Installing Red Hat 7.1 and 7.2 on an EISA Smart Array Controller
Updated September 12, 2002
Created September 12, 2002


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Loading RedHat 7.1 and 7.2 on and EISA scsi controller such as the Compaq Original Smart Array Controller and the Compaq Smart-2/E controller is a little different than it was for RH70

In RH70 you could access the "you didn't find my SCSI or NIC" screen through linux dd or linux expert. It seems that in RH71 and RH72 these paths don't give you the opportunity to see that screen.

About the only time that you will get to see that screen in RH71 and RH72 is when it can't find your CD-Rom.

This is resolved by booting up to perform a normal install. Remember to do all the other normal tasks you may need to do such as specifying how much memory you have in an EISA based system. As you come to each screen during the install keep trying to get to CTRL+ALT+F2. Once you finally make it to that screen you will be faced with the BASH# prompt.

At this bash prompt you will tell the installer to load your driver. For the original Smart array controller or the Smart-2/E this would be as follows (if you controller is in slot #6):

insmod cpqarray.o eisa=0x6000

Follow this with a lsmod to see if the driver loads.

Also check screens #3, #4, and #5 to see if they report any information about the controller and any drives attached to it.

Once you complete this section successfully, continue the install up to the "congratulations" screen (press CTRL+ALT+F7 or CTRL+ALT+F1 to get back to the normal installer screens).

The only downside to loading the SCSI driver on your own is the fact that the installer will not know about your controller at all. It will use it but will not try to do what it needs to do with it so you can boot on it.

At the congratulations screen, switch back over to the bash prompt. (If you have already pressed enter at the contratulations screen, then follow the recovery method to get back to the bash prompt - http://www.cpqlinux.com/recovery.html and http://www.cpqlinux.com/smart.html).

Note: for those who pressed enter at the congratulations screen, you will need to mount your partitions (shown in recovery.html) before continuing on with the next steps. The installer has your partitions already mounted for you.

Now that you are at the BASH# prompt and you have your partitions mounted, you will need to enter recovery mode (as shown in recovery.html):
mount
cd /mnt/sysimage
/mnt/sysimage/usr/sbin/chroot /mnt/sysimage
su -
edit /etc/modules.conf
add an appropriate entry in /etc/modules.conf if you have a Smart-2/E (the standard modular kernel will be fine for you - you will need to build an initrd if you have the Smart-2/E -- see http://www.cpqlinux.com/kernel.html).

If you have the original smart, then you will NOT be using the initrd, nor /etc/modules.conf. Proceed to build your own kernel as shown in smart.html and kernel.html.

For both methods (Smart-2/E and Original Smart) update /etc/lilo.conf (or grub - I don't have any configuration information for you as of yet on grub so stick with LILO unless you know what you are doing - 11/9/01) and run /sbin/lilo. If doing the static kernel, you will be using the append= line in lilo.conf. If using the modular kernel that RH gives you then you will not use the append= line for your SCSI controller, you will be using a combination of /etc/modules.conf and initrd. Note: in both instances you will need to use the append= line for your memory if you are on an EISA system.

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