SCSI RAID config

[xazax]

Im having trouble configuring linux/unix on my computers.
Harddware:
cpu = Dual PII 333mhz
ram = 1gb
video= voodo 16mb ram
raid = mylex dac960pl 16mb dram
-bios version 4.xx
-firmware 3.52--xx
-target drives 1 and 2 on channel 0
-raid level 0
-write policy "write back"
-system drives initialized
-system drives recognized as one system drive -
-@ 70001mb
-bios set to 8gb partition not 2gb
drives= 2 ibm ultrastar 36.x gb harddrives
Oses Tested:
Linux
Redhat 7.1
SuSE 7.1
SlackWare 7.1
Slackware 8.0
Mandrake 8.1
Unix
FreeBSD 4.4
FreeBSD 4.5
Description of problem:
RedHat Linux 7.1:
System goes through P.O.S.T recoginizing all of my hardware.
Mylex Bios recognizes ibm harddrives as one system drive.
CMOS set to boot to IDE cdrom, installation of linux begins.
I'm skipping over to the "expert" mode since that was the first sign of progress.
In expert mode I was able to run fdisk and create my partition table.
I allocated anywhere from:

100 - 400mb /boot partition
2047mb <swap> partition
remainder space / partition

The files systems get formatted, no problem (sometimes), reads package information, transfers the install image to the harddrives and the installation takes off.
Here's where the problems begin to vary. Either the comptuter locks up completely to where I cannot move my mouse or numlock check my keyboard anywhere from 10 to 35 minutes, or the systems gives me an error like:
oops
cpu0
kernel trap:
unable to handle virtual address ax00000123 etc.
I wont get too much into FreeBSD because the effect is very similar in different terminology but the error is in that category.
Slackwares are not able to even get fdisk to open the drives at all.
DOS that I skipped to mention did install to the same harddrives.
I am lost and stranded. Does any one know a solution to this problem?
I really hope that it is caused by some user ignorant error(me) and not defective harddware. I have two identical server machines like this(the only difference is the color of the cpu heatsinks).
Additional notes:
I did specify smp support during my installation.
The dac960pl driver was loaded from linux as opposed to when the old firmware was on there. There has been a little progress from when I first started this project.
Please Help!!! S.O.S
Thanks
xazax

 

[ifincham]

Hi,

Sounds like a hardware issue to me. One way to rule out the scsi/raid is to take out the raid controller, plug in a ide drive, and try installing on that. If it works you can be pretty sure that the problem lies with the raid hardware (or drivers). It may be that you need a newer version of the driver - the release notes for the latest version start with :

Linux Driver for Mylex DAC960/AcceleRAID/eXtremeRAID PCI RAID Controllers

Version 2.2.11 for Linux 2.2.19
Version 2.4.11 for Linux 2.4.12

PRODUCTION RELEASE

11 October 2001

Leonard N. Zubkoff
Dandelion Digital
lnz@dandelion.com

Copyright 1998-2001 by Leonard N. Zubkoff <lnz@dandelion.com>


RELEASE NOTES
o DAC960PU, DAC960PD, DAC960PL, and DAC960P controllers with firmware version
2.73-0-00 or above are now supported.

[snip]

See -->

http://www.dandelion.com/Linux/DAC960.html

Hope this helps

 

[xazax]

ifincham
Thanks for the tips. I tried them in this order.
1) I removed the mylex scsi raid adapter and the power from the ibm scsi harddrives.
2) I replaced the harddrives with an actively working IDE hardrive running linux on another computer.
3) When I booted up the system. Linux did not boot to this comptuter at all.
4) I then attempted to install linux and freeBSD on this IDE harddrive.
RESULTS to TRIAL 1: Same Results. Hangs during installation after partitions have been formatted, installation image transfers to harddrive, installations begins, whole system freezes.
5) I then suspected it was the 1gb of ram.
6) I replaced that 1gb of ram with 256mb from the computer that possesed the working IDE harddrive, and reattempted to install the same group of oses.
RESULTS to TRIAL 2: Same results.
I am suspecting that it is within my motherboards bios, or just a malfunctioning set of motherboards altogether.
Note: I have two Identical systems with the only differing factor is the color of the cpu heatsinks, and both are expiriencing the same problem.
What do you think?
Thanks
xazax