# AMD64 and SATA

## tom_bxl

Hi Gurus,

I'm trying to install Gentoo using the install-amd64-2004.2-universal.iso image. My hardware is a MSI K8T Neo motherboard with a Western Digital WD1660 SATA drive.

When booting I get the messages:

...

VIA8237SATA: IDE controller at PCI slot 000:00:0f.0

VIA8237SATA: chipset revision 128

VIA8237SATA: 100% native mode on IRQ 17

    ide2: BM-DMA at 0xdc00-0xdc07, BIOS settings: hde:pio, hdf:pio

    ide3: BM-DMA at 0xdc08-0xdc0f, BIOS settings: hdg:pio, hdh:pio

hde: WDC WD1600JD-00HBB0, ATA DISK drive

... 

so I guess the hard drive is properly detected and should be available as /dev/hde. When trying to run fdisk on it, I get the error "Unable to open /dev/hde". Has anyone faced the same situation or do I miss something?

Thanks for any help!

Tom

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## mallchin

Does /dev/hde really exist?

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## tom_bxl

No, I cannot find /dev/hde, but only my CD drives /dev/hdc and /dev/hdd.

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## mallchin

Okay. Does dmesg still proclaim to have mapped a hdd to /dev/hde even though it doesn't really exist?

Your original post says this, I just want to be clear.

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## r3pek

how about an /dev/sda1 ?????

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## jchahn

I had the same problem.  When it first gets to the prompt, type  'modprobe ide-disk' .   Once I did that, it automatically detected the drive and put it in the right spot.

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## Zanicar

Solution: modprobe ide-disks (might just be ide-disk)

Kernel usually compiled to support 2 IDEs, need to load that module to access any beyond /dev/hdb.

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## dperkins

I was having the same problem.  modprobe ide-disk works, but it takes a long time to return.  Any action regarding the drive seems to take minutes to complete, even ls.  What is causing this odd behavior?

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## tom_bxl

Thanks for all replies. I tried loading ide-disk and I now can access the drive but it's also awfully slow; hdparm reports 4.7KB/sec for buffered disk reads. Switching DMA did not help.

There is no /dev/sda1 either.

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## mallchin

Does it let you enable DMA (and show 1 not 0)?

If not you may have the incorrect ide controller selected in the kernel.

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## dperkins

I found the solution to my SATA problems. 

1. Pass noapic to the kernel when booting.   For example: gentoo noapic

     This fixes the very slow response when accessing the disk.

2. Type modprobe ide-disk at the command line.

hde now exists in /dev and can  be mounted.  I assume that this is hde instead of hda because the motherboard also has two conventional IDE controllers.

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## tom_bxl

Hi,

noapic did the trick. Thanks to everyone.

Tom

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## gentoo_user2003

i had same problem and same solution.  info on the 'noapic' option should be added to the section of the amd64 notes where it tells you to type 'modprobe ide-disk'.

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## mallchin

Useful to know when I come to purchase an sata disk.

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## vkpvv

I have 2004.2 universal.iso as well with AMD64 and WD SATA drive.

Still when I boot it takes a while to go to the # and failing w/ "can't access tty: job control turned off"

I tried booting w/ "gentoo noapic". 

It still takes a while to take me to the prompt. 

After getting to the #, when I type "modprobe ide-disk", it fails w/ module not found error.

What am I doing wrong?. I am new to linux.

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## gentoo_user2003

The module should be located at /lib/modules/2.6.7-gentoo-r11-up/kernel/drivers/ide/ide-disk.ko.  Use the 'ls' command to check it is there.

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## vkpvv

I do not see that.

I have /lib/modules/2.6.7-gentoo-r11-up/kernel/drivers/ide/legacy/ide-cs.ko but no other files under this directory or under "/lib/mod..../ide" directory.

how can I get that?

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## mallchin

Try a different CD maybe, 2004.1 could be worth a shot.

I have found some livecd's work better then others and have a couple of trusted ones I use for most installs.

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## gentoo_user2003

Download the iso again, be sure the file name is install-amd64-2004.2-universal.iso, check the md5sum, and burn it again.  I actually used the minimal iso, so you could try that, but they ought to have the same modules on them.

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## vkpvv

I tried the minimal this time. (universal was my first).

Still I see the iso-cs.ko only under the /lib..... directory.

I hope, I am not doing any silly mistakes. Where did u download the minimal from?. 

Should I try something else?

thanks.

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## gentoo_user2003

i downloaded from ftp://files.gentoo.gr/releases/amd64/2004.2/livecd/install-amd64-2004.2-minimal.iso but if you check the md5sum is 8654aad44d6fa5343ec53f21e8aab470 then it doesnt matter where you downloaded it from, you can be sure you have the same file.

Look inside the ISO before you burn it and check that is has the file:

zisofs/lib/modules/2.6.7-gentoo-r11-up/kernel/drivers/ide/ide-disk.ko

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## yama^_^

Hi,

The "gentoo noapic" + "modprobe ide-disk" did the trick for me,

but the the same problem occurs after the installation process.

And when I boot with the installed kernel (with VIA sata support checked) I have no access to the console to type "modprobe ide-disk"

I saw the "module" call inside grub console as a possible workaround but it does not seem to work(or I don't make it work properly).

Does someone has found a way to boot ? (with apic if possible)

Did I miss something ?

By the way, it seems that SATA drive paths are a common issue, so if someone could make a patch with something like "root=ask" "root=scan" it would be greatly appreciated  :Smile: 

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## Stolz

Now I'm installing Gentoo on my new AMD64. I had the same problem with de 2004.2 minimal liveCD, buy modprobe ide-disk solved the problem.

Now I have a quiestion. I don't think anything needs to be emulated here. SATA units are much closer to SCSI than they are to ATA, so I would like the liveCD recognices my drive as an SCSI device. In fact, if you see the Kernel v2.6.8-gentoo-r4 you can read under "ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support":

 *Quote:*   

> Support for SATA (deprecated; conflicts with libata SATA driver)

 

Is there a way to install Gentoo using my drive as an SCSI device? (I mean, using libata)

If I install it using hde method instead of sda, could it be a problem when rebooting my system and trying to use it as an SCSI not and IDE?

Thanks in advice

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## yama^_^

I think I have the answer now. you just need to compile with :

 - scsi-> sata included in the kernel

 - ide branch  support as a module

That way the the kernel will not detect a sata drive with the deprecated driver as a /dev/hdx 

I didn't make any performance test but it seems ok, and dma is enabled by default, good thing because hdparm cannot change that parameter with this driver.

You just have to set the root as /dev/sd[a-z][0-9] in your /etc/fstab when you install.

Now I just figured out that there is no support in 64 bit mode for my wireless card :/

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