I want to setup a dualboot system (W2K and Linux), but am concerned with my PCI ultra100 drive controller

[Mkoh]

Here's my situation.
I'm currently running W2K on my PIII 933, using an Asus P2B mobo, with a Promise Ultra100 PCI Hard drive controller.

My concern is this:
When my system boots up, after the bios boot screen, it goes straight into a Promise controller bios screen, which gives me the details of the drives connected to the controller, what they're running at, etc. etc. And from there I boot up into Windows 2000. It's this sequence that I'm concerned about.

From my memories of last time I "dual boot" installed linux, I'm pretty sure that the installation will work ok, but assuming everything does, I'm worried about setting up my system to offer me dual boot options (via LILO).

After installing linux, if I choose, via LILO, to boot up into W2K, will I have to reinstall any Promise controller drivers so that I'll properly be able to boot into Windows 2000? Although I'm not very familiar with the details of booting, I was under the impression that Linux would first alter the boot record so as to allow Linux to boot; and afterward, I would have to configure my system (via LILO) to allow booting into W2K. In fact, that is what I did last time I installed linux, with no problems whatsoever. But back then, I did not have the PCI Ultra100 driver controller I'm using now (I was just using the onboard drive controller). Is the process complicated by the fact that I'm using this PCI controller?

and perhaps more importantly, will Linux support my Ultra100 drive controller?

I intend to install the latest distribution of Mandrake, BTW.

Thanks kindly

Mko.

 

[Wallysaurus]

Mkoh,
I have Win98 SE and Mandrake 7.1 duel botted using the Promise Ultra 66 PCI controller. I know it's not exactly the same as your config but it's close enough that I don't think you'll have any problem.

 

[Poof]

Linux shouldn't have any effect on 2K's ability to load the Promise drivers.

I am not certain since I don't have that model (just have the older 66 card and my built-in controllers are both Highpoint), but I expect that based on the info from here, that tech might just be natively supported in the newer iterations of the linux 2.4 kernel.

The big issue about linux incompatibility and/or problems (due to Promise's not releasing the specs), was with respect to their RAID cards.

 

[cmv]

Linux has *awesome* support for the Promise Ultra cards. Just make sure you use a recent version of any distribution and you'll be fine. You won't have to reload your Promise drivers in Win2k.

 

[fivepesos]

linux supports promise cards in newer 2.4 kernels. but they dont support raid operations yet.