FastTrak TX2000 and RHEL 3.1

[Samuel Flory]

Jonathan Baker-Bates wrote:
>>I'm trying to install Red Hat Enterprise 3.1 on a machine with a FastTrak
>>Lite TX2000 in RAID1 mode, but I'm beginning to think it's not going to be
>>possible...
> 
> 
> I'll take the list's deafening silence, and my complete failure to get it
> working meanwhile, as an indication that it's not possible. So, I'm using
> software RAID (md) now.
> 
> However, I'd like to set up RAID1 using md, and have the machine boot from
> either disk in the event of the other going down. I'm reading the Mirroring
> root mini-HOWTO
> (http://www-oss.fnal.gov/~mengel/mirror_root_mini_howto.html) but it seems
> to be either wrong, or so confusing as to appear to be wrong - has anyone
> achieved what it's describing?
> 
> Specifically, I'm trying to work out at what point in the procedure you
> create the /bootc partition it's talking about. It talks about having one,
> but does not appear to tell you how to create it. If I follow the
> instructions for "Partitioning the disk" in the HOWTO exactly, lilo can't
> get to the second stage and hangs at the "LI" prompt.
> 
> If I try the "Configuring LILO" section, but in Red Hat rescue mode
> (chrooted to /mnt/sysimage), I can't rename /boot to /bootc (assuming that
> what I have to do, the doc doesn't say) as it's in use - although why I'm
> not sure. And if I ignore the /bootc thing, and follow the rest of the
> instructions, lilo still can't get stage two.
> 
> I'd really appreciate any help. I've mailed the maintainer of the HOWTO, but
> they're not answering. Also, for all I know they're referring to Red Hat 1
> (putting dates on things like this really helps I find...)


   The HOWTO goes about this the really hard way.  I guess it was 
written long long ago. Just do this:

1)Go into the fasttrak bios.
   a)Delete your mirror.
   b)Create a stripped array with only a single for your first drive
   c)Create a stripped array with only a single for your second drive

(This gives you a bios boot drive that should have lilo, and the 
fasttrak bios agreeing on drive geometry.)

2)Install Red Hat normally with the following exceptions:

a)Use a partitioning scheme with the below partitions (all raid 1)
/dev/hde1	md0	/boot
/dev/hde5	md1	/
/dev/hde6	md2	swap
/dev/hdg1	md0	/boot
/dev/hdg5	md1	/
/dev/hdg6	md2	swap

b)Install lilo instead of grub*.



*If you really like grub make sure to install grub to the 2nd disk by 
hand once you've booted, or make damn sure you have a working boot 
floppy.  Don't ask me how to do any of this this as I use lilo instead 
of grub, and pxe instead of floppies.





-- 
Unless you can't avoid it never put a
serial number on any of your systems!!
(The Numberless Rule of Hardware Acquisition)
Sam Flory  <sflory at rackable.com>