How to install Linux SuSE 8.1 into a HPT 370A RAID0 Array

Download the boot disk image and put it into a blank CD or CD-RW. If you prefer floppy disks, I'll remind you we just entered 21st century. This boot disk contains the a recompiled kernel, with HPT stuff removed, a modified initrd and a new hpt directory holding the recompiled kernel plus the hpt37x2.o module.

Download the rest of the distribution from SuSE if you have not already done it. In my case, I put all the files into a preexistent partition and told install program to read them from there.

Boot the computer using my boot disk. When the boot prompt appears, choose the manual install procedure. It's up to you to choose between text or VGA mode. Presse enter when prompted for the update disc.

After choosing the language and keyboard layout, you're brought to the Main Menu screen. Here you'll choose the Kernel modules (hardware drivers) option to insert the HPT module from the Load IDE/RAID/SCSI modules section.

Press enter when prompted for "hpt32x2" parameters then press enter to close the dialog which confirmed driver insertion. If you get an error message, you can see error messages into console n° 4 (Alt+F4).

Continue the install procedure as suited for your particular system. During hardware detection phase, you'll be prompted to load hptraid and ataraid modules. Be sure to answer "No" to avoid conflicts with the provided hpt37x2 module.

When file copy start, go to the second console (Alt+F2) and copy the module hpt37x2.o from the boot disk to the new install modules tree. Here is an example:

(1) mkdir /media/cdrom
(2) mount -t auto /dev/hdc /media/cdrom
(3) cp /media/cdrom/hpt/hpt37x2.o /mnt/sdx/lib/modules/2.4.19-4GB/kernel/
(4) cd /mnt/boot
(5) mv vmlinuz vmlinuz.old
(6) mv vmlinuz.shipped vmlinuz.shipped.old
(7) cp /media/cdrom/hpt/vmlinuz .
(8) cp vmlinuz vmlinuz.shipped

Notes:
(2) - replace hdc with your actual CD-ROM device assignement
(3) - replace sdx with the partition where you choosed for "/" mount
(5) .. (8) - you should do this just before the end of the installation process. If it fails, let it finish, then restart the system using my boot disk andrestart installation. Now your partitions are already setup, you need only to assign mount points. Then, just before file copy operation, switch to the second console (Alt+F2) and replace vmlinuz as shown.

There's no need to replace initrd as the set-up process correctly creates it (if you copied hpt37x2.o in time).

Have a lot of fun !

If you have questions concerning this subject, !

Legal note : information is provided here as is, without any warranty either implied or express. Me, Valentin Rusu, am not responsible of any eventual data loss that may be provoked by the usage of the binaries and/or method presented here!