Linux and RAID *sigh*

[Shamrock]

I desperately need some help.

I am trying to install Redhat 7.3 on a RAID drive (not a partition, yet). But I have 2 regularIDE drives as well, Redhat finds my IDE but my RAID is nowhere tot be found (works in WinXP though)

can someone tell me how to get my RAID drive to be found by Redhat? (graphical installation). Or do i set up a software RAID partition first?

I have an onboard Promise PDC20276 controller and a 1+0 Stripe RAID

Any more PC info, consult my rig sig.

Thanks,

Shamrock

P.S. Pre-newb here with RAID (i got it to work first time in windows )

 

[n0cmonkey]

Are there linux drivers for the card?

 

[GigaCluster]

Maybe this is my ignorance showing, but if you are trying to use hardware RAID (according to the presence of a controller), the operating system shouldn't even know that it uses RAID -- that should be up to the controller.
If you are trying to use software RAID, then why is there a controller?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: GigaCluster
Maybe this is my ignorance showing, but if you are trying to use hardware RAID (according to the presence of a controller), the operating system shouldn't even know that it uses RAID -- that should be up to the controller.
If you are trying to use software RAID, then why is there a controller?

Promise cards are typically "BIOS assisted software raid," or so Ive read.

 

[GigaCluster]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Promise cards are typically "BIOS assisted software raid," or so Ive read.

So how is a "software hardware" RAID better than software RAID? What are the advantages of using that Promise controller if it's software anyway?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: GigaCluster

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Promise cards are typically "BIOS assisted software raid," or so Ive read.

So how is a "software hardware" RAID better than software RAID? What are the advantages of using that Promise controller if it's software anyway?

None that I know of.

 

[manly]

Originally posted by: GigaCluster

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Promise cards are typically "BIOS assisted software raid," or so Ive read.

So how is a "software hardware" RAID better than software RAID? What are the advantages of using that Promise controller if it's software anyway?

It's mainly marketing. A lot of geeks apparently are happy to believe they have souped-up RAID controllers driving their hard disks, esp. since disk I/O is often the bottleneck of PCs these days. The only "good" IDE RAID controllers I've heard of are made by 3ware, but I'm sure there are others by now. And they aren't priced for consumers.

So the answer to the original question is Linux 2.4 does not support cheap Promise/Highpoint "RAID" controllers. You can download binary-only kernel modules from Promise, but generally speaking that avenue just doesn't work well for Linux users (notable exception being closed-source Nvidia drivers). It doesn't usually work well because such closed-source drivers are usually given short shrift by the "manufacturer", and the community is unable to put out decent drivers without specs or source code.

 

[Shamrock]

I have an onboard Promise PDC20276 controller, on my MSI KT3 Ultra (i'm not complaining the MSI mobo and Athlon XP 1900+ was GIVEN to me! )

I mainly just wanna use it as an extra IDE (so i can have 6 IDE ports)

and no, no drivers for it, only the ATA/100 version (I have ATA133 controller)

and yes, I had to load WinXP drivers to get my RAID to work in XP, so I think it is Software driven.