriva 2006 is native or legacy with the Intel ICH5 specifications.

My questions:


1) what BIOS settings shall I use to be able to install Mandriva on my S-ATA disks and mount the P-ATA drives. I would like to be able to connect the maximum amount of disks (native).
2) can I use Grub with to boot of software-RAID (not BIOS) or must I use LILO?
3) Are there any other steps/things to take into consideration?


Would highly appreciate any feedback.

Regards,
Jimisola

Just a thought but does the bios see the SATA drives at all? When the machine starts up you should see the drives in the bios's boot screen. If you can see the drives there then, you may want to test with a different distro. Just to make sure that it's not specific to the one you are trying to use.

Originally posted by pyloth Just a thought but does the bios see the SATA drives at all? When the machine starts up you should see the drives in the bios's boot screen. If you can see the drives there then, you may want to test with a different distro. Just to make sure that it's not specific to the one you are trying to use.

The BIOS sees both SATA disks. I've tried booting up with Knoppix as well, but it hangs after "reading existing hard drive partitions and creating /etc/fstab".
I was wonder there was something wrong with the disks/cables, so I connected them to my Windows machine. formattated them and file transfer back and forth. No problems...

Another thing to try: It seems that you don't need you IDE drives during the install, so why not just unplug them?

Do note that the BIOS settings determine the default boot order (with the IDE ones first as you've described it). I believe that there is another setting you can use to over-ride the default order.

Another thought: If you do install with the IDE drives disabled, your SATA drive(s) will be set up as your boot drive(s). You may want to build a boot floppy to have available if (when) re-connecting you PATA drives changes your /dev/hd? assignments. Since you already have a bootable system on your IDE drives, all you should need to do (after getting the SATA set-up to work with the PATA drives disconnected) is to re-connect the PATA drives, boot to them, see where the SATA drive(s) are located, and edit the PATA /boot/grub/grub.conf as appropriate. (Assuming you're using GRUB.) But things often fail to proceed as they "should," so a boot foppy might be useful.

in my bios there is an option to change the default hard disk to boot from, look at the page where you get your booy order and see if there is an option for boot disc

Thanks for the extra info. It would seem that both systems are unable to mount the drives. Even though they are seen by the OS and bios. If you have both SATA drives connected I would try testing with only one plugged in then the other. Being it appears you are having the same or simular problem with knoppix and the distro you are trying to install. Linux can be VERY picky when it comes to flaky hardware. I hope you don't have a bad drive but this would be a good way to find out. I would even try to partition with knoppix if you can boot both drives individually as an additional test. Please let me know how this turns out.

Did you notice this reference in the "Similar Threads" section (at the bottom of the page)? I haven't looked at it, but you might find it interesting.

Originally posted by PTrenholme Did you notice this reference in the "Similar Threads" section (at the bottom of the page)? I haven't looked at it, but you might find it interesting.

That's my thread as well. Sorry for the cross post. I did not know where to post it Hardware or Mandriva.

Jimisola

Originally posted by PTrenholme Another thing to try: It seems that you don't need you IDE drives during the install, so why not just unplug them? Do note that the BIOS settings determine the default boot order (with the IDE ones first as you've described it). I believe that there is another setting you can use to over-ride the default order. Another thought: If you do install with the IDE drives disabled, your SATA drive(s) will be set up as your boot drive(s). You may want to build a boot floppy to have available if (when) re-connecting you PATA drives changes your /dev/hd? assignments. Since you already have a bootable system on your IDE drives, all you should need to do (after getting the SATA set-up to work with the PATA drives disconnected) is to re-connect the PATA drives, boot to them, see where the SATA drive(s) are located, and edit the PATA /boot/grub/grub.conf as appropriate. (Assuming you're using GRUB.) But things often fail to proceed as they "should," so a boot foppy might be useful.

I've tried with IDE drives unplugged, but the problem is still the same. If I only have the IDE ones in everything works as expected.
I started to think that there were hardware problems with the disks, so I plugged them into another computer with Windows. But I had no problems with them there at all - I even formattated them just to make sure.

I appreciate all the help I can get, but my main problem is still that as soon as I connect my SATA drives Mandriva installer and Knoppix hangs when they access the disks.
Was told in another forum (Mandriva Club) to use Enhanced Mode with IDE Port Setting set to SATA, so I will go back and try again.

I will definitely create a boot disk knowing that I might get some problems.

Jimisola

Originally posted by filfish in my bios there is an option to change the default hard disk to boot from, look at the page where you get your booy order and see if there is an option for boot disc

My boot order is correct (Floppy, DVD, SATA disks). There is not a problem with booting from the drives (got L 01 01 01 and L 99 99 99).
The problem is that Mandriva installer and Knoppix hangs when accessing the disks.

Jimisola

Originally posted by pyloth Thanks for the extra info. It would seem that both systems are unable to mount the drives. Even though they are seen by the OS and bios. If you have both SATA drives connected I would try testing with only one plugged in then the other. Being it appears you are having the same or simular problem with knoppix and the distro you are trying to install. Linux can be VERY picky when it comes to flaky hardware. I hope you don't have a bad drive but this would be a good way to find out. I would even try to partition with knoppix if you can boot both drives individually as an additional test. Please let me know how this turns out.

Correct. Neither OS or BIOS have a problem finding the SATA disks. I've tried earlier with all disk configurations, only SATA (fails), only IDE (works) and one SATA disk at a time (fails).
However, I haven't tried individual disks with Knoppix so I will try that again. I had some ideas about it being bad drives as well, so I plugged them into another computer with Windows. But I had no problems with them there at all - I even formattated them just to make sure.

Jimisola

Thanks everyone for trying to help out. The status is as follows:

- I will go with Enhanced Mode on SATA (since I was told by another owner of this motherboard that that worked for him)
- I've reformatted my drives and will try as I expect it to work again - could be that there was something wrong with the existing LVM/ReiserFS partitions
- If the above does not work I will try the SATA drives individually again with both Mandriva Installer and Knoppix 3.9.x

I probably won't be able to do this until this evening (CET) as I off for work, but I'll get back with more info as soon as I know.


Once again: thanks!

Jimisola

Linux works at much lower level than the BIOS, so enabling software RAID in the controller is worthless. There is a utility named dmraid that will read the software RAID metadata to Linux how to work with the RAID. Also there is no point using RAID 0 (stripping) in Linux because the files are smaller than a megabyte. You can use RAID 1 (mirroring) to decrease the accessing time up to half.

It is easier to first install Linux on a PATA drive then copy the files to the SATA drive.

ReiserFS does gets corrupted easily if you are not careful. I suggest using XFS. It is far more reliable than ReiserFS.

Originally posted by Electro Linux works at much lower level than the BIOS, so enabling software RAID in the controller is worthless. There is a utility named dmraid that will read the software RAID metadata to Linux how to work with the RAID. Also there is no point using RAID 0 (stripping) in Linux because the files are smaller than a megabyte. You can use RAID 1 (mirroring) to decrease the accessing time up to half. It is easier to first install Linux on a PATA drive then copy the files to the SATA drive. ReiserFS does gets corrupted easily if you are not careful. I suggest using XFS. It is far more reliable than ReiserFS.

Never wrote that I use the RAID support in BIOS. Also, never planned on using stripping (a mess if something goes wrong). I want the mirroring in case one of the drives crashes.
What did you mean with "There is a utility named dmraid that will read the software RAID metadata to Linux how to work with the RAID"?
Is "software RAID" BIOS or Linux? What do I need dmraid for? Did not have to use it with my previous setup.

I read several posts about installing to a PATA drive and then copying the files to a SATA drive, but I rather not do that. Actually, that is not my problem (yet) - that is still that I can't run neither Mandriva Installer or Knoppix with my SATA drives connected.

I appreciate your thoughts about XFS, but I don't need a ReiserFS vs XFS battle as I am very pleased with ReiserFS.

Jimisola

Looks as if the existing ReiserFS partitions on the hard drive caused the problems. I removed them (not using Mandriva Installer or Knoppx which both hang during boot).

However, the problems continue. Install goes well, but after reboot LVMs won't mount.
I suspect that this might be a Mandriva problem and I will post for feedback there.
However, if anyone here has any suggestions I am all-ears.

Jimisola

2 x 120GB SATA disks

md0: /boot 256MB (ReiserFS)
md1: / ~15GB (ReiserFs)
md2: LVM vg00 ~100GB

vg00 (all partitions ReiserFS):
10GB /tmp
20GB /usr
10GB /var
5GB /var/www
2GB /swap