Andrew Pattison schrieb:
I read in a previous message to this list that is is possible to install Suse 10.0 onto a Silicon Image 3112A fake RAID array (which just happens to be the type I have). This message also says that the method for doing this will "probably change for 10.1".
Ahem. Possible, yes. Without headache, no. Short summary how it _should_ work: When you reach the main install screen, change to console 2 (or any console with a shell), run "dmraid -ay", change back to console 7, select custom partitioning, the dm-* devices are your fakeRAID disk and the partitions on it. Don't try to repartition (won't work the way you expect), simply guess the right partition (good luck!) and install into it. After the first part of the installation finishes, you will be stuck with a non-booting system. Try to slap GRUB on the MBR, include dmraid in the initramfs, make sure "dmraid -ay" is run before trying to mount the real root and hope for the best. Look at it that way: You don't want to do it if you don't have at least 10 hours of spare time.
What is the current state of fake RAID support in 10.1, and is there a decent chance of 10.1 having support for installing onto an SiI 3112A fake RAID array as part of the normal setup?
Don't expect improvements in the next two months. The following things have to happen before we can support it: * hierarchy support for dm devices in sysfs * userspace notification for BLKRRPART on any block device * mount-by-label support for the root fs * teaching parted to work with dm devices * user interface to delete stray fake RAID metadata in the yast partitioner * user interface to select whether you want to use fake RAID on a disk-by-disk basis in the yast partitioner * block device hiding support in the yast partitioner (or maybe in the kernel) * teaching the grub code to find out which device is which (nontrivial to impossible depending on your hardware) Some parts are implemented easily, some are really hard and if you do something wrong, people will lose all of their data. Regards, Carl-Daniel