new install - SCSI support problem

Hi Admins

SYS: AMD Opteron, LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI.
OS: Slackware 9.1 kernel v2.4.22

My new hardware has arrived but I am a bit stuck. None of the kernels
seem to support my SCSI card. I thought the way forward would be to
compile a new v2.6.9 kernel on a different system. 2.6 kernels have
native support for the LSI MegaRaid. Boot the new system from the OS
CD and at the boot prompt specify the 2.6.9 kernel which I have
hopefully made small enough to fit onto a floppy. Questions:

1) How to I get the boot prompt to use a kernel on a floppy?

2) Does this sound viable?

3) Are there any gotchas with this?

Thanx.
Dp.


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Re: new install - SCSI support problem

Dermot Paikkos wrote:
> Hi Admins
>
> SYS: AMD Opteron, LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI.
> OS: Slackware 9.1 kernel v2.4.22
>
> My new hardware has arrived but I am a bit stuck. None of the kernels
> seem to support my SCSI card. I thought the way forward would be to
> compile a new v2.6.9 kernel on a different system. 2.6 kernels have
> native support for the LSI MegaRaid. Boot the new system from the OS
> CD and at the boot prompt specify the 2.6.9 kernel which I have
> hopefully made small enough to fit onto a floppy. Questions:
>
> 1) How to I get the boot prompt to use a kernel on a floppy?

I think that the new kernels are too large to 'boot from' or 'fit on'
a floppy.

> 2) Does this sound viable?

Not to me.

> 3) Are there any gotchas with this?

First you will need to find a kernel that supports your SCSI controller.
Second it will need to fit on a floppy.

> Thanx.
> Dp.

Hi, Dp:

I checked my Slackware v9.1 install disk 1 .../bootdisks/README.TXT
and it does not mention that controller. The only LSI controller
mentioned is 'LSI Logic Fusion(TM) MPT devices' and it mentions that
it is really not 'raid'.

I checked my Slackware v10.1 CD and it also has no mention of your
controller.

Perhaps you can install your SCSI drive(s) in a computer with
hardware supported by Slackware v9.1, install the o/s, and then
return the SCSI drive(s) to the intended computer.

HTH, Chuck

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Re: new install - SCSI support problem

Dermot Paikkos said:
> Hi Admins
>
> SYS: AMD Opteron, LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI.
> OS: Slackware 9.1 kernel v2.4.22
>
> My new hardware has arrived but I am a bit stuck. None of the kernels
> seem to support my SCSI card. I thought the way forward would be to
> compile a new v2.6.9 kernel on a different system. 2.6 kernels have
> native support for the LSI MegaRaid. Boot the new system from the OS
> CD and at the boot prompt specify the 2.6.9 kernel which I have
> hopefully made small enough to fit onto a floppy. Questions:
>
> 1) How to I get the boot prompt to use a kernel on a floppy?

Put the boot manager on the floppy and boot from the floppy, one way, or
type in the appropriate command at the boot prompt.

> 2) Does this sound viable?

Sounds crazy!

> 3) Are there any gotchas with this?

Sure will be a gotcha for the next admin to take your place.

In hindsight, you should have asked these questions before you bought the
parts. :(

Options:
- You could use the 2.6 Kernel set in your Linux distro, or a different
distro, no sense having a 2.4 kernel sitting around doing nothing since
you booted from a 2.6 kernel on your floppy.

- Return the RAID controller and purchase one that works with the kernel
and distro you desire.

--
Scott
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Re: new install - SCSI support problem

On 15 Mar 2005 at 9:44, chuck gelm wrote:

> Dermot Paikkos wrote:
> > Hi Admins
> >
> > SYS: AMD Opteron, LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI.
> > OS: Slackware 9.1 kernel v2.4.22
> >
> > My new hardware has arrived but I am a bit stuck. None of the kernels
> > seem to support my SCSI card. I thought the way forward would be to
> > compile a new v2.6.9 kernel on a different system. 2.6 kernels have
> > native support for the LSI MegaRaid. Boot the new system from the OS
> > CD and at the boot prompt specify the 2.6.9 kernel which I have
> > hopefully made small enough to fit onto a floppy. Questions:
> >
> > 1) How to I get the boot prompt to use a kernel on a floppy?
>
> I think that the new kernels are too large to 'boot from' or 'fit on'
> a floppy.
>
> > 2) Does this sound viable?
>
> Not to me.
>
> > 3) Are there any gotchas with this?
>
> First you will need to find a kernel that supports your SCSI controller.
> Second it will need to fit on a floppy.
>
> > Thanx.
> > Dp.
>
> Hi, Dp:
>
> I checked my Slackware v9.1 install disk 1 .../bootdisks/README.TXT
> and it does not mention that controller. The only LSI controller
> mentioned is 'LSI Logic Fusion(TM) MPT devices' and it mentions that
> it is really not 'raid'.

>
> Perhaps you can install your SCSI drive(s) in a computer with
> hardware supported by Slackware v9.1, install the o/s, and then
> return the SCSI drive(s) to the intended computer.
>
> HTH, Chuck
>

I have downloaded the source for the 2.6.9 and in the config there
does seem to be some explict mention of LSI MegaRaid in the SCSI
drivers.
Your right though the kernel is 4603660 bytes and I tried to make it
as slim as possible.

I did a make bzImage and that file is 1590511. Is it possible to boot
from this?

Thanx.
Dp.

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Re: new install - SCSI support problem

> I did a make bzImage and that file is 1590511. Is it possible to boot
> from this?
>
> Thanx.
> Dp.

Hi, Dp:

It is possible to format HD floppies to 1.68 Megabytes;
superformat /dev/fd0u1680

My Slackware v10.1 floppy bootdisk is type 'umsdos'.
It seems to me that you might be able to squeeze the
necessary items onto a HD floppy formatted to 1.68 Megabytes.
From this boot floppy, perhaps, you could mount your
root filesystem on your LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI controller.

You could install a supported (IDE/SCSI) controller card and
drive(s) and install to them, then mount the new controller's drives
after you obtain kernel support.

HTH, Chuck

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Re[2]: new install - SCSI support problem

Is there not a CD Image with the LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI controller
already compiled in?

Nick


On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 11:37:49 -0500
chuck gelm wrote:

> > I did a make bzImage and that file is 1590511. Is it possible to boot
> > from this?
> >
> > Thanx.
> > Dp.
>
> Hi, Dp:
>
> It is possible to format HD floppies to 1.68 Megabytes;
> superformat /dev/fd0u1680
>
> My Slackware v10.1 floppy bootdisk is type 'umsdos'.
> It seems to me that you might be able to squeeze the
> necessary items onto a HD floppy formatted to 1.68 Megabytes.
> From this boot floppy, perhaps, you could mount your
> root filesystem on your LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI controller.
>
> You could install a supported (IDE/SCSI) controller card and
> drive(s) and install to them, then mount the new controller's drives
> after you obtain kernel support.
>
> HTH, Chuck
>
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nick Mitchell
Network Security Specialist
Nitec Security
Voice - 302.542.7992
The invention of IQ does a great disservice to creativity in education.
- Joel Hildebrand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Re: new install - SCSI support problem

On 15 Mar 2005 at 11:37, chuck gelm wrote:

> > I did a make bzImage and that file is 1590511. Is it possible to boot
> > from this?
> >
> > Thanx.
> > Dp.
>
> Hi, Dp:
>
> It is possible to format HD floppies to 1.68 Megabytes;
> superformat /dev/fd0u1680
>
> My Slackware v10.1 floppy bootdisk is type 'umsdos'.
> It seems to me that you might be able to squeeze the
> necessary items onto a HD floppy formatted to 1.68 Megabytes.
> From this boot floppy, perhaps, you could mount your
> root filesystem on your LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI controller.

I have managed to create a bzimage file that is 1036k by removing
networking support. I have this on a floppy and am surfing tldp.org
to see if/how I can boot from it at teh boto prompt.

> You could install a supported (IDE/SCSI) controller card and
> drive(s) and install to them, then mount the new controller's drives
> after you obtain kernel support.

There is a embedded sata controller on the board. That might help but
I am not sure if that would be supported - need to check (silcon
image 3114)

> HTH, Chuck
>

>Is there not a CD Image with the LSI Logic MegaRaid 320-1SCSI
>controller
>already compiled in?

Yes there is. It is for redhat 9 and the instructions read:
"In MS-DOS:

Extract files to a temporary directory, verify the image is in 8.3
format (i.e. image.img is okay, dud-image.img is not),
go to a command prompt in the temp directory, insert a floppy, and
execute the command rwfloppy -w imagename
In Linux:
Extract files to a temp directory, then use execute the command dd
imagename

After driver update disk is created type "linux dd" at the boot
prompt to be prompted for drivers during the installation."

It's a bit vague and when I type linux dd at the slackware boot
prompt it panics looking for a root filesystem.
Dp.

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