How well does Linux get along with a Promise Ultra100 (boot drives for linux and windows on the Promise)?

Noriaki

Lifer
Jun 3, 2000
13,640
1
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I want to pick up a promise Ultra 100 and configure my drive like this:

Primary Master: Hard Drive 1 (boot/swap drive IBM75GXP)
Primary Slave: Hard Drive 2 (files drive)
Secondary Master: DVDRom
Secondary Slave: Possibly a 3rd hard drive but empty right now.
Mobo Primary Master: CDRW
Mobo Primary Slave: IDE Zip Drive
Mobo Secondary disabled

Would it be very difficult to get linux working with that configuration?
 

andrey

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
3,238
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I have Promise Ultra100 controller built-in on my motherboard, Asus A7V and it wasn't too much fun setting up RedHat to boot correctly. I ended up connecting my WD 20Gb hard drive to regular IDE connector, set small 100Mb partition on it as a bootable partition and installed Linux RedHat 7.0 on this drive. I also connected 2 IBM 75GXPs to Promise Ultra100 and installed Win98SE and Win2000 on them. It is a little bit tricky configuration, but it works, and works fast :)
 

jtshaw

Member
Nov 27, 2000
191
0
0
I have Linux running on both a Promise Ultra66 and a Promise Ultra100 without a problem what-so-ever. Don't bother using RedHats drivers (in fact, don't bother using RedHat period..:p). Just go to linux.org and look up the How-to. Pretty much ever IDE controller works the same.
 

Noriaki

Lifer
Jun 3, 2000
13,640
1
71
Right now I use Mandrake, but eventually I intend to go to a better distribution of linux so I don't want redhat drivers.

It wouldn't be too hard to set it up then you say.

I shall go to linux.org and look up the how-to thanks.
 

jtshaw

Member
Nov 27, 2000
191
0
0
Actually, if you install Mandrake 7.2 it does it for you:) So that would indeed be the easiest way to go:p
 

SUOrangeman

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
8,361
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I think you just need to pass the IDE I/O params for the Promise controller. I've posted the long and boring instructions here before (possible in the archives now). You may wanna try the new Linux Mandrake 7.1 or 7.2. This releases picked up my onboard ATA66 controller without any intervention.

PM me if you can't find the long & drawn out instructions from an earlier post.

-SUO
 

jtshaw

Member
Nov 27, 2000
191
0
0
Orangeman is totally on his game with that one, you need to get the memory addresses for the card and pass in the parameters. There is a how-to that tells you how to do it. You can get the memory addresses by looking in the /proc/pci file on a linux that is on the main IDE controller.
 

SUOrangeman

Diamond Member
Oct 12, 1999
8,361
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Just as an example, I have to use a boot line like

linux ide2=0xa400,0xa802 ide3=0xb000,0xb402

in order to get RedHat to boogie (preinstall and normal booting after install). Again, this support has been built in to Mandrake 7.1 and 7.2

-SUO