[LBo] Linux Drivers

[Brice Hunt]

Tech wrote:
> <Snip>I found this page and had read it. I don't have the option to
> make SATA look like PATA in my bios. I can only have 2 PATA devices
> and I am already using them both (1 for the dvd and the other for
> another PATA hard disk that I use for /home. Installing on a different
> PATA and then moving means shifting partitions around which I am not
> that comfortable doing just yet. So, I want to get this working.
>
> This MB is an AM2NF6G-VSTA made by ASRock (www.asrock.com). I do have
> the sata-nv.ko module that Brice told me about. I pulled it out of one
> of the RPM packages. I will schedule some time (maybe Monday morning
> at 4 am) to try again with the module on a cd so I can load it when
> asked.
>
>
I found this clue in the manual for your motherboard:

"If you just want to install Windows® 2000, Windows® XP, Windows® XP 64-bit,
Windows® VistaTM or Windows® VistaTM 64-bit on your SATA / SATAII HDDs
without
RAID functions, you don’t have to make a SATA / SATAII driver diskette.
Besides,
there is no need for you to change the BIOS setting. You can start to
install Windows®
2000, Windows® XP, Windows® XP 64-bit, Windows® VistaTM or Windows® VistaTM
64-bit on your system directly."

I've installed Windows XP to non-raid SATA drives a couple of times
before.  I've _always_ had to use an SATA driver diskette to get Windows
to even recognize the drive's existence.  The manual states that, unless
your putting Windows on an NV Raid you _don't_ need a driver diskette to
simply install to a single SATA drive.  This smacks of some sort of
custom, proprietary programming in the BIOS designed to make it easier
for Windows to install to and use the SATA chipset without drivers.  Now
the following diagnosis is just a guess, but my guess is that this may
be why you're having trouble loading drivers and getting some distros to
install.  Custom BIOS's are often buggy and report things to OS's in a
way that could mess up an installation or the loading of a driver
module.  It looks like this motherboard is targeted to gamers and
overclockers that plan on running Windows Vista and so it's not likely
that you'll get a "fixed" bios from ASRock anytime soon.  Looks like the
only real solutions are to stick with and use a version of Linux that
installs and runs correctly or to get a different motherboard without
the proprietary BIOS extensions.

Brice