Installation fails on SATA RAID array

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Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P - AMD 790X chipset

I have created a SATAII RAID1 array for a Linux OS installation from DVD. I intend to use RAID1 for the OS and log files, and a separate RAID5 array for data.

During installation from DVD, the system hangs immediately after the Linux Kernel loads with a black screen and flashing cursor. I have tried OPENSUSE 11.0, 11.1, and just released 11.2 – they all fail at the same point: Immediately after the kernel loads. I have determined that the problem lies with the SATA controller.

The BIOS has three settings for the drives: Native IDE, RAID, and AHCI. In addition, SATA ports 4 and 5 can be set as either IDE or SATA drives. If I break the raid array and set the drives to Native IDE, the install proceeds successfully. Therefore, I have concluded that a SATA driver is needed.

I have found entries in this forum claiming all drivers are included in the latest release (11.2), yet there is an option in the GUI installer screen to load drivers. So far, I have been unable to find a driver loadable from a floppy. A Linux chipset driver is available at the AMD website, but it is an .rpm file. Is it possible to incorporate it in the OPENSUSE installer?

Another possibility is to install Linux on a drive using IDE mode, install the AMD chipset drivers, and then migrate the OS to the SATA RAID set. That option is a substantial time commitment to an untested experiment.

Anyone with experience with this issue? â€Ĥa source for loadable drivers at the installer screen? Other thoughts or suggestions?

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Update: I installed OpenSuse 11.2 on a single spare SATA drive (without RAID) and the system is up. I have installed the AMD 790x chipset drivers for Linux.

Back to RAID: All drives are listed on FDISK, but they are not RAIDED. I have not yet partitioned them. All are listed separately: sda & sdb for RAID1 (Intended for the Linux OS) and sdc, sdd, sde, sdf for RAID5 (Intended for data). Listed as follows:

sda
sdb

sdc
sdd
sde
sdf

sdg - the current OS drive.

The idea is to use the BIOS RAID utility and not dm. During boot, BIOS displays both RAID volumes as described. Why does OpenSuse not see the RAIDED drives as single volumes? How is this fixed?