I'm trying to install debian 4.0 on a sata disc connected to the above mentioned controller.
During the installation, the installer program doesn't detect a disc/controller and a list appears of available controllers to choose from.
Between them, there is a 'sata_promise' but for some reason the installer comes back to this screen after choosing that model.

On the promise website, there are 2 drivers - for RH and Suse - and some source files.
According to this information on linux-ata.org this controller should be supported in the v4.0/2.6.18 kernel, right?

Could it be a way to get there by installing on that disc when it's connected to another pc/controller, add the driver in some way and then move it back?

Thanks a lot in advance for any help!
P.

That should work.

I am somewhat puzzled, though, you should have issues with that Promise controller; I found it very easy to install to a SATA disc that was connected to a Promise 300 TX2 PCI card. Are you sure this is really a SATA issue and not an IDE controller issue? I have seen many times that Debian doesn't find SATA discs either when it can't see the cdrom/dvd.

Well, until now I have used debian straightforward as a file server and this is the first time that I'm experiencing problems with the installation and hardware that is not supported out of the box, so you can say that I'm unexperienced in this matter.

It's strange though that during the installation it gives the possibility to use a 'sata_promise' driver and still this doesn't work.

Now I have recompiled the kernel - used 2.6.20.6 - and during this, I was able to add the driver which works now.

Thanks anyway!
P.