Hi all,
I want to install slackware 9.0 on a server with a fastrack sx4000 card.

The arrays have already been configured using the fastrack system in the bios (CTRL+F) to see 3 logical partitions.
I boot from the slackware cd to be told he doesn't see any linux partition and that I should use fdisk first.
However I don't even know on which partition I need to run fdisk!!!

Can someone help?
Thanks

Update, I can start a dedicated kernel: ataraid.i install of the bare.i which is supposed to support my promise fastrak card but what after? Still can't see my partitions.

HELP please!!!

Hi

One thing to say: Welcome to hell :P
No seriously, I have tried to install RedHat on a system with a Promise card and with little success.

I got the same problem of you. Setting up my raid but Linux was seeing it like 2 separate drives or not seeing it completely.

The only place where I have found a driver is on Promise website.
Promise seem to support only one distro (redhat 7.2/7.3/8.0 and I thing some old one too) and only(?) the default kernel (maybe I'm wrong on this one but all the time I have try to update it, it give my a error about the driver)

I thing it will be more easy for you to change your Raid card for another compagny (it's what I will do certainly in the next 2 weeks)

Merci beaucoup pour ta réponse ckeeper! J'apprécie grandement ton expérience.
Back to english so that everyone can understand :-)

I guess there is no hope to have slackware working with the promise fastrack ataraid card, then?
So, which ataraid card has the best support for most linux distros and does it include slackware? Do you recommend one in particular?
Your help is much appreciated!

EDITED
I am thinking a 3ware Escalade 8500 series. It seems supported by the latest kernel....

hi,

i also had the same problem, but we might have a different hardware. I use Promise "SMARAID", i think this is also the same as Promise Fast Track LP (it uses PDC20265R chip).

Anyway, i just want to share what i did,

1. Boot Slack 9 installer using the ataraid.i kernel.
2. partition the harddrive by using the command fdisk /dev/ataraid/dp0
3. then run setup normally.

I had the system running for 3 days straight with no problems so far, unfortunately, our EDA tool uses Red hat so i am now attempting to make it work with RH9. and so far no luck.

Hope this helps.

I installed on a Fastrak 100 before and the above worked - /dev/ataraid/d0

The partitions are broken out as /dev/ataraid/d0p1 /dev/ataraid/d0p2 etc...

I'm trying to do it now with a Fastrak 100 TX2 and I'm not seeing anything under /dev/ataraid - only /dev/hde and /dev/hdg - this is a little frustrating.

One thing on the last install that I did wrong and had to change was I attempted to load lilo onto the MBR - don't do that - use the boot partition or you'll have to re-run lilo after booting from the bootdisk.

I'm going to go through the install again - once I finally figured out the last server install it seemed so easy that I thought that I would do it again on this one - uh.... yah.

Any help would be most appreciated.

To the people using RH9...I found that using the integrated LInux Software Raid worked a heck of a lot better than trying to utilize the raid functionality of my Promise Fasttrak TX2...for some reason linux seems to "see thru" the raid array on the promise...s/w raid worked flawlessly. Good Luck!

Kizel171