Linux on UDMA66 controller

[bdunn]

I have my HD on a Promise UDMA66 controller. Have tried to install several ditributions of Linux (Slackware, Corel, and Red Hat). None will install.

Drive is 15 Gig 10Gig partition for Windows 5Gig not currently partitoned.

Is there anyway to install Linux on this drive?

[Statica]

Ok so here's the thing, it doesnt help much to just name distributions, would help a lot more if you could give the kernels that you tried or at least the version of the distribs.

Regarding the promise controller, well for the 2.2 kernels U need to apply the appropriate kernel patches I used the promise module from:
http://www.promise.com/latest/latedrivers.htm#linuxu66

try going up the dir.tree to see if there are any newer versions.


Please read appropriate UDMA HowTo when working with promise

Cheers

[Xayd]

Did they (Promise) ever release the FastTrak (RAID variety) driver for Linux Static?

I got one of those cards for an old Socket 7 system and could never use it for that reason. They told me a month on the driver about 6 months ago, as of about four months ago I still saw nothing about it on their site.

Xayd

[Statica]

I dont think there are drivers out for Fastrack per se... but have you tried the fastrack66/100 drivers? These are of course Beta drivers.

[lynchmob]

I have a WD 10.2GB hdd hooked up to a Promise Ultra66 card and it was recognised immediately when I installed Mandrake 7.1(automatic install option)kernel 2.2.15. I have Win98 installed on the 1st 5 GB and linux taking the rest.I used PartitionMagic 5.0 to set everything up before installation.HTH
lynch

[Xayd]

K, I'll check em out. The last time I mailed Promise there was no driver period, no beta even.

Xayd

[Statica]

It depends on what controller you are using. the Fastrak66 and Fastrack100 have beta drivers for Linux, in addition kernel 2.2.14 and up seem to work well with it. the Fastrack RAID card seems to perpetually mired in performance issues and incompatibility inconsistencies.

While promise does deliver IDE/PCI solutions at cheapish prices they plain ole suck when it comes to support & are bad performers when compared to others like ExtremeRAID or Adaptec even, which are rougly comparable in cost. Whats even worse is when Promise becomes like Mirabilis/AOhelL where they are too chicken to finalize a driver instead PERPETUALLY hide behind the garb of beta! Oh not just for Linux, even Netware etc.

[Xayd]

Only reason I got the Promise controller was I had an old Super 7 mobo at the time, only supporting ATA33. The Promise cards were cheap, so I yanked one up. Then found the guides out there about how to modify them into RAID cards, which I did only to find that there was no Linux driver yet, doh!

I only had a single hard drive in the machine at the time, and no need for RAID. Was just tinkerin' .

And yes, they do have compatibility issues, I agree. I have a 13.6 gig Maxtor drive in that machine, and never got the Promise controller to recognize the size of the drive properly. Hence it wouldn't format/partition/etc. when attached to the controller. Apparently other folks had the same sorts of issues with Maxtor drives (only the most common retail selling drive in the US, hellllooooo Promise, listening?).

Xayd

[Edited by Xayd on 10-29-2000 at 04:28 AM]