# MCP65 sata_nv or ahci?

## grafrotz

I know, there are other Threads about this theme, but i do not understand.    :Sad: 

How to install more than one (three) sata-harddisks at the MCP65-Chipset-SATA-Controller?

With the current gentoo-2007.0-amd64-live-cd i only see the first harddisk (/dev/sda). sdb and sdc should be there, but they are not. same with knoppix 5.1.1, is only sees /dev/sda. 

Which is the correct (better) sata-controller-setting in the BIOS? "AHCI" or "no-RAID"? 

Perhaps the combination SATA-Controller-BIOS-Setting=AHCI and the linux kernel 2.6.24.3 let me use all three harddisks? Or do i need linux kernel 2.6.25.x ?

Is is a good idea to wait for the install-amd64-2008.0 release to get a new kernel while installation?

What is the best configuration for the kernel-.config? Any hints?

Hardware:

  Mainboard: Asrock ALiveNF5-eSATA2+ R3.0

  Chipset: nvidia MCP65 (=nforce 520).

  BIOS Options for the SATA-Controller: AHCI, no-RAID or RAID.  (I do not need any RAID-Mode)

  three brandnew SATA-harddisks connected to the three first ports at the mainboard. 

  BIOS posts all three harddissks. 

Thank you for helping me.

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## NeddySeagoon

grafrotz,

Please post the output of lspci.

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## grafrotz

i am not at the machine at the moment, but i remember the line:

  nvidia corporation MCP 65 SATA controller (rev a3)

i try to post the whole output soon. 

knoppix and gentoo-live-cd seem to use the (an old) sata_nv driver.

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## NeddySeagoon

grafrotz,

I suspect you have several SATA interfaces. You need drivers for them all.

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## grafrotz

i have 4 connectors for sata cables on the asrock mainboard. what do you mean with interfaces?

i think it is one controller for all 4 sata connectors...

otherwise: i use to load one driver for different identical devices - so i do not understand what you mean.

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## NeddySeagoon

grafrotz,

Interfaces is a term to describe how the SATA connectors are connetced to your CPU.

As you say, It may be one interface for all four SATA connectors.

If that were true, then all your drives would work.

I suspect that you need two different drivers because your SATA connecors are arranged in pairs.

Your lspci output will show exactly whats neded.

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## grafrotz

i hoped somebody would help who have the same chipset or the same mainboard. 

now this thread here will be long and bad and useless like all the others i found...

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## NeddySeagoon

grafrotz,

To help you we need to know what electronics are on your mainboard.

Someone with the same mainboard as you can have a different revision, with different electronics.

Help us to help you. Post the output of the lspci command please.

```
lspci > lspci.txt
```

will put the information we need into a file.

lspci is provided no the liveCD

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## grafrotz

this works finally:

BIOS: sata->ahci

kernel boot-option:  pci=nomsi

so the driver ahci is used (build in the kernel, not as a module).

from the gentoo install-amd64-cd-2007.0 i needed to start "gentoo pci=nomsi" while booting. 

in the gentoo installed on harddisk, i used append="pci=nomsi" in the lilo.conf. 

i have no lspci output available, sorry. 

for the network i needed r8169 (found in the gigabit section in device drivers). 

(forcedeth do not work on this mainboard).

finally i must say: the documentation on the nvidia homepage for chipsets is not clear, should be better. 

[ next question is: which cflags are best for an amd athlon x2 be-2400? (please move to the right thread) ]

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