Precision card conundrum : Woody (bf2.4)

[jim biri <jim.biri@gmail.com>]

Hi,

I've got a machine with Woody  (bf2.4) setup.
I'd like to setup another IDE disk controller to setup software RAID 1.

Following various posts to this newsgroup, I've ended up looking at:

Precision Ultra ATA 133 TX2:
http://www.promise.com/product/product_detail_eng.asp?productId=87&familyId=3

I've looked at what IDE controller chipsets are supported by the 2.4
kernel by looking at:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/

For Promise, that Hardware-HOWTO page lists:  PDC20246/PDC20262/PDC20267

The chipset for this card is PDC20269 (I know, I asked Promise):
Promise don't offer any Linux drivers on their site, and when asked
why not, Promise said:
"Linux should have it embedded in the OS". Nice answer, but the
evidence seems to disagree with them:

The Hardware-HOWTO lists old chipsets.
I've done a "dmesg", but don't only find some Beta Promise Raid
driver(s) listed.
I've done a modconf but can't find anything remotely helpful .....

I've also done: "apt-cache search Promise" and get:
harden-3rdflaws - Avoid packages with security problems.
harden-localflaws - Avoid packages with security holes.
harden-remoteflaws - Avoid packages with security holes.
kernel-patch-2.2.20-ide - Andre Hedrick's IDE patch.
pax - Portable Archive Interchange
tiger - Report system security vulnerabilities

I don't know whether any of these make any difference, anyone know?

Now, I'm at a loss: I'd like to buy this, I don't particularly wish to
upgrade to the 2.6 kernel .... so any suggestions?

It seems that the chipsets listed as being supported are so old, that
you can't actually buy something with those chipsets, can only buy
things with new chipsets ... which aren't listed as being supported,
and don't seem to supply source!

Any help most welcome,
Thanks, Jim.