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AgentMat
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:32 am Post subject: Raid +Jmicron +dual boot |
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I want to install gentoo on my new computer and I need a little help. I need a dual boot with win XP due to compatibility issues with some applications I use. So I ve started the usual way : 20go NTFS partition for windows XP, 100mo ext2 /boot, 30go ext3 /, and a logic partition with partitions to hold data (I'm not going to use a swap partition since I have more than enough ram). I have the new gigabyte P35 DQ6 with the f....g Jmicron ide controller. So the 2007.0 live CD doesn't work properly. I've tried the "small-gentoo with Jmicron support" live CD from kerneloftruth and it works  I can even see my raid partitions under /dev/mapper. The problem is that according to the wiki (that might be outdated) grub doesn't like fake RAID like the RAID 0 I use with the ich9R chipset of my motherboard. The wiki advice is to create a small hidden partition at the beginning of the RAID disk to fool windows and to put /boot in it after the windows installation.
Is that still needed ? Has someone successfully installed gentoo on that kind of RAID disk with a /boot partition after the windows partition ? What could I use to move windows partition and create a /boot partition at the beginning of the disk if it s really needed ? The wiki suggests partition magic but I don't think it's free  If you know a free software to back up a windows installation i'm also interested ^^
Thank you for your answers |
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NeddySeagoon
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Joined: 05 Jul 2003
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Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:49 am Post subject: |
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AgentMat,
Unfortunately, the Wiki is partly right. How grub works with fakeraid depends on your BIOS.
If your BIOS shows grub only your fakeraid set but not the underlying drives, grub will be fine as it makes BIOS calls to read the drive anyway.
If you BIOS reports the fakeraid and the underlying drives, its a little more difficult. Grub can still be made to work but you must install it on the MBR of the fakeraid, not the individual drives.
As I say, its BIOS dependant
_________________
Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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AgentMat
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 161
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:31 am Post subject: |
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| NeddySeagoon wrote: | AgentMat,
Unfortunately, the Wiki is partly right. How grub works with fakeraid depends on your BIOS.
If your BIOS shows grub only your fakeraid set but not the underlying drives, grub will be fine as it makes BIOS calls to read the drive anyway.
If you BIOS reports the fakeraid and the underlying drives, its a little more difficult. Grub can still be made to work but you must install it on the MBR of the fakeraid, not the individual drives.
As I say, its BIOS dependant |
thanks for your answer.
With the small-gentoo live CD, fdisk -l report sda and sdb (with partition errors, i suppose it's because fdisk doesn t understand the RAID array), but the partitions I've created under windows are shown in /dev/mapper. So I guess I ve got the bad case. If I have my boot partition after the windows partition and if I follow the grub installation method from the wiki (tell grub that hd0 is /dev/mapper/myraid_disk, install grub in the MBR of the RAID array, and put (hd0,1) as boot partition for linux and (hd0,0) for windows, will it work ? |
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NeddySeagoon
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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AgentMat,
You can't tell from that test.
Attempt to install grub manually.
When you get to the root (hdx,y) line enter where -> means press the tab key.
Does grub fill in 0 for you or list three drives. 0, 1 and 2 ?
The former is the good case, the latter is more difficult as you need to determine which drive is your dmraid set and choose that
To do that, fill in a number so you get to
and press tab. Grub lists all the partitions on the chosen drive. Unfortunately, it will give the same answer for two drives.
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Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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AgentMat
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Ok thank you, I try that immediately |
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AgentMat
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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Ok so I ve made the stage 3 install, I ve followed the onboard raid installation guide on the wiki. grub found hd0 and hd1 so I use the --device-map=/dev/null trick. I ve used genkernel with dmraid option to generate my kernel and the initrd file (I ve added Jmicron and ICH support in the ATA category). Grub works fine, I can boot windows and gentoo, but after the initial load gentoo fails to find root, dmraid saying "no block-device found". So I 've recompiled my kernel deactivating the ICh support in ATA category (though it could interfere) and I ve changed the M flags by * in the RAID category. it still fails with the same error.
I know I can do that but I don't remember : how can I take the .config from the liveCD I use (and works !) and compile my kernel with it ? If you have an idea on what I need to (de)activate in the kernel, it could really help me too  I don't have time now, but I'm gonna come back in a few hours.
Thanks |
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NeddySeagoon
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Location: 56N 3W
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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AgentMat,
The kernel is not requred to mount your drives directly and it certainly does not use the in kernel raid options.
They are for md raid not dmraid.
It sounds like dmraid is missing from your intrd or its not being started.
What is the exact text of the error ?
Unknown-block (x,y) ? If so, what are x and y ?
If you have the option to enter a shell when it fails, do that and doare your fakeraid devices there ?
_________________
Regards,
NeddySeagoon
Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail. |
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AgentMat
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 161
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:01 am Post subject: |
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So here what I have :
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loading modules
...
Activating mdev
Activating Device-Mapper RAID(s)
no block devices found
Determining root device
block device /dev/mapper/isw_cahiigibia_myraid3 is not a valid root device
Error ...
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I ve looked into /dev as you told me, and there s no sda, no sdb, nothing but control in mapper. The only thing that is here is the cdrom drive in hda |
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AgentMat
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:52 am Post subject: |
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Stupid genkernel that doesn t enable AHCI SATA in the kernel  Now it s working like a charm Thank you very much for your support
The strange thing is I though that the intel ICH SATA would be enough, but it also needs the ahci sata support. |
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Installing Gentoo
