How to add boot support for megaraid controller (PERC 5i)? <SOLVED>

[dcung]

I have an old Dell server (PE9250).
I currently use USB stick to boot DebianDog, works fine.
I prefer to boot from its HDD if possible.
It has PERC 5i controller, which my reading indicated that I need to add megaraid_sas driver to boot from it.

I came across this viewtopic.php?p=136004#p136004

- Found that it didn't boot from my nvme drive
- Made some changes for initrd creating to support nvme

This is what I get when I boot of the HDD.
How do I add support for megaraid_sas ?

perc5i-boot.jpg (86.07 KiB) Viewed 376 times

[fredx181]

@dcung
First must say that I don't know and cannot test, but may be worth trying for you by adding megaraid_sas to the kernel modules in the initrd1.xz.
Therefore edit '/usr/local/cr-initrd/mkinitrd' by adding: copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/megaraid/megaraid_sas.*
edit: also perhaps copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_sas.*
EDIT; Ooops..., almost forgot: also add megaraid_sas and scsi_transport_sas to: '/usr/local/cr-initrd/initramfs/modlist'
So then e.g. looks like this:

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#copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_*.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_amd.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_atiixp.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_jmicron.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_marvell.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_mpiix.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_pcmcia.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_pata_sil680.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_pata_sis.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/ata/pata_pata_via.*
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/megaraid/megaraid_sas.*  # <<<<-----
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_sas.*   # <<<<-----

# network support drivers
....

And run /usr/local/cr-initrd/mkinitrd to create new initrd1.xz (in /tmp/)
But there may be more required to add to initrd1.xz

Also, it may work booting with live-boot (initrd.img), it has much more included.

[hikohan]

Seems Dell PowerEdge 2950's mainboard DP-249
built-in a SATA plug for disk/CD-ROM.

Maybe this way easist.

Tried Precisepup32 on AMD MP with Ultra-160 SCSI.

[dcung]

@fredx181
Adding megaraid driver - works!
It boots of HDD now. Thanks.
.
.
.

Also, it may work booting with live-boot (initrd.img), it has much more included.

I never use initrd.img -
Do you mean boot of usb with ISO that has initrd.img?
Could you elaborate how to use initrd.img?

[rockedge]

Could you elaborate how to use initrd.img?

I think you can just modify the boot stanza's in the grub.cfg or menu.lst like shown in the example:

Open the one that is relevant to you and in the boot stanza's on the initrd line

Change:

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initrd /my_frugal_install_dir/initrd.gz

To:

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initrd /my_frugal_install_dir/initrd.img

[dcung]

I think you can just modify the boot stanza's in the grub.cfg or menu.lst like shown in the example:
Change:

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initrd /my_frugal_install_dir/initrd.gz

To:

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initrd /my_frugal_install_dir/initrd.img

Got it. Thanks.

I tried it, but in my (this) case, it didn't finish booting.
Drop to initramfs prompt.

[fredx181]

@dcung

For example this (grub4dos):

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title DebianDog live-boot-3x (sda1)
root=(hd0,0) 
kernel /live/vmlinuz1 boot=live config swapon quickreboot noeject
initrd /live/initrd.img 

Or if live is in e.g. folder "debdog"

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title DebianDog live-boot-3x in /debdog/ (sda1)
root=(hd0,0) 
kernel /debdog/live/vmlinuz1 boot=live live-media-path=/debdog/live/ config  swapon quickreboot noeject
initrd /debdog/live/initrd.img

For saving changes, add persistence, but if you haven't set it up, it won't work (rather inconvenient to setup and restricted to: a whole partition or a save file (not folder))
EDIT: Here's a ready made persistence file http://www.smokey01.com/saintless//1Gb- ... ive-rw.zip , extract and copy to the root of a partition (so e.g. /mnt/sda1/persistence) and it should be found (and add persistence to the kernel command line)
(sometime ago that I used live-boot, so not sure if all works)

[dcung]

@fredx181

I modified my boot stanza accordingly - per your example.
The Dell PE2950 can now boot of its HDD - both initrd1.xz and initrd.img work.
Noticed that initrd.img load more stuff than initrd1.xz.

Thanks for the tip.

[dcung]

I thought to continue this thread rather than create a new one - let me know if new one is preferred.

I also have old Dell PE2850.
Same issue, I use USB stick to boot DebianDog - works fine.
Also prefer to boot of its HDD - if possible.

It has a PERC 4e/Di controller.
With this PE2850, you can choose to use it as RAID card, normal SCSI, or disable it completely. I have used/tried all in the past.
Nowadays, I prefer to use it as normal SCSI - easier to swap my SCSI disks archive/collection.

My reading of various postings, indicated that I need to add either mpt3sas, sym53cxxx (chipset 53c1030), megaraid/megaraid2 or who knows - depend on configured as RAID or SCSI too I guess.

When used as SCSI, during boot - it displays
LSI Logic 1020/1030 MPT Boot Rom

When used as RAID, during boot - it displays
PERC 4e/Di LSI Logic BIOS bla bla bla..

@fredx181
How do I get the correct driver module/name needed for mkinitrd?
Can I get it of lspci or something?
Note - PE2850 use SCSI drives, PE2950 use SAS/SATA drives.

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copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mpt3sas.*  # PE2850
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/megaraid/megaraid.*  # PE2850
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport.*   # PE2850

[fredx181]

@dcung
Yes, with lspci, I guess.
lspci | grep -i LSI or perhaps lspci | grep -i SCSI
Note the number at front, say it's 00:02.0 , then get verbose output:
lspci -s 00:02.0 -v
And it should show the kernel module / driver.

EDIT:

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...
...
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport.*   # PE2850

If you want all "start_with...." e.g. scsi_transport make it scsi_transport*.* (not scsi_transport.*)

[dcung]

@fredx181

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#lspci | grep -i LSI

02:05.0 SCSI storage controller: Broadcom / LSI 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI (rev 08)
02:05.1 SCSI storage controller: Broadcom / LSI 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI (rev 08)
02:05.0 SCSI storage controller: Broadcom / LSI 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI (rev 08)

#lspci -s 02:05.0 -v

	Subsystem: Dell 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI
	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 72, IRQ 18
	I/O ports at ec00 [size=256]
	Memory at fe9f0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
	Memory at fe9e0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
	Expansion ROM at fea00000 [disabled] [size=1M]
	Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
	Capabilities: [58] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
	Capabilities: [68] PCI-X non-bridge device
	Kernel driver in use: mptspi
	Kernel modules: mptspi

So, this would do in mkinitrd?

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copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mptspi.*  # PE2850

Any
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_XXX ?

Edit 2:

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copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/mptspi/mptspi.*  # PE2850
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport*.*   # PE2850

Edit 3:
But I looked at

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https://github.com/torvalds/linux/tree/master/drivers/scsi

No mptspi ?

[fredx181]

So, this would do in mkinitrd?

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copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/mptspi.* # PE2850

Don't think so, look in the "full" kernel/drivers/scsi/mpt3sas/ in /lib/modules and mptspi doesn't exist there, it's in kernel/drivers/message/fusion/, so:
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptspi.*

copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_XXX ?

I'd say not needed all, just add copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_spi.*
And add to modlist too. (and mptspi of course)

[dcung]

@fredx181

Yes, that works.
It boots of HDD now.

No way that I would have found it without your assistance.
I was looking only in .../scsi subdiriectory...

Thank you.

[fredx181]

@fredx181

Yes, that works.
It boots of HDD now.

No way that I would have found it without your assistance.
I was looking only in .../scsi subdiriectory...

Thank you.

Great ! Miracles exist !
Thanks to you too ! I will probably make those changes later in mklive setup and upgrade-kernel package.
(perhaps in the meantime you'll test some other weird computers )

[dcung]

(perhaps in the meantime you'll test some other weird computers )

As you wish
For the sake of completeness - and for my future reference.
I setup the PE2850 in RAID configuration too.

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#lspci | grep -i RAID
02:0e.0 RAID bus controller: Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID controller 4 (rev 06)

#lspci -s 02:0e.0 -v
02:0e.0 RAID bus controller: Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID controller 4 (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 4e/Di
	Flags: bus master, stepping, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18
	Memory at f80f0000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64K]
	Memory at fe9c0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
	Expansion ROM at fea00000 [disabled] [size=128K]
	Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
	Capabilities: [d0] MSI: Enable- Count=1/2 Maskable- 64bit+
	Capabilities: [e0] PCI-X non-bridge device
	Kernel driver in use: megaraid
	Kernel modules: megaraid_mbox

So, now I can boot PE2950 and PE2850 of their HDD in RAID and non-RAID mode.

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copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/megaraid/megaraid_sas.*	# PE2950 PERC5i
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_sas.*	# PE2950 PERC5i
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/megaraid/megaraid_mbox.*  # PE2850 PERC4e
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_srp.*	# PE2850 PERC4e
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptspi.*	# PE2850 LSI 53c1030
copy_including_deps /$LMK/kernel/drivers/scsi/scsi_transport_spi.*	# PE2850 LSI 53c1030

<modlist>
megaraid_sas scsi_transport_sas megaraid_mbox mptspi scsi_transport_spi scsi_transport_srp

In RAID config, PE2850 is (noticeably) faster as it then utilized the (onboard DIMM) cache of the controller.
The cache is not used in non-RAID (SCSI) mode.
But I use non-RAID config, to use my collection of SCSI drives easier, .
Someday when I'm not too lazy - these dinosaurs will go to recycling bin or the rubbish tip.