Re: RH 7.0 install failure Adaptec 1542C SCSI

On Wed, 16 Oct 2002 14:00:24 -0500
[email protected] wrote:

> 
> Hi Tom,
> I appreciate your help.
> Unfortunately I tried both expert mode with either aha154x or
> aha154x with parameters aha1542=0x330 as well as typing at the boot:
> prompt linux aha1542=0x330 buslogic=0x340 which it accepted but then
> took me to the standard install screens which then prompt me for the
> driver disk and it fails again with the same message:
> 
>  error 2 reading header:  cpio:  bad magic
> 
> The board is an adaptec aha1542cp, defaulted io330, irq11, dma5, id
> 7
> 
> Any other idea's?  I've searched the web until my fingers have bled.
>  Again
> the unit will autoboot linux off the CD as well as Win95 off the HDD
> so the hardware works.  Linux 7.0 just doesn't like it.
> 
> 
> 
  The Adaptec 1542 came in a variety of configurations, c, cf, cp,
etc. Mine is the 'c' one.
  Just to check, I tried to re-installed linux on the machine with the
adapter, and in worked in both regular and 'expert' mode by adding the
aha1542=0x130 ( my scsi board's setting) to the options after putting
in the redhat drivers floppy and selecting aha154x as the driver.
  That said, we just had a series of posts on the redhat-list
concerning the 1542cp. But there, the problem was that it wouldn't be
recognized at boot unless scsi support was compiled into the kernel,
rather than left as a module. And, the kernel was a 2.4 one.
  I would try:

   a.) expert mode, nothing at the "boot:" prompt. When it asks for a
drver disk, put in the one you made with rawrite. Highlight the
aha154x choice, then <tab> to highlight the optional parameters line
and enter aha1542=0x330

   b.) the same procedure as above, but Buslogic=0x340 on the optional
paramenter line after selecting the aha154x.

    c.) Try this suggestion from the FAQ on my RH6.0 install cd:

     4.12 My AHA1542C doesn't work with Linux.

  " The option to allow disks with more than 1024 cylinders is only
   required as a workaround for a PC-compatible BIOS misfeature and
   should be turned `off' under Linux. For older Linux kernels you
need
   to turn off most of the `advanced BIOS' options--all but the one
about
   scanning the bus for bootable devices."

  On my scsi adapter (advanced configuration):

   reset scsi bus at power-on = enabled
   hostadapter bios                = enabled
   system boot controlled by bios = enabled
   immediate return to seek command = enabled
   display CTRL-A message            = enabled
 
  Everything else in the advanced section is set to 'disabled.'

                             Best,

                             Tom