Re: Installing Debian on a SuperMicro server

[Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>]

Johann Spies wrote:
> I am trying to install Debian on a SuperMicro server on two ssd's 
> configured in the bios as a RAID1 (I think it is called a fake-raid).
>
> Debian Stable does not recognize the disks at all.
> Debian Testing's installation disk picks it up as a RAID1 device (even 
> when I configure it in the bios as non-raid disks) and can install up 
> to the stage where grub has to be installed.  Grub does not recognise 
> the RAID1 device but sees the two disks separately.
>
> When I open gparted in Linuxmint 17 (live imaget) it complains when 
> the disks are  configured in bios as RAID1 but gparted sees the 
> separate disks when it is configured as non-raid devices.
>
>
> I am prepared to go the route of a software raid if necessary, but in 
> the Debian installer that is only possible if the Debian-installer 
> sees the disks as separate disks as Grub does.
>
> Any suggestions for the way forward?  Should I put a usb-stick in the 
> server and install grub there?

Well, my first recommendation would have been turning off BIOS RAID - 
but that seems not to work for you.   (I've been running SuperMicro 
servers for years, always turn off hardware RAID and rely on md - no 
SSDs though).

Did a little googling and found this: 
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/SataRaid - which recommends 
adding dmraid=true to the kernel boot line (see page for detailed 
instructions).

You might get some good advice on the linux-raid email list.  Also, I've 
found the webhostingtalk.com forums to be a good source for 
product-specific knowledge on various servers - supermicro tech support 
is basically useless.

Miles Fidelman




--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra