hope this is not too far off topic. i am trying to set up linux software raid 5 using 6 WD 120G drives attatched to 3 prmise ultra100 controllers. it the promise bios detects only the first two cards and attatched drives, never the third or its drives. the kernel however does detect all three controllers, as well as all connected drives: Aug 9 12:07:57 localhost kernel: PDC20267: chipset revision 2 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: not 100%% native mode: will probe irqs later Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: (U)DMA Burst Bit ENABLED Primary PCI Mode Secondary PCI Mode. Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: ide2: BM-DMA at 0x1400-0x1407, BIOS settings: hde:pio, hdf:pio Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: ide3: BM-DMA at 0x1408-0x140f, BIOS settings: hdg:pio, hdh:pio Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 70 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PCI: Found IRQ 10 for device 00:0e.0 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: chipset revision 2 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: not 100%% native mode: will probe irqs later Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: (U)DMA Burst Bit ENABLED Primary PCI Mode Secondary PCI Mode. Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: ide4: BM-DMA at 0x1440-0x1447, BIOS settings: hdi:DMA, hdj:pio Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: ide5: BM-DMA at 0x1448-0x144f, BIOS settings: hdk:pio, hdl:pio Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 80 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PCI: Found IRQ 9 for device 00:10.0 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PCI: Sharing IRQ 9 with 00:07.2 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: chipset revision 2 Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: not 100%% native mode: will probe irqs later Aug 9 12:07:58 localhost kernel: PDC20267: (U)DMA Burst Bit DISABLED Primary PCI Mode Secondary PCI Mode. Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: PDC20267: FORCING BURST BIT 0x00 -> 0x01 ACTIVE Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide6: BM-DMA at 0x1480-0x1487, BIOS settings: hdm:pio, hdn:pio Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide7: BM-DMA at 0x1488-0x148f, BIOS settings: hdo:pio, hdp:pio Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hda: QUANTUM FIREBALL_TM3840A, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdc: RICOH CD-R/RW MP7040A, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdf: WDC WD1200AB-00CBA1, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdh: WDC WD1200AB-00CBA1, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdj: WDC WD1200AB-00CBA1, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdl: WDC WD1200BB-00CAA0, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdn: WDC WD1200JB-75CRA0, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: hdp: WDC WD1200AB-00CBA1, ATA DISK drive Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14 Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15 Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide2 at 0x1800-0x1807,0x14f6 on irq 11 Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide3 at 0x14f8-0x14ff,0x14f2 on irq 11 Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide4 at 0x1818-0x181f,0x180e on irq 10 Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide5 at 0x1810-0x1817,0x180a on irq 10 Aug 9 12:07:59 localhost kernel: ide6 at 0x1830-0x1837,0x1826 on irq 9 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: ide7 at 0x1828-0x182f,0x1822 on irq 9 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hda: 7539840 sectors (3860 MB) w/76KiB Cache, CHS=935/128/63, DMA Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdf: 234441648 sectors (120034 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=232581/16/63, UDMA(100) Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdh: 234441648 sectors (120034 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=232581/16/63, UDMA(100) Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdj: 234441648 sectors (120034 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=232581/16/63, UDMA(100) Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdl: 234441648 sectors (120034 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=232581/16/63, UDMA(100) Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdn: setmax LBA 234375120, native 234375000 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdn: 234375000 sectors (120000 MB) w/8192KiB Cache, CHS=232514/16/63, UDMA(100) Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdp: 234441648 sectors (120034 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=232581/16/63, UDMA(100) Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdc: ATAPI 20X CD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 2048kB Cache, DMA Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.12 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: Partition check: Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hda: [PTBL] [469/255/63] hda1 hda2 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdf: hdf1 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdh: hdh1 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdj: hdj1 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdl: [PTBL] [14593/255/63] hdl1 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdn: [PTBL] [14589/255/63] hdn1 Aug 9 12:08:00 localhost kernel: hdp: hdp1 so everything appears to be there. problem occurs when i try to read/write to/from /dev/hdn. Here are the messages generated by running hdparm -t /dev/hdn: Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: DMA disabled Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: PDC202XX: Primary channel reset. Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: ide6: reset: master: error (0x00?) Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: status error: status=0x00 { } Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: PDC202XX: Primary channel reset. Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: hdn: drive not ready for command Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: ide6: reset: master: error (0x00?) Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 0 Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 2 Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 4 Aug 9 12:16:08 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 6 Aug 9 12:16:13 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 0 Aug 9 12:16:13 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 2 Aug 9 12:16:13 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 4 Aug 9 12:16:13 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 6 Aug 9 12:16:19 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 0 Aug 9 12:16:19 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 2 Aug 9 12:16:19 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 4 Aug 9 12:16:19 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 58:40 (hdn), sector 6 the mobo is old gateway with lates bios (phoenix) installed. the promise cards are identical ultra100 with bios v2.01b27. i built the kernel without module support on another machine then copied bz over. here is the IDE chipset support/bugfixes portion of the config: # # IDE chipset support/bugfixes # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_CMD640=y # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_CMD640_ENHANCED is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ISAPNP is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_RZ1000 is not set CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEPCI=y CONFIG_IDEPCI_SHARE_IRQ=y CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDMA_PCI=y # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_OFFBOARD is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDMA_FORCED is not set CONFIG_IDEDMA_PCI_AUTO=y # CONFIG_IDEDMA_ONLYDISK is not set CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDMA=y CONFIG_IDEDMA_PCI_WIP=y CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDMA_TIMEOUT=y CONFIG_IDEDMA_NEW_DRIVE_LISTINGS=y CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ADMA=y # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_AEC62XX is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ALI15X3 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_AMD74XX is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_CMD64X is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_CY82C693 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_CS5530 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_HPT34X is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_HPT366 is not set CONFIG_BLK_DEV_PIIX=y CONFIG_PIIX_TUNING=y # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_NS87415 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_OPTI621 is not set CONFIG_BLK_DEV_PDC202XX=y CONFIG_PDC202XX_BURST=y CONFIG_PDC202XX_FORCE=y # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SVWKS is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SIS5513 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SLC90E66 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_TRM290 is not set # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_VIA82CXXX is not set # CONFIG_IDE_CHIPSETS is not set CONFIG_IDEDMA_AUTO=y # CONFIG_IDEDMA_IVB is not set # CONFIG_DMA_NONPCI is not set CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE_MODES=y # CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ATARAID is not set i have tried different drives on the problem bus with no difference. is it possible to run three+ cards simultaneously? any suggestions or ideas are appreciated. more information available upon request. cheers, ryan __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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