Installing Gentoo on SCSI system using Adaptec 7902 driver ?

ninadn · n00b Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 1

Hello all,

We are trying to install Gentoo ver. 2004.3 on platform with the following specs.

Machine: Penguin Computing Relion 140
Motherboard: Tyan 2721
Chipset: Adaptec 7902 chip
Processor: Pentium 4 Xeon multiprocessor

After completing the installation steps of "Kernel Configuration" (kernel 2.6.9-r1) when machine is rebooted, it gets stuck while loading the SCSI Adaptec driver module. The following is the exact message...

Scsi0: Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev, 6.2.36
<Adaptec aic7899 Ultra160 SCSI adapter>
aic7899: ULtra160 Wide Channel A, SCSI Id=7, 32/253 SCBs

LIVE CDs
- able to boot from Gentoo LiveCD but NOT Knoppix
DISTRIBUTIONS
- able to install RH 8 but unsuccessful for RH 9
- Whitebox linux installed correctly, hence we assume RH Enterprise might work
DRIVERS
- Adaptec driver is built in the kernel

At "menuconfig" even after we select "AIC 7xxx new|old" OR "AIC 78xx new|old" it seems that the system tries to load the aic7899 driver as per the excerpt above. Could anyone shead some light on the situation here, as to why the required aic7902 is not being loaded ? or any ways or alternatives for getting the system work with aic7902 ?

please help.

--Ninad Narkhede
_________________
the beginning of the end...is the end of the beginning

tuxamd · Apprentice Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 281

Did you build them into the kernel or as modules? Also try passing noapic to your kernel and see if that changes anything because I've had a few scsi controllers once where I could not use them without it one being some kind of adaptec 79xx but can't remember for sure.

Regor · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:52 am Post subject:

Another alternative is to boot some other media that supports your hardware better. If Knoppix (for example) brings your machine up fine you can use it to install just as easily as the Gentoo Live CD.

All that's really required of boot media for installation is that it gets your networking and hard drive(s) going and can do "chroot". Once those 3 requirements have been met, you're good to go. Check out the Alternative installation HOWTO for ideas on how to handle this.
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Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.
-Philip K. Dick, Valis

yszhang · n00b Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 10

cant remeber what kernel version back time I setup my 7902 lat year, but doscsi noapci from live CD actually probe U320 correctly, i never bother with 78xx because 79xx works perfectly.