How to? Win2k + *nix Dual Boot on RAID 0

[cdrikari]

I'm running a RAID 0 array off of a Epox 8K7A+ MB. This currently has Win2k sitting on about 65 of the 80GB available. I would like to install a *nix or BSD on the remaining portion, but every install attempt I make (So far, FreeBSD, SuSe, Redhat) refuses to see the RAID, but sees right past the RAID BIOS and spots both drives, upon which it freaks since it thinks one drive has 15GB on it and the other one has 65GB used of 40 available. This has happened no matter what drivers I use and no matter how much the manufacturer (highpoint) claims that they support that flavour of *nix.

Any advice, helpful hints would be deeply appreciated. I would go ahead and try to install, but I have little time to rebuild my win2k partition if I 'accidentally' wipe it. (Too busy building the new watercooling rig! ^_^)

Thanks.

[PolyPill]

What versions have you tried? I've noticed the latest Mandrake detects hardware very well and I haven't had any problems with Redhat 7.2.

Try using this updated RAID boot image instead of the default one you're using. (This is for Redhat 7.2)

ftp://updates.redhat.com/7.2/en/os/images/i386/update-disk-20011009.img

[Boomerang]

I've had the same problem. I've tried the latest Mandrake (8.2) and the latest RedHat (7.2) and both of them did the same thing (seeing past the raid bios). I have decided to install anothe HD and put linux on it, then see if I can set up dual booitng. I don't think it is currently possible to put both OSs on one raid 0 chain. HTH

PS: If you figure it out, tell me.

[PolyPill]

Originally posted by Boomerang
I've had the same problem. I've tried the latest Mandrake (8.2) and the latest RedHat (7.2) and both of them did the same thing (seeing past the raid bios). I have decided to install anothe HD and put linux on it, then see if I can set up dual booitng. I don't think it is currently possible to put both OSs on one raid 0 chain. HTH

PS: If you figure it out, tell me.


Did you try to boot disk image I posted?

I know it's possible to do it on software raid.

[XWRed1]

Its probably because you guys aren't running a *full* hardware raid solution, so the card relies on the drivers to pick up the slack, and the Linux drivers might not happen to do that.

I.e., its not booting because it doesn't see the array. If you had a real hardware solution, the array would be entirely transparent to the software, and it would just work.

[cdrikari]

Quite possibly, but the RISC-based real RAID cards are _not_ RPT _not_ cheap. Firmware RAID is and for a little under <2% of the CPU cycle, I can help the drives try and catch up with the rest of the system. There has to be a solution for those of us using these cards. I could add another drive, but the whole idea was to keep the cost down in the first place.

[PolyPill]

You could just resize your raid partition to only span 1 hd, then format the other for linux, not really the best solution but it might work.

Although I'm not sure if this will even work, it's just an idea.

[cdrikari]

Originally posted by PolyPill
You could just resize your raid partition to only span 1 hd, then format the other for linux, not really the best solution but it might work.

Although I'm not sure if this will even work, it's just an idea.

That's not a bad idea, the only problem being that all my bloatware and big files (surprise) live on the 2k side of the house. Devoting a 40GB partition to *nix would be like building a friggin' mansion for a mosquito.

Hrm. I think maybe I'll just pick up a cheap 10GB somewhere and slap *nix onto it. Hopefully, it can figure out that there are two OS's present total and deal with that. If the part's can't access each other, I don't really care.

Thanks to all who replied to this!