RHEL4 and AIC7899

[Oliver]

>> >> >> >> >> >> during the first boot from the install CD of RHEL4AS, die
>> system hangs
>> >> >> >> >> >> while trying the module aic7xxx. It's installed an
>> AIC7899 dualchannel
>> >> >> >> >> >> onboard in the server (IBM IntelliPro M [6850]). Ther are
>> no IDE
>> >> >> >> >> >> harddisk
>> >> >> >> >> >> devices in the computer.
>> >> >> >> >> >
>> >> >> >> >> > It sometimes takes a while for the aic7xxx driver to load
>> up on the
>> >> >> >> >> > initial install (it has to do a SCSI bus reset, then a
>> spinup, then a
>> >> >> >> >> > probe of the drives).  This has been known to take over
>> three minutes
>> >> >> >> >> > in some cases.  Did you wait that long?
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >> I've waited more than 30 minutes... Just tested the Server
>> with other
>> >> >> >> >> Linux versions like Knoppix_3.8 and with WindowsXP. Knoppix
>> took 30
>> >> >> >> >> seconds for probing...
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >> So I don't know, why RHEL4 doesn't recognize the controller
>> correctly.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> > Hmmm.  Have you tried installing in text mode and checking
>> the output
>> >> >> >> > on the other three consoles (ALT-F2, ALT-F3, ALT-F4) to see
>> if there's
>> >> >> >> > something displayed there that might give a clue?
>> >> >> >> > You didn't say if the CD was IDE or not (it may well be).  If
>> that's the
>> >> >> >> > case, you might also try installing with DMA disabled for the
>> IDE bus:
>> >> >> >> >         boot: linux ide=nodma
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Now I downloaded the RHEL4AS Upd2 CDs and tried to install from
>> them. I've
>> >> >> >> started the installation at the boot prompt with    linux
>> ide=nodma text
>> >> >> >> There is one CD-ROM drives on each IDE channel.
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Like before, it seems(?) to hang.
>> >> >> >> Here are the screens...
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Installation screen shows:
>> >> >> >>   loading aic7xxx driver
>> >> >> >> Alt-F3 shows:
>> >> >> >>   loaded e100 from /modules/
>> >> >> >>   loaded aic7xxx from /modules
>> >> >> >>   inserted /tmp/mii.ko
>> >> >> >>   inserted /tmp/e100.ko
>> >> >> >> Alt-F4 shows:
>> >> >> >>   (6)e100: eth0: e100_probe: addr ...
>> >> >> >>   (6)ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:03:01.0[A] -> GSI 10 (level low)
>> -> IRQ 10
>> >> >> >>   (6)ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:03:01.1[B] -> GSI 10 (level low)
>> -> IRQ 10
>> >> >> >>   (6)scsi0: Adaptec AIC7xxx EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev
>> 6.2.36
>> >> >> >>   (4)       (Adaptec aic7899 Ultra160 SCSI adapter)
>> >> >> >>   (4)       aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel A, SCSI id=7, 32/253
>> SCBs
>> >> >> >>   (4)
>> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> Hope you can help me and you have an idea :)!?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> > Well, it's obvious the driver loaded and recognizes your
>> controller.
>> >> >> > It's NOT seeing the drives, however, and that's where the
>> problem lies.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> > Stupid question, but are you 100% certain you a) have the SCSI
>> bus
>> >> >> > terminated correctly, and b) have the drives spinning up?  Get
>> into the
>> >> >> > SCSI BIOS and make sure it starts the drives at power up
>> (disable the
>> >> >> > "SCSI START/STOP" stuff).
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Rick
>> >> >> When  I  wait  for  about  half  an  hour  I  get error messages
>> about not
>> >> >> responding drives. He probes all IDs and at everyone an error
>> appears that
>> >> >> the reset didn't work...
>> >> >>
>> >> >> But  when  I  boot with a 2.4 kerner version (I think the Knoppix
>> v3.8 had
>> >> >> also  the  old  kernel),  the  recognization  of the drives needs
>> about 10
>> >> >> seconds.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> The system is terminated as followed
>> >> >> Channel A: Host controller and End of SCSI cable
>> >> >> Channel B (extern): Only Host controller
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I can remember have read about the external termination at IBM
>> website. It
>> >> >> should be fine if the termination on the backside is only on with
>> external
>> >> >> devices on the bus. Is this correct?
>> >>
>> >> > Your termination seems OK.  This is a very weird problem.  Since
>> you're
>> >> > using RHEL4, have you contacted Red Hat support regarding this
>> issue?
>> >> > Remember, this list isn't official...we're just a bunch of Red Hat
>> users
>> >> > helping each other out.
>> >>
>> >> Rick
>> >> My  support  contract  is  just  the  Knowledgebase,  no phone or
>> personal
>> >> support. Because of that I haven't contacted RH yet.
>> >>
>> >> I've booted the system with the actual Knoppix v4 (Kernel 2.6.12) and
>> this
>> >> version  work  also  very  well.  What  the  hell has RH edited in
>> the AS4
>> >> kernel?
>>
>> > AS4 also uses the 2.6 kernel, but with Red Hat tweaks.  I've heard of
>> > some issues with their aic7xxx driver, but nothing this drastic.
>>
>> > I did find a similar bug in bugzilla:
>>
>> > https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=150548
>>
>> > It looks to be very similar to your situation and the fix was a BIOS
>> > update to the motherboard.  I think you said that it's an IBM machine.
>> > Check the IBM site for BIOS updates and apply them.
>>
>> Today  i've checked the IBM support pages again. The firmware I use is
>> the
>> latest one...
>>
>> On the RHN I found an article about kernel options (for AS3 but thats
>> more
>> than  nothing  ;)).  I  wondered  about  the  acpi  option. I've tried
>> the
>> parameter  noacpi more than one times and it didn't work. But when I
>> tried
>> the  correct  syntax  'acpi=off'  the  drives will be recognized
>> correctly
>> now (yahoo! :)).
>
> Glad to hear it.  acpi=off, eh?  Hmmm...now that's a weird one.  Sounds
> like the ACPI on your mobo wouldn't spin up the drives.  Like I said,
> weird!

But the drives were running already!?

>> Rick  many  thanks  for  your time! Now I'm able to set up the server
>> like
>> I've planned before - this night is the right time I think...
>
> Good luck.  Keep us informed!

To install the server last night was a bad idea! I've choosen the AS4 Upd2
ISOs for installation and had problems with a non working ISO in CD3! The
ISO seems to have errors (more than 50 zero byte files during extraction).

Hope I have more luck with the Upd1 ISOs tonight :)...