[SOLVED] DMraid from the Live CD and kernel sources

Cyberwizzard · Apprentice Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 244 Location: Norway

After spending 16 hours trying to build my own genkernel with DM raid for a server I gave up and decided to copy the /boot files from the live disc and use those - worked like a charm.

Every attempt of making a kernel with DMraid failed - i tried different DM raid versions, different kernel versions, nothing helped. I didn't get the /dev/mapper folder nor the links to the devices. DM raid itself seemd to be working as I could list the devices in the BusyBox shell - but not actually get it to work.

I gave up on that for now.

My next big problem is this. I am 200km from the server itself so modifying a kernel isn't really on my wishlist in case something goes wrong. I need to install VMware server on there and it needs to compile the drivers for the running kernel. The only thing is... the live disc uses a 2.6.15-r5 gentoo kernel as base but this kernel is no longer in the portage tree.
I tried downloading the 2.6.15-r1 gentoo sources and try to somehow compile working VMware modules out of those.
The only thing I get is "Invalid module format" when I try to insert the modules.

Does anybody know how I can resolve this?

cyrillic · Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 12:35 am Post subject:

Isn't dmraid only used for machines that need to dual boot ?

Why would you go through all that trouble for a server installation ?

Cyberwizzard · Apprentice Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 244 Location: Norway

As far as I'm aware I needed DM raid to get my ICH5R compatible Raid controller to work. So thats why we spend so much time getting it set up...

Cyberwizzard · Apprentice Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 244 Location: Norway

I decided that actually I'm more eager to get the bloody modules to work than to fix the DM raid problems - hence I opened a new topic with a more appropriate title here:
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-3507806.html

I'm still open for suggestions for debugging my problem for when I return one day onsite and try to upgrade the kernel but for now I'm fine with my quick and dirty solution

cyrillic · Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 2:53 pm Post subject:

Cyberwizzard · Apprentice Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 244 Location: Norway

Mkay - sounds good to me.

But I used DM raid to access the raid volumes, how can I get device nodes for the discs if not using dm raid? I don't really fancy setting up a software raid or can this still work with the automatic setup like dm raid does?

cyrillic · Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject:

If you are updating an existing installation that was installed using dmraid, then you are kinda stuck with it.

But for first time installations, native Linux RAID is much easier to setup and maintain than dmraid.

Cyberwizzard · Apprentice Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 244 Location: Norway

By now its set up and running - its also a core system so I can't just go and experiment with it.
Bu what do you mean with native Linux raid? The software raid solution?

cyrillic · Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:51 pm Post subject:

Cyberwizzard · Apprentice Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 244 Location: Norway

I just keep my fingers crossed that DMraid doesn't get wiped out of portage and by the time I need to upgrade the kernel it all works again

If not we'll just have to swap to software raid

Thanks a lot for your advice.

I solved my modules problem and its all up and running