[opensuse] grub and software raid?
Now that LILO hs been deprecated (in openSUSE), I thought I'd better be getting up to speed on GRUB. I've been trying out 11.1Alpha1 on both PATA and SATA RAID-setups in bog standard installations, and I'm not getting anywhere, i.e. I cannot make the system boot properly. In fact, GRUB doesn't even seem to be getting installed - on my PATA system I still get a LILO bootup. I've already filed the appropriate bugreports, but this can't possibly be such an unusual config, so I was just wondering what magical incantations I need to get GRUB+RAID to work? (as far as GRUB goes I'm a total newbie, so be kind). /Per Jessen, Zürich -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 11 August 2008 06:10:08 am Per Jessen wrote:
Now that LILO hs been deprecated (in openSUSE), I thought I'd better be getting up to speed on GRUB. I've been trying out 11.1Alpha1 on both PATA and SATA RAID-setups in bog standard installations, and I'm not getting anywhere, i.e. I cannot make the system boot properly. In fact, GRUB doesn't even seem to be getting installed - on my PATA system I still get a LILO bootup.
I've already filed the appropriate bugreports, but this can't possibly be such an unusual config, so I was just wondering what magical incantations I need to get GRUB+RAID to work? (as far as GRUB goes I'm a total newbie, so be kind).
Per, One thing to watch out for is that if /boot is on a RAID partition, then GRUB needs to be installed in the MBR. (I'm assuming this is standard linux software RAID, and not a real RAID card.) -- Don -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 2008/08/11 06:24 (GMT-0600) Don Raboud apparently typed:
One thing to watch out for is that if /boot is on a RAID partition, then GRUB needs to be installed in the MBR. (I'm assuming this is standard linux software RAID, and not a real RAID card.)
I don't believe this is necessarily true. I'm about to do my first RAID, and investigating prior to starting an actual install. I read that if the target drives are on a fakeraid that Grub needs to be installed natively, that is, from a Grub prompt prior to loading of any Linux kernel, so that it relies on the BIOS HD specifications. Once kernel is loaded, there's only some possibility that the kernel's drive parameters match those of the BIOS RAID. Now whether to place any reliance whatsover on BIOS/fakeRAID, or just go with pure software RAID, I have yet to determine. I plan to make this system simple RAID 1 on ICH8R SATA2 with only SUSE, no multiboot, quite different from how I normally install. -- "Love is not easily angered. Love does not demand its own way." 1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Felix Miata wrote:
On 2008/08/11 06:24 (GMT-0600) Don Raboud apparently typed:
One thing to watch out for is that if /boot is on a RAID partition, then GRUB needs to be installed in the MBR. (I'm assuming this is standard linux software RAID, and not a real RAID card.)
I don't believe this is necessarily true. I'm about to do my first RAID, and investigating prior to starting an actual install. I read that if the target drives are on a fakeraid that Grub needs to be installed natively, that is, from a Grub prompt prior to loading of any Linux kernel, so that it relies on the BIOS HD specifications. Once kernel is loaded, there's only some possibility that the kernel's drive parameters match those of the BIOS RAID. Now whether to place any reliance whatsover on BIOS/fakeRAID, or just go with pure software RAID, I have yet to determine. I plan to make this system simple RAID 1 on ICH8R SATA2 with only SUSE, no multiboot, quite different from how I normally install.
Felix, I have 4 systems currently running raid1 (3 fake/bios raids and 1 pure sw raid) On one fake raid I have only 10.3. On the second fake raid I have 10.3 dual booting with XP (suse on 2 320G drives and 2 older 80G drives supporting XP). On the third, (triple boot) I have pure sw raid with 11.0 spinning oon a pair of 500G drives through an add on sata card from promise, 10.3 on an ATA 80G and Win XP on another 60G ATA drive with a swap partition used by the 10.3 install. The critical point on all fake raids is the _make sure the raid array is designated as bootable in the bios or in the add-on controller bios. (you may have to hunt to find the setting. Boot order is also important for sw raid, but not as critical. All the installs were set up with Yast without any major problems (I couldn't boot the fake raid on one install until I found the bios setting and then had to do a "grub-install hdc" to put the boot loader on the drive of the array designated bootable. As for fake or bios, there really isn't much difference. The md"tools" are a little different, but that is about it. The only major difference I saw came on rebuild after a failed drive. In fake raid the bios usually does the rebuild of the new drive with its functionality leaving the array 100% ready to go on first boot after repair. With sw raid, you boot to the good drive and then use the md commands to rebuild from there. I haven't had any complaints from either fake or sw raid. I will note that on one server with a pair of 500G seagates hanging on the fake raid provided by a Tyan board with opeteron processor, the raid1 performance is absolutely outstanding. I blows most single drive installs away. There is no concern about sw raid or fake raid (which is just sw raid + a few bios tools) being any type of performance hinderance. If there is any, "it's in the noise", negligible. -- David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Don Raboud wrote:
On Monday 11 August 2008 06:10:08 am Per Jessen wrote:
Now that LILO hs been deprecated (in openSUSE), I thought I'd better be getting up to speed on GRUB. I've been trying out 11.1Alpha1 on both PATA and SATA RAID-setups in bog standard installations, and I'm not getting anywhere, i.e. I cannot make the system boot properly. In fact, GRUB doesn't even seem to be getting installed - on my PATA system I still get a LILO bootup.
I've already filed the appropriate bugreports, but this can't possibly be such an unusual config, so I was just wondering what magical incantations I need to get GRUB+RAID to work? (as far as GRUB goes I'm a total newbie, so be kind).
Per,
One thing to watch out for is that if /boot is on a RAID partition, then GRUB needs to be installed in the MBR. (I'm assuming this is standard linux software RAID, and not a real RAID card.)
Thanks Don, I wasn't aware of that. I've just tried another install, and made sure GRUB got installed in the MBR (on /dev/hda - is it automagically also done on dev/hdc?). Well, it didn't get me much further - I still got my old a LILO bootup, but the root file only got mounted as read-only. /Per Jessen, Zürich -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 11 August 2008 07:30:09 am Per Jessen wrote:
One thing to watch out for is that if /boot is on a RAID partition, then GRUB needs to be installed in the MBR. (I'm assuming this is standard linux software RAID, and not a real RAID card.)
Thanks Don, I wasn't aware of that. I've just tried another install, and made sure GRUB got installed in the MBR (on /dev/hda - is it automagically also done on dev/hdc?). Well, it didn't get me much further - I still got my old a LILO bootup, but the root file only got mounted as read-only.
As far as I know it doesn't get installed in the other MBR, but you could do that manually. Just to check the obvious, is the drive where you have GRUB installed set to be the boot drive in the BIOS? And of course, since 11.1 is alpha... -- Don -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Don Raboud wrote:
Thanks Don, I wasn't aware of that. I've just tried another install, and made sure GRUB got installed in the MBR (on /dev/hda - is it automagically also done on dev/hdc?). Well, it didn't get me much further - I still got my old a LILO bootup, but the root file only got mounted as read-only.
As far as I know it doesn't get installed in the other MBR, but you could do that manually.
OK, I was hoping it might work automagically. I think it does with lilo.
Just to check the obvious, is the drive where you have GRUB installed set to be the boot drive in the BIOS?
I don't think I've ever checked it - and it's worked fine with LILO sofar.
And of course, since 11.1 is alpha...
Yep, there is that ... I just didn't expect any major changes in the boot loader area, but maybe I should opt for 11.0 instead. /Per Jessen, Zürich -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (5)
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David C. Rankin -
Don Raboud -
Don Raboud -
Felix Miata -
Per Jessen