SuSE doesn't support the RAID functionality, at least in a gamma release:
http://cdb.suse.de/cgi-bin/scdb?ID=99855356995&HTML=ENGLISH%2Fcdb_listtempla
tes%2Fshow_a.htm&CATEGORY=CTRL_EIDE&INDEX=98510811728&VENDOR=&NAME=&VENDORNA
ME=&COMNAME=
RedHat doesn't support it, at least in a gamma release:
http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/genpage2.cgi?pagename=7.1&statpage=7.1-istora
ge
Mandrake doesn't support it, at least in a gamma release:
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/hard-details.php3?F_TYPE=mother&F_ID=15
I suspect your friends are running their systems in non-RAID, standard IDE
mode. That's what I'm doing now. With that, there is no surprise that
Linux would outperform Windows. The system really does blaze, but nothing
like it did when I installed Windows. RAID gave me ~3 minutes for the full
install (until the reboots). I've never seen anything like it.
I do know that people have done this. But I think you need a fair number of
kernel patches, or v2.4.6-ac (or whatever the moniker is for Andy Cox's
kernels). Even then, you can't convert two non-RAID drives into a RAID
drive without reformatting. So the installer would have to use the modified
kernel in order to install Linux onto the RAID drive. Otherwise, I suppose
I could have a small, non-RAID disk with Linux installed on it. But that
doesn't seem like a good option to me.
Hmmm. A thought just occurred to me. Could I build a cdrom-based kernel,
boot from it, then copy over everything to the newly formatted RAID disk,
run lilo and be done? I suppose I'd have to make all my device files
separately (any other special files besides devices?). Anyone ever do
anything like this? I figure I'd just modify my existing kernel to support
the HPT370. Then use that as my image for the cdrom.
-dan
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Allan Whiteford
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 8:55 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [scottish] HPT370 driver questions
Dan - Blue Lotus Software wrote:
>
> Well, I just found out that the AC kernel has support for the HPT370 RAID
> drivers that come with my ABit motherboard. Good. I've been waiting for
> this. Now, however, I have a question.
>
> I'd like to install this on my system, but I've got a big question/doubt.
> Basically, I need to recompile my kernel to add in support for this.
Which
> means either a install Linux to another, non-RAID disk, and compile the
> kernel, or I install Linux to the RAID'ed disk (which will look 1/2 size
> until the RAID support is added), then compile the kernel.
>
> In the former, it seems like it will be a *big* PITA installing Linux, as
> I'm guessing I'd have to modify the installation kernel in order for it to
> see the RAID'ed disks properly. In the latter, it sounds like I'd have
the
> entire Linux distribution installed on one disk, limiting the performance
> enhancements of the level 0 striping. In either case, I'm wondering about
> the efficacy of such a thing. Does RedHat's installer use an AC kernel?
If
> so, I suppose I could install RedHat, as the HPT370 drivers are included
> with the AC kernel.
>
> Does anyone have any experiences with getting HPT370 drivers installed?
> This is a royal PITA. The HPT370 is definitely *not* hardware RAID, as
I've
> become painfully aware since I bought this machine. In fact, this has
> almost made me want to scrap Linux and go with W2k only. OK, maybe I'm
not
> willing to do that, but it's damn frustrating. If only Linux would accept
> more of Andy Cox's kernel patches... -sigh-
>
> Thanks!
> -dan
>
> --
> Dan Kirkpatrick, Software Architect
> Blue Lotus Software +44 (0) 1224 575 985
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://www.bluelotussoftware.com
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.lug.org.uk http://www.linuxportal.co.uk
> http://www.linuxjob.co.uk http://www.linuxshop.co.uk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan,
I have a friend who installed SuSE 7.1 onto an HPT370 RAID array and
another one who installed Mandrake (something fairly recent, can't
remember the version) onto a similar system.
None of them said they had any problems doing it.
One of them done RAID level 0 (striping) and was not impressed by the
performance at all. He was using both Mandrake and Windows 2000 and he
said in both cases the system was far slower than he was hoping for.
The other done RAID level 1 (mirroring) and was quite happy with it for
a while. He eventually needed more disk space and split the drives up
into two separate disks which the HPT370 controller can do. So now he
has hde and hdg.
Interestingly, the person who done mirroring got faster performance in
Windows 2000 than the guy doing stripping. I don't think they done any
linux type speed tests against each other.
Both of them used 40GB ATA100 IBM drives.
I also have an HPT370 RAID system on my m/board which I bought to use
RAID level 0. But after the reports I got on striping I am reluctant to
buy two hard drives to find the system is rubbish; let me know how you
get on, please.
Thanks,
Allan
--
Linux: Because rebooting is for adding new hardware.
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