Bug#339763: RAID5

Package: installation-reports

Debian-installer-version: http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/3.1_r0a/i386/bt-cd/debian-31r0a-i386-binary-1.iso.torrent

uname -a: Linux Boyle 2.6.8-2-386 #1 Thu May 19 17:40:50 JST 2005 i686 GNU/Linux

Date: 11/08/05

Method: CD boot, ftp package install

Machine: Built

Processor: 1.5Ghz Athlon

Memory:1.5

Root Device: hda=CDROM, hdc=40Gig boot drive, hde/hdg/hdi/hdk = RAID5

Root Size/partition table: <Feel free to paste the full partition

      table, with notes on which partitions are mounted where.>

Output of lspci and lspci -n:

Base System Installation Checklist:

[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Initial boot worked:    [O]

Configure network HW:   [O]

Config network:         [O]

Detect CD:              [o]

Load installer modules: [O]

Detect hard drives:     [O]

Partition hard drives:  [O]

Create file systems:    [O]

Mount partitions:       [E]

Install base system:    [O]

Install boot loader:    [O]

Reboot:                 [O]

Comments/Problems:

I built a system for a research lab that needed a RAID5 using 4 120Gig Samsung hard drives on a HighPoint RocketRAID 454. The original plan was to have Windows running on the system, but the driver set for that card and Hardware RAID5...let’s just say there is room for A LOT of improvement. After a week of pain and suffering, I was then able to try Debian on the system.

The installation was smooth, I set things up the way I wanted, the partioning was easy and it said everything was good to go, even formatted the array. Reboot the machine into the installation, and it failed. Can’t seem to mount the drives for RAID5. Everything is there, it can see all the drives, it knows they are there, but in the RAID configuration is says it can only see that hde and hdg are setup for RAID5. So I added the other drives, Debian knows they are there, reformatted them , mount them, and on the next reboot the same failure.

I look on the net and got into a few discussion groups where I tried multiple suggestions about making certain that the drives are there. Finally it is suggested I try to do a MAKEDEV on the two drives. At first it kicked back an error, so I read up on the man files, deleted the last two (hdi, hdk) and then did MAKEDEV on those two drives again, rebooted and the whole thing came up! Since then I have been testing the box, multiple reboots, working extensively with the RAID system, and have not had a single problem since then.

This box has been very stable, handling everything we have thrown at it so far, and we are quite pleased. I was asked to submit this report by one of the mailing list members to help inform others who might run into the same problem.

Information and the tutorials about setting up a RAID5 system is becoming more popular and having the ability to do RAID in the Debian installation is GREAT!

Keep up the good work!

Chris Stackpole