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lunarg
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 Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject: Why doesn't the 2.6.x kernel support ataraid? |
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I've read about a dozen posts on ataraid not being supported in the 2.6.x kernels. But what I don't know yet is WHY it isn't supported anymore, while in the 2.4.x it's still in the kernel (and works for my Promise Fasttrak133).
I've been reading around on tons of fora, but there was no one who had a single sensible reason... I'm curious....
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Crg
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: Why doesn't the 2.6.x kernel support ataraid? |
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| lunarg wrote: | I've read about a dozen posts on ataraid not being supported in the 2.6.x kernels. But what I don't know yet is WHY it isn't supported anymore, while in the 2.4.x it's still in the kernel (and works for my Promise Fasttrak133).
I've been reading around on tons of fora, but there was no one who had a single sensible reason... I'm curious.... |
Because it's silly to maintain separate software drivers which do the same thing?
Because nobody with the skills and knowledge of what it involves can't be bothered to write a driver? |
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lunarg
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:49 pm Post subject: Re: Why doesn't the 2.6.x kernel support ataraid? |
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| Crg wrote: | | Because it's silly to maintain separate software drivers which do the same thing? |
Then what other drivers are there? The standard modules for software raid (raid0.o, etc) don't recognize my array, and Promise has no modules for the particular chip I have...
| Crg wrote: | | Because nobody with the skills and knowledge of what it involves can't be bothered to write a driver? |
Why write a driver? It already exists in the 2.4.x kernel.... Why did they kick it out in the first place?
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Crg
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Why doesn't the 2.6.x kernel support ataraid? |
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| lunarg wrote: | | Crg wrote: | | Because it's silly to maintain separate software drivers which do the same thing? |
Then what other drivers are there? The standard modules for software raid (raid0.o, etc) don't recognize my array, and Promise has no modules for the particular chip I have... |
When I said "do the same thing" I meant, "do software raid".
| lunarg wrote: | | Crg wrote: | | Because nobody with the skills and knowledge of what it involves can't be bothered to write a driver? |
Why write a driver? It already exists in the 2.4.x kernel.... Why did they kick it out in the first place? |
We were talking about 2.6, nobody has bothered writing or porting a driver to it.
In 2.4 there was an incomplete driver and it hadn't progressed at all for a long time. |
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lunarg
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Why doesn't the 2.6.x kernel support ataraid? |
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| Crg wrote: | | When I said "do the same thing" I meant, "do software raid". |
Okay, I understand that, but the software raid linux uses is incompatible with the array created by my RAID controller. Is there no way to make linux use the array that my chip has created? I've read somewhere something about Device Mapper for LVM; would that help?
I find it very strange that no one has ever bothered to port it to 2.6. There are a lot of people who have problems with their ataraid controller, which are then forced to use the 2.4 kernel or worse, install Windows 
As far as porting goes, is the 2.4 and 2.6 that different that it requires "porting" to get something running on a 2.6 kernel?
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Crg
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:19 pm Post subject: Re: Why doesn't the 2.6.x kernel support ataraid? |
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| lunarg wrote: | | I find it very strange that no one has ever bothered to port it to 2.6. There are a lot of people who have problems with their ataraid controller, which are then forced to use the 2.4 kernel or worse, install Windows |
I don't think there's the interest in the people who can do it, I could be wrong but I'd think that most people who have the ability to write something for people to be able to use this card don't use windows so don't have the need or wish to use ataraid. You'd think one of the distros would get someone to do it though....
| lunarg wrote: | | As far as porting goes, is the 2.4 and 2.6 that different that it requires "porting" to get something running on a 2.6 kernel? |
Not sure - haven't looked at it.
BTW Just did a search in the linux kernel mailing list and this is some of the stuff that was said recently (ie 20/21 March)
| Quote: | | It's not underway AFAIK, but Arjan and I "keep meaning to do it."So go ahead, and I'll lend you as much help as I can. I have the full Promise RAID docs, and it seems like another guy on the lists has full Silicon Image "medley" RAID docs... Jeff |
Reading the rest of that thread doesn't look like it's got anywhere, they're still discussing using a userspace util to setup devicemapper or a EVM plugin to do it., or... |
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lunarg
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, well then, at least they're discussing it. From what I've heard, they weren't going to include it at all, end of discussion.
I'm still hoping that support will be available soon, either in the kernel, or a module or patch which can be downloaded.
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ShockValue
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| I know it doesn't solve your problem directly, but most of those motherboard "raid" controllers will also function as a simple IDE controller. I just have 1 drive hanging off each of my "raid" channels as regular IDE devices (no onboard raid setup) and have them runnign via linux software raid. |
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lunarg
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| ShockValue wrote: | | I know it doesn't solve your problem directly, but most of those motherboard "raid" controllers will also function as a simple IDE controller. I just have 1 drive hanging off each of my "raid" channels as regular IDE devices (no onboard raid setup) and have them runnign via linux software raid. |
That's indeed what others also suggest, but the problem is that my secondary OS (being XP) won't work on such a setup.
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vlad_tepes
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