# Linux Driver for Promise Controller

## Mikey

I have a Asus P4PE motherboard with an on-board Promise FastTrak376 (PDC20376) RAID controller. I have installed a third hard drive on my computer using this controller. I am not using the RAID features, but just want to use this third drive as a single drive. Windows XP can see this drive just fine. The Linux-2.6.11 kernel sees it, but doesn't configure it correctly and won't let me write to the drive. I get some error messages, also. Seems Linux doesn't know quite what to make of it. I have selected every kernel option having to do with Promise hardware and/or RAID hardware, and have compiled these options into the kernel.

My second option is a Promise Ultra100 PCI card. I have not tried this card because I can't find a Linux driver for it. But I could use it if I had a driver.

Any help appreciated.

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## goanookie

Did you try the linux drivers from asus?

If I do recall it correct, you could download the linux drivers from the asus website.

Never tried those myself, my mb P4C800-E has also that Promise Fasttrack376.

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## Mikey

I looked again on Asus's site, but didn't find any Linux Promise drivers.

I looked under your motherboard and it looks like you have the FastTrak378. Will those drivers work on a FastTrak376? I don't know, but I might try them.

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## goanookie

 :Confused: 

but when I read the readme file of that 378 driver I found this.

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
>                  FastTrak TX4000/376/S150 TX Series Linux Driver 
> 
>                         Version 1.00.0.x [01/08/2003]
> ...

 

And I really don't know if those drivers will work with gentoo. Think it's worth trying

I will give a try this weekend somewhere, if things don't get out of controle on saturday night, 

eh correction, sunday morning  :Razz: 

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## goanookie

Little update and it seems Promise controller is working and using the driver in the kernel 2.6.11-gentoo-r5.

So far so good I guess.

I'll see if can find a spare drive and try it out.

kernel config

```

 linux $ grep SATA .config

# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE_SATA is not set

CONFIG_SCSI_SATA=y

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_AHCI is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_SVW is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_NV is not set

CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_PROMISE=y

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_QSTOR is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_SX4 is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_SIL is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_SIS is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_ULI is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_VIA is not set

# CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_VITESSE is not set

```

dmesg

```

SCSI subsystem initialized

libata version 1.10 loaded.

sata_promise version 1.01

ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:03:04.0[A] -> GSI 23 (level, low) -> IRQ 23

sata_promise PATA port found

ata1: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xF8810200 ctl 0xF8810238 bmdma 0x0 irq 23

ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xF8810280 ctl 0xF88102B8 bmdma 0x0 irq 23

ata3: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xF8810300 ctl 0xF8810338 bmdma 0x0 irq 23

ata1: no device found (phy stat 00000000)

scsi0 : sata_promise

ata2: no device found (phy stat 00000000)

scsi1 : sata_promise

ata3: no device found (phy stat 00000000)

scsi2 : sata_promise

```

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## Mikey

Okay thanks. You've given me some things to check out when I have time. I ignored my computer all weekend. :Embarassed: 

Thanks again. I'll give an update when I can.

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## goanookie

Ripped an old drive out of an even older pc, but the promise controller didn't liked it.

Guess it really was just to old. So I've switch cables new drives on the promise and old drive on the onboard intel. Then I tought ok finished just power up change bios boot disk.

But oh no, of course forgot to change grub.conf. 

 :Razz:  LiveCD and dmesg already was showing both disks on the promise controle. Great changed grub.conf and reboot. And that was it, up and running on that promise controller in IDE mode which dmesg also told me so.  :Razz: 

dmesg

```

Probing IDE interface ide0...

hda: QUANTUM BIGFOOT_CY6480A, ATA DISK drive

ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14

Probing IDE interface ide1...

hdc: ASUS CRW-5224A, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

hdd: SAMSUNG DVD-ROM SD-616Q, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15

Probing IDE interface ide2...

Probing IDE interface ide3...

Probing IDE interface ide4...

Probing IDE interface ide5...

hda: max request size: 128KiB

hda: 12706470 sectors (6505 MB) w/67KiB Cache, CHS=13446/15/63, DMA

hda: cache flushes not supported

 /dev/ide/host0/bus0/target0/lun0: p1 p2 p3 p4

hdc: ATAPI 52X CD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 2048kB Cache, UDMA(33)

Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.20

hdd: ATAPI 48X DVD-ROM drive, 512kB Cache, UDMA(33)

ide-floppy driver 0.99.newide

libata version 1.10 loaded.

sata_promise version 1.01

ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:03:04.0[A] -> GSI 23 (level, low) -> IRQ 23

sata_promise PATA port found

ata1: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xF8810200 ctl 0xF8810238 bmdma 0x0 irq 23

ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xF8810280 ctl 0xF88102B8 bmdma 0x0 irq 23

ata3: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xF8810300 ctl 0xF8810338 bmdma 0x0 irq 23

ata1: no device found (phy stat 00000000)

scsi0 : sata_promise

ata2: no device found (phy stat 00000000)

scsi1 : sata_promise

ata3: dev 0 cfg 49:2f00 82:7c6b 83:7b09 84:4003 85:7c69 86:3a01 87:4003 88:407f

ata3: dev 0 ATA, max UDMA/133, 160086528 sectors:

ata3: dev 1 cfg 49:2f00 82:7c6b 83:7b09 84:4003 85:7c69 86:3a01 87:4003 88:407f

ata3: dev 1 ATA, max UDMA/133, 160086528 sectors:

ata3: dev 0 configured for UDMA/133

ata3: dev 1 configured for UDMA/133

scsi2 : sata_promise

  Vendor: ATA       Model: Maxtor 6Y080L0    Rev: YAR4

  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 05

  Vendor: ATA       Model: Maxtor 6Y080L0    Rev: YAR4

  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 05

SCSI device sda: 160086528 512-byte hdwr sectors (81964 MB)

SCSI device sda: drive cache: write back

SCSI device sda: 160086528 512-byte hdwr sectors (81964 MB)

SCSI device sda: drive cache: write back

 /dev/scsi/host2/bus0/target0/lun0: p1 p2

Attached scsi disk sda at scsi2, channel 0, id 0, lun 0

SCSI device sdb: 160086528 512-byte hdwr sectors (81964 MB)

SCSI device sdb: drive cache: write back

SCSI device sdb: 160086528 512-byte hdwr sectors (81964 MB)

SCSI device sdb: drive cache: write back

 /dev/scsi/host2/bus0/target1/lun0: p1 p2 p3 p4

Attached scsi disk sdb at scsi2, channel 0, id 1, lun 0

Attached scsi generic sg0 at scsi2, channel 0, id 0, lun 0,  type 0

Attached scsi generic sg1 at scsi2, channel 0, id 1, lun 0,  type 0

```

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