I'm not sure if I sent properly this: > Hello. Good evening from Spain. > > This is my first message to the list, and is consequence of a newie's > exasperation that doesn't know what's happening in his computer. > > I've got a Gigabyte 7DXR+ motherboard, with an integrated RAID controller > Promise Ultra Lite 100. I think that the controller's model is the PDC20265, > and I configured it as RAID-0 (stripping). The idea, in fact, is to be able > to boot from the RAID (I mean, without any hard disks on the "usual" IDEs. > Only CD-Roms over ide's 1 and 2). Well...I got a weird problem. It's weird > at first seen, and exasperating after some days trying to fix the problem > without success. > > With Kernel 2.4.18 --> > I install Linux perfectly. The RAID hard disk is perfectly seen by > Cfdisk. I partition it, I make my Ext3 partitions perfectly, I make a > gorgeous swap partition, I select every module that could remember to > "RAID", I make a floppy "rescue disk", I put my LiLO in the mbr, I reboot > and... ¡Oh surprise!, the system gets hanged up when it is going to > recognize the disks (just before recognizing disks over ide1 and ide2). But, > the weird think comes when I boot from the floppy. If I do that, the system > works properly, and I have no problems, all the partitions are done, all the > data are there, and I don't have any problem. I've seen that there is an > option for partitions called "linux raid autodetect". At first, I didn't had > my partitions that way, but I converted them to this (with Cfdisk) and the > problem is still there (I didn't see any changes). > > The fact is that the "hanging up point", in principle, has no relation with > the floppy, because if I boot from the floppy disk, it reads the "Linux.bin" > image from the floppy, yes, but it stops reading the floppy before the > hanging up point. I mean, is like if that "frosting point" had no relation > with the fact of booting from floppy or from hdd. Obviously, that's > impossible, because booting from floppy the system works nice, but gets > frozen booting from hdd. I've been reading HowTos, and many other things, > and I reached the conclusion that it could be a Lilo's problem, but I've > tried many things, and many options in Lilo and the problem is still the > same. I tried to put the append "ide2=0x..., ide3=..." that I saw in many > places, and nothing. I tried to change the partitions from /dev/ataraid/d0pX > to /dev/mdX, and even to /dev/hde, and noooooothing. The same problem. And > when I say "the same", I mean "the same": I can't see any changes on the > behabvior of the computer. > > > With Kernel 2.6.2 -> > I compile it with every options that could remember (even from far > away) to "RAID", even some things of SCSIs. Of course, I load the PDC20265 > controller, and even the PDC20276¿? (not sure about wich other, but other > PDC20xxx). Everything I found that could have relationship with RAID, I got > it. > > I compile the kernel, I have a beautiful, free of errors bzImage, I compile > my modules..no problems, I change my lilo to "see" the kernel 2.6, I reboot > and... Plaf!!: Kernel Panic. Unable to mount VFS. I think he also says that > he's unable to find something bootable in the 7200 sector (of something like > that), and he also says that wants something correct for the "root=" option. > > The root option in my lilo is /dev/ataraid/d0p9, that is my / partition, > partition that is perfectly loaded when I boot from floppy. > > Well... at least with this kernel I get an error message XD. Seriously: > I've tried to put everything in Lilo: I tried putting in the root option > everything; from /dev/ataraid/d0p9 to /dev/md0, /dev/md1, md9... to > configure manually the boot sector (I got the 63), saying that > disk=/dev/ataraid/d0, and even /dev/hde, and noooooooooooooothing. > > I've been looking trough internet for days, reading hundred of HowTos, > and nothing. What if I used grub? It would help? > > Please... Anyone has had a similar problem?. Any ideas?. It would be > very helpful. It would be helpful for my walls too, because in two or three > days, if I can't fix the problem, I'm going to butt them. > > Thank you in advance, > Hector.
