I have installed slackware 12.1 on my server and I'm having issues with the initrd that loads the generic kernel. I created my initrd with the following command: mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.24.5-smp -m dpt_i2o:reiserfs

This box has scsi raid that is installed as sda: sda1: sda2: but the initrd loads the SATA driver and it picks up sda and then identifies the SCSI as sdb.

My question is: is there a way to not load the sata drivers in the initrd? That way the SCSI controller would get the correct definitions ie: sda?

Thanks in advance for any help.

I answered my own question: SATA support is compiled into the generic kernel so I have 2 options: 1) Re-install (not going to happen) or 2) Recompile the kernel with SATA support being modules. I am recompiling now and will let you know how it turns out.

There might be a 3) See if you can pass a parameter to the kernel from lilo/grub to disable it. My machines are too old for SATA so I couldn't tell you what the parameter might be off hand, but I'd be surprised if there isn't one.

I thought of that too but I need the SATA later in the boot process. I have 2 70GB Cheetah SCSI drives in a mirror set that I have configured for the / partition and then I have a 80GB IDE and 150GB SATA drive.

Hi,

You could look at 'mkinitrd_command_generator'.

I appreciate the thought but a configuration script will not help in this case. I know what drivers I need, the problem I am having is with the SATA bios stepping on my raid card.

Hi,

Do you have 'AHCI' setup?

Fixed!!! I recompiled the Generic-smp kernel and compiled in my Raid card and Reiserfs. I Made the SATA Cards Modules and now it is seen as sdb.
Very Cool, thanks for all the suggestions.