Jim Flanagan wrote: > Joe Morris (NTM) wrote: > >> On 12/02/2007 03:32 PM, Jim Flanagan wrote: >> >> >>> Greetings all, >>> >>> I'm trying to do a new install of opensuse 10.3 on a new server box. I'd >>> like to have raid1 (mirror) set up with 2 drives. I don't know the full >>> differences between md raid and dm raid, but I followed the instructions >>> on installing md raid on the opensuse wiki, using yast to set up the >>> raid partitions. The problem is the system won't boot on the first >>> reboot after install. I originally set all partitions to be extended >>> (not primary) which didn't boot. So I started over from scratch and set >>> /boot as primary partition with all others, swap, /, /home, etc as >>> extended, but it still won't boot. At this point I had enabled raid in >>> the bios for both sata controllers, but not set up the raid volume in >>> the motherboard raid controller. >>> >>> Switching gears I then tried setting up the dm raid in the bios and yast >>> saw that as an nvidia_sometingorother and I believe that would have >>> installed and booted, but I'm unsure whether or not I should use the dm >>> raid or if the md raid is preferable. >>> >>> >>> >> Mine did work, but I have had a fair bit of experience with md raid. >> First, you mentioned you had a separate boot partition. Is that also a >> part of your raid1? Since grub does not understand md raid yet, it >> needs to boot from the MBR of one of the drives. Obviously, the generic >> MBR (which boots the active partition) will not work with md raid, but >> that is the default. During install, you need to change where grub is >> installed, putting it in the MBR. On mine, my /boot is on my raid1 >> root. This is noted in grub's menu.lst. Grub finds the /boot/grub >> directory initially via one of the drives, i.e. sda5. It then loads >> stage 1.5, and the raid1 modules have to be a part of the initrd for it >> to find and use the raid1. When I upgraded our office server, I did >> change the defaults for grub, but it had no problems finding the raid1 >> root or boot, and installed quite smoothly, so it does work. Just >> remember, the default is a generic boot loader in the MBR, and grub is >> NOT installed in the MBR. Since if boot is on raid, that partition >> cannot be made active, so it cannot boot that way. GRUB needs to be >> installed in the MBR of the drive your BIOS is set to boot from. HTH. >> >> >> > I haven't gotten this working just yet, but I think I'm making progress. > You gave me something to work with. Thanks. Will revert. > > Jim F > OK, I've got the software raid booting now. The main problem was I mis-read the suse wiki http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_install_SUSE_Linux_on_software_RAID. I had mistakenly partially enabled raid in my bios thinking that was needed for software raid. It is not. I had not set up the raid in the bios, but merely enabled it. In any case that was the problem. I disabled it and set up the raid as per the wiki and it works.
Per the wiki I made: /boot (primary) extended /swap / /home /share One note here, it definitely did not like /boot being on an extended partition, and would not boot from that. I probably could have gotten that working too, but by making /boot a primary partition, grub boots fine the first time, with no tweaking. I did make all other partitions, /swap, /, /home and others extended partitions and all works fine. Many thanks, Jim F -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
