2

I'm setting up a backup server with RAID10. The PCI Controller Card is new to the computer so the drivers need to be installed for the OS install to recognize it.

I went through this process previously with Windows Home Server 2008 and ended up slipstreaming the drivers into the install disk; it worked.

Now I'm installing Ubuntu Server 10.04 and wondering how to do the same. When I start up the PC and boot to the Ubuntu Server Installer (from USB), the only drive it finds is the USB (15.6GB).

The hardware RAID10 setup has already been configured, I just need to slipstream the drivers into the Ubuntu Server install.

If I'm wrong here please point me in the right direction; any help with solving this is appreciated.

user29600
  • 419
  • 5
  • 17
  • 30
  • I don't really know how I would do this without kernel support in the installer, but just out of curiosity, what is your RAID hardware? – Halfgaar May 05 '11 at 22:27
  • I'll have to get back to you on that one, need to find the box for the PCI Card... Hard Drives are all Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB; same RPM, different cache, but I was told that cache differences weren't critical to having a functional RAID (all would operate at lower cache). – user29600 May 06 '11 at 05:56
  • The output of "lcpci -v" would give enough details for the PCI card. – Turbo J May 06 '11 at 13:11
  • You can even run RAID arrays with different disks. Sometimes beneficial, because disk batches do sometimes fail all at once... – Halfgaar May 09 '11 at 07:23

1 Answers1

1

First check whether there are acutally drivers for your card in linux at all. It should have discovered your disks regardless of the RAID.

In Linux it is usually not a big problem to install on a temporary disk, you can move the insallation relativly easy when using LVM. You could use a cheap stick first, and fiddle with the RAID later on.

Out-of-tree driver will be a huge pain in the a.. when you get kernel updates. And raid 10 is only 4 disks, so you may not need the PCI - really? not PCIE? - Card at all if the mobo has 4 SATA ports.

Turbo J
  • 503
  • 2
  • 8
  • I'm one guy with a programming background, trying to set up all the equipment with very little IT knowledge and no professional IT help... Apparently my local computer shop had no clue what I needed when I asked for hardware to for a RAID setup. So, yes, it's PCI... Anyway, the mobo has 4 SATA ports, is it going to make much of a difference if I use that instead of getting a PCIE Card? – user29600 May 06 '11 at 05:48
  • Use the 4 SATA ports on the mainboard and throw the PCI card out of the case. RAID10 can be set up during installation of Ubuntu AFAIK. PCIE card is not necessary unless you want additional hot spares. – Turbo J May 06 '11 at 13:12
  • Wouldn't that be software RAID though? I've heard software RAID should be avoided if possible. Maybe I should just get a decent PCIE card? – user29600 May 07 '11 at 18:36
  • That would be software RAID. I like Linux software raid, but if you have a (good) hardware RAID controller with good Linux support, like 3Ware, that has definite advantages. – Halfgaar May 09 '11 at 07:25
  • @Halfgaar Think you could recommend a decent 3Ware RAID controller for RAID10 with 4 drives? – user29600 May 10 '11 at 15:08