DDS4 DAT Drive Not Working (Slackware 9.0)...
 

Hi,

Can anyone help?

I have a Dell server with primary RAID controller (scsi0) and an Adaptec controller (scsi1) running Slackware 9.0.

Everything is working fine except for my DDS4 DAT drive which worked fine under RedHat 9.0 previously and is terminated correctly etc. and is on scsi1 + id5.

If you examine dmesg and /proc/scsi the device is recognised but... tarring to /dev/st0 /dev/nst0 doesn't work.. ( I get the usual Cannot open: No such device message).

I'm new to Slackware and welcome any help...

Thanx :)

The /dev/st0 is the customary reference for the first scsi tape drive. If /proc/scsi/scsi is reporting the existance of the drive the controller is being loaded. I am not sure about a scsi tape module or not since I always build support into the kernel. But you may not have built a custom kernel as yet and it may require a module to be loaded for the tape drive. I think it might be called "st.o". Try "lsmod" to see if it loaded. If it is not then try "modprobe st". Then see if it loads and if the drive is detected properly.

st.o
 

Hi,

Thanx for the help, can't seem to find a st.o that is compiled for kernel 2.4.7... any ideas?

Thanx... :-)

Slack 9.0 is based on kernel 2.4.20. Kernel 2.4.7 goes back a couple of years. But if the module was built for the kernel you are running, (cat /proc/version), look in the tree /lib/modules/kernel_version/kernel/drivers/scsi. If it is not there then it was not built or it was built into the kernel directly, or not included at all. In the last case, you will need to rebuild your kernel and include scsi tape support.

Kernel Rebuild...
 

Hi,

I'm running a 2.4.7 kernel because i needed PERC/2si RAID support for the Dell PowerEdge2400 with secondary Adaptec (This is where the DDS4 lives).

I don't have the source for the 2.4.7 kernel but i do have source for the newer aacraid stuff and 2.4.20 is installed but not booted...

I'm no whizz with compiling kernels... any pointers?

Thanx... :-)

PS: Just thought... I don't suppose you have a 2.4.20 server there? Maybe you might consider compiling my new kernel if i sent you the aacraid drivers in exchange for something? I'm kinda lost with this, i know exactly what i want but i've no idea how to make it all work.

I think I understand your problem. If original kernel sources are what you need then visit ftp.kernel.org and download the 2.4.7 sources. But if you need patches for the RAID support they will also be needed. Also, the current config file for the 2.4.7 kernel build you are running would make a nice starting point.

If the RAID support was included in the 2.4.7 kernel then it would still be there in the 2.4.20 kernel. All though the Slack build may not have included it. You could build a custom 2.4.20 kernel and include the support for the RAID controller.

At the top of this forum is a thread about building custom kernels.

I would suggest attempting to build a 2.4.20 kernel and writing to a disk if it will fit. That way you can boot the disk and make sure it works before you actually install it. Multiple boot selection is not difficult with Lilo but if you are new to the process then it adds some additional requirements. If you 2.4.7 kernel will fit on a disk then you could also write it to diskette and make sure it works before attempting to install a new kernel.

Yeah... the support was missing from 2.4.7 kernel for my RAID and (i got a pre-compiled one off the net but the guy didn't post any source) the support for this RAID controller is still missing from the distribution 2.4.20 stuff... but i have the aacraid source available to make a new one.

I'm not sure how to make sure i get all the appropriate bits in... i've read the 'Kernel Compiling Guide' but i guess i'll have to install another server running 2.4.20 first to make the new kernel on as my Dell box requires this aacraid support to be in to use the scsi hard-drives?

Can i build a 2.4.20 kernel whilst running 2.4.7 and how do i get the aacraid stuff to defo compile in?

Sure you can build a 2.4.20 kernel while running a 2.4.7 kernel. I often build kernels for a machine even on a different machine. Usually because I have a faster CPU available for the job. But that works better when everything is built into the kernel. No module stuff to transfer. So that only the kernel and the config file needs to be transfered.

If you have the source for your RAID controller support, then follow the directions with it. Just make sure it is building against the correct kernel source.

You could even use your 2.4.7 kernel to create a multi image boot lilo.conf file to make sure you know how to configure, install and that it works.

If you are working on a production machine, then another machine would be better to learn on.

Have you run this kernel before with the tape drive supported? If the support was there before on this kernel then it should still be there. I checked the device st0 and it was major 9 minor 0 on Slack 7 and Slack 8.1. I do not presently have a Slack 9.0 system running to check. But I haven't heard of any changes with the assignments. But you might check to see just to make sure the device itself is present. (ls -l /dev/st0) If not then I think, "mknod /dev/st0 c 9 0", would create it.

Hi,

I compiled the kernel and my system still boots.. phew!

But... if i use 'uname -a' it still says it's running 2.4.7... i've even tried #ing out all other options in the lilo.conf to boot the new (much bigger!) kernel.

I guess the new kernel has compiled old source... dunno how as i did the makes in the 2.4.20 dirctory that i just ftp'd off the slack site.

Hmmm.... i'll start again... any ideas ? :-)

After you installed thekernel to the new loaction and you made the changes to lilo.conf; Did you run "lilo" to actually write to the boot sector?