[Wolves] Chicken-and-egg situation regarding HPT372 RAID controller

Simon Gill wolves at mailman.lug.org.uk
Mon Oct 7 10:27:04 2002


Can you take out the HPT370 drivers from the kernel or are they needed?

Maybe you can add the hpt37x2 to the kernel tree? Just a thought :)

HT(Little Bit)H, Simon.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan [mailto:djones9960@btinternet.com]
Sent: 07 October 2002 10:22
To: wolves@mailman.lug.org.uk
Subject: [Wolves] Chicken-and-egg situation regarding HPT372 RAID
controller


Hi all

I have a problem.  BIG problem.

I'm installing a new server at work (Athlon 1800+ processor, 256MB RAM,
4
100GB Caviar HDs) and I want to install Debian 3.0 on it as RAID 0+1.

However, there seems to be a problem with the module.  It'll install OK
- I
installed Debian 3.0 on a 'normal' drive, installed the 2.4.18 Kernel
and
then the BF24 headers over the top, downloaded the module from
the Highpoint web site, compiled it, and a nice hpt37x2.o module came
out.
Installed too with insmod(however it did moan about being a tainted=20
kernel) - great, I thought.

So I copied the module to a floppy disk, recreated the RAID 0+1 array,
and
during the install tried to install the module.  The system freezes and=20
won't
budge.  I tried 'Install Foreign Modules' too but to no avail.

I finally tried dropping to a shell and doing the insmod trick.  AHA!
Success!  Recognized the 0+1 array as /dev/sda and I could install the
base
system to that, although I could still see /dev/hde-h as disks.
Apparently
that's normal, though.

The problem is when I come to try and boot the base system.  LILO comes
up
fine, and the first part of the boot sequence starts - but the system=20
freezes
through not being able to mount the root filesystem.  It would appear
that
the kernel recognises the RAID controller as HPT370, the driver for=20
which can
only do RAID 0.  Is there any way make the hpt37x2 module live in the=20
kernel?
  The problem is that it isn't a standard part of the kernel source tree
AFAIK.  I have NO IDEA how to do this.  HELP!

I have installed a regular 10GB drive onto the standard VIA controller=20
on the
mainboard, and installed Debian to that.  It also has the 2.4.18-bf2.4=20
source
installed, as I know full well that I'm going to have to *at least*=20
recompile
the kernel.  I do know C so I can do source-hacking if required, but as=20
I say
I just don't know where to start.  I have one week to get the thing
fully
functional.  Eek!

The idea behind the server is that it will act as the home for the=20
corporate
database, which is currently in MS Access, but I'm going to be
transferring
to PostgreSQL.  The existing clients should be OK with this (minor
adjustments required) since PostgreSQL has windows ODBC drivers.  The=20
server
should also act as a PDC (as it does now) but be internet-facing too
with
poptop installed for VPN connections.

--=20
Dan


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