Topic: install problems on Compaq ProSignia 500

[Andrew TD]

Hi,

I have just assembled an old Compaq ProSignia P150 server with 144Mb RAM, and a Compaq Smart 2SL RAID controller with 5 x 2GB SCSI disks.

I tried installing SmeServer 5.6 from the boot diskette and it complained that it didn't have enough RAM.

From reading the forums I found that some people were running 5.6 with 128Mb RAM, so I figure it should work if I can just get it installed.

Has any one got any ideas on how I can proceed?

Also, has anyone managed to use a Compaq Smart Array 2SL RAID controller with SmeServer?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Regards Andrew Thompson-Davies (TD)

[Andrew TD]

Progress has been made: Today I succeeded in modifying the boot disk with
"memory=128M 16M", and I have got past the "insufficient memory" boot failure.

Now I am stuck with SmeServer not recognising my Compaq Smart 2SL RAID controller. Now I know that card is not listed at Red Hat as being supported - so I didn't expect it to work (hope perhaps).

So now I wonder whether I can build a driver or whatever to get SmeServer (Red Hat) working with it.
I know I could give up on it and just connect the SCSI disks to the onboard SCSI controller and have an increased chance of loading SMeServer - but I'd like to try and get it working with the Smart Array 2SL - you never know perhaps there are other people out there who would like to be able to use that as well.

All help/suggestions much appreciated.
Thanks and Regards
Andrew TD

[Barry Fitzmaurice]

The 2SL is fairly similar to the 2DH that we're using, and 5.6 recognised that OK.  According to Compaq, they use the same driver for Linux.  Did you run the array configuration utility first, so that SME can actually see a drive to install on??

Barry

[Andrew TD]

Hi Barry,

thanks for the response.

Yes - I did run the array cinfiguration utility, from the Compaq SmartStart CD. I succeeded in creating a logical RAID 1 drive with 4 drives, and one spare.
I then was able to load the Compaq F10 utilities on that drive.

But, during the initial array configuration, I did have to choose the OS prior to utility creating the logical drive. There were about 7 OSs to choose from - inc Microsoft, Novel, some SCO options, Solaris, etc. But no Red Hat option. So I chose "other". Which I guess given my current predicament, won't do!

Do you know whether one of the other *nix choices work with SMeServer, and if so - which one?

Regards Andrew TD