How to use Promise 3376/5 raid controller

[little_rock]

I've just been able to use the promise controller whit a distro and/or kernel from the one supported by promise.

Here is how to do it:

1. Download from Promise the drivers for suse (name: 2_SuSE8x-ft3xx.zip)
   
2. Go to your kernel sources root
   
3. Edit ./Makefile
   
4. Change version to:
   
   
   
   
   • VERSION = 2
     
   • PATCHLEVEL = 4
     
   • SUBLEVEL = 19
     
   • EXTRAVERSION = -4GB
     
   
   
5. edit kernel config,
   
   
   
   • Enable:
     
     
     
     • Set version information on all module symbols
       
     • SCSI support
       
     • SCSI Disk support
       
     
     
   • Disable:
     
     
     
     • ACPI support for dual processors (untested, only followed what saied in Promise README)
       
     
     
   
   
6. compile and install your new kernel
   
7. copy 2_SuSE8x-ft3xx/linux/suse/i386-8.1/modules/ft3xx.o to /lib/modules/2.4.19-4GB/kernel/drivers/scsi/
   

Please note that depmod may fail, no prob.s, insmod works.

If you want to boot from your RAID read Promise README and follow instructions, only use this new kernel

I'm using since a month my promise controller with no prob.s at all. Only loading kernel module and mount raid partition takes some time, about 2/3 sec.s

I haven't yet tested with a 2.5.x kernel but I think this will fail due to some module api changes...

P.S.
Righ now I'm running "xfs-sources kernel"

[handsomepete]

Neat! Can't wait to try it out. We'll find out if it works on the 2.5 kernels, but if not I'll gladly boot up a 2.4 kernel just to offload a bunch of data to my sata disk.

[DarkBlackFox]

Tried it, works like a charm

Just need to find out how to enable DMA or some faster method of transfer and we're all set.

[little_rock]

I think it isn't necessary to set the DMA, because I think it is setted by default by promise drivers.
In fact a "hdparm -tT" gives me 80.00 Mb/s exacly double than my primary disk

[chui]

If you have modversions enabled in your kernel, you can just insmod (don't modprobe) the latest and "greatest" module in kernel, it loads without probs in 2.4.20-xfs-r3.
It's spewing zillions of devices detected, but it works....
I'll wait for a REAL driver, but can't wait any more