My mobo with IDE RAID died...what are my linux compatible options?

[spodosaurus]

Hi all,

My GA-7VRXP rev2.0 motherboard with promise RAID controller is on its
way out. I opened up the case to install two new 120GB IDE drives and
found that all four of the capacitors around the CPU were leaking. So,
I've replaced the board with a cheapo Asus A7S8X-MX board and hooked up
one of the original 80GB data drives from the RAID array to get access
to my files and the main drive with the OS on it (where I'm typing this
from).

I've been looking around, and it appears that I'm SOL in terms of
finding a new motherboard with IDE RAID (all SATA RAID). There might be
one or two, but they won't take either of the Socket A CPUs that I have,
so the price doubles right there as I'll have to buy a new CPU as well
(seems like a sempron 3100+ is the least expensive option).

So, I guess my only other option is to buy an IDE RAID PCI card. Here's
where the fun starts. It seems a lot of these only have sketchy linux
support. I've never compiled anything, so I'm a bit leary of a lot of
these cards. There also seem to be several 'classes' of these cards, in
the $50-$100 range (ST-Labs and Adaptec), the $100-$200 range, and the
$200-$1000 range. I'm pretty lost as to where to go for a reasonably
trouble free PCI IDE RAID card and am hoping that someone here can help
me out.

TIA,

Ari

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Ed Medlin]

Hi all,

My GA-7VRXP rev2.0 motherboard with promise RAID controller is on its way
out. I opened up the case to install two new 120GB IDE drives and found
that all four of the capacitors around the CPU were leaking. So, I've
replaced the board with a cheapo Asus A7S8X-MX board and hooked up one of
the original 80GB data drives from the RAID array to get access to my
files and the main drive with the OS on it (where I'm typing this from).

I've been looking around, and it appears that I'm SOL in terms of finding
a new motherboard with IDE RAID (all SATA RAID). There might be one or
two, but they won't take either of the Socket A CPUs that I have, so the
price doubles right there as I'll have to buy a new CPU as well (seems
like a sempron 3100+ is the least expensive option).

So, I guess my only other option is to buy an IDE RAID PCI card. Here's
where the fun starts. It seems a lot of these only have sketchy linux
support. I've never compiled anything, so I'm a bit leary of a lot of
these cards. There also seem to be several 'classes' of these cards, in
the $50-$100 range (ST-Labs and Adaptec), the $100-$200 range, and the
$200-$1000 range. I'm pretty lost as to where to go for a reasonably
trouble free PCI IDE RAID card and am hoping that someone here can help me
out.

TIA,

Ari

Get a card with a Promise chipset. Have you been over to the Suse or
Linux.org sites? Suse 9.3 has great support now for hardware raid,
especially with Promise chipsets. Hope you have broadband.... The Suse
9.3 is a bit bloated and takes over 2gig for complete install with lots of
apps. I am waiting for the DVD .img to come out before I get it. Suse 9.2
recognized my onboard Promise and my PCI WD raid card (also a Promise
chipset). I just built this system and am not going to install Linux for a
while. Just going to wait on the DVD image for Suse 9.3 then I will probably
put it on to play around with. I am not a Linux whiz, but like to mess
around with it for grins.

Ed

 

[spodosaurus]

Get a card with a Promise chipset. Have you been over to the Suse or
Linux.org sites? Suse 9.3 has great support now for hardware raid,
especially with Promise chipsets.

Most of those are still software RAID. The require the drivers to
contribute to the process, and this is why Promise are not releasing
them as open source. I've recently been emailed back from Promise about
their TX2000 card. The cheapest TRUE hardware alternative is a 3Ware
card, which is very well supported under linux. Not all promise cards are.

Hope you have broadband.... The Suse
9.3 is a bit bloated and takes over 2gig for complete install with lots of
apps.

I use Fedora Core 3, soon to be Fedora Core 4. I'm not going to move for
a chipset that may or may not work and will cost me extra. I'm going to
attempt getting linux software RAID going, with a similarly flaky (under
linux) but very cheap ATA133 PCI controller card.

I am waiting for the DVD .img to come out before I get it. Suse 9.2
recognized my onboard Promise and my PCI WD raid card (also a Promise
chipset).

The chip on my old motherboard was close to that of the promise tx2000,
but not quite. Promise themselves advise against using their tx2000 on
2.6 series kernels.

I just built this system and am not going to install Linux for a
while. Just going to wait on the DVD image for Suse 9.3 then I will probably
put it on to play around with. I am not a Linux whiz, but like to mess
around with it for grins.

Ed

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Ed Medlin]

Most of those are still software RAID. The require the drivers to
contribute to the process, and this is why Promise are not releasing them
as open source. I've recently been emailed back from Promise about their
TX2000 card. The cheapest TRUE hardware alternative is a 3Ware card, which
is very well supported under linux. Not all promise cards are.


I use Fedora Core 3, soon to be Fedora Core 4. I'm not going to move for a
chipset that may or may not work and will cost me extra. I'm going to
attempt getting linux software RAID going, with a similarly flaky (under
linux) but very cheap ATA133 PCI controller card.


The chip on my old motherboard was close to that of the promise tx2000,
but not quite. Promise themselves advise against using their tx2000 on 2.6
series kernels.

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I am not a guru on linux but I do enjoy
tinkering with it. Anything new I can learn is appreciated........

Ed

 

[spodosaurus]

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I am not a guru on linux but I do enjoy
tinkering with it. Anything new I can learn is appreciated........

Same here. I learn as I go and expand my range of skills. I've learned a
bit about linux and linux RAID options through this predicament. I also
have learned a few other things along the way, such as today: I learned
how to repair a motherboard with bad capacitors. I also learned that if
you're not EXTREMELY careful you can pull out the tube that transverses
the six layers of the PCB and connects the capacitor to ONE right layer,
thus killing the board (I found this out after 5 of 6 capacitors, with
the first five looking professionally replaced). I also learned that, as
was suggested by someone on aus.computers.linux, had I just removed the
capacitors from their pins and soldered the new ones to the pins it
would have looked less professional...but I'd have a working board now!

Cheers,

Ari


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/