I need help to install drivers for my Promise controller

[clvn]

Hi!

First of all, sorry for my bad language!

I have a Promise Fasttrak TX 4200 Sata controller i want to use in my fileserver. My plan was to use Ubuntu on that server, because everything where supposed to be easy to maintain/install.

Here is the download webpage for my controller. I downloaded the "FastTrak TX2200/TX4200 Linux Source Code" for Linux Kernel 2.4. (i think im currently using kernel 2.6)..

Here is the "readme" file:

/**********************************************************************************

*   PROMISE FastTrak TX2200/TX2300/TX4200/TX4300/579/779 Series Linux Driver README

*

*   PROMISE Linux support team <support@promise.com.tw>   2005/02/14

***********************************************************************************/

	

How to make Driver Module (UP/SMP) of FastTrak , and load it?



1.) Please make sure you have linux kernel source code at ("/usr/src/linux"),

    and gcc version is 3.x by issuing Linux command :

    # gcc -v



2.) Set Kernel Compiling Environment on Linux System

    # cd /usr/src/linux/, if no linux exist, make a symbolic link to proper linux source directory.

    # make mrproper

    # Please note and make sure the release version string in "/usr/src/linux/Makefile" is match with the kenel version string you want to build with, else the build or the insert will be NOT properly.

    # "make config" or "make menuconfig" or "make xconfig"

	To set kernel config items as you wish as below,

	Processor type and features/Processor family

	Processor type and features/High Memory Support

	Processor type and features/Symmetric multi-processing support

    # make dep clean



3.) Goto directory where PROMISE driver codes is located and edit Makefile.



4.) Choose right parameters in Makefile, default parameter is GENERIC.

#$(CC) $(GENERIC) -c $*.c 

	$(CC) $(SuSE) -c $*.c 

#$(CC) $(TURBO) -c $*.c 

#$(CC) $(MDK) -c $*.c 

     ex:	GENERIC	 for most common case

		SuSE	 for SuSE linux common case

		TURBO	 for Turbo linux common case

		MDK      for Mandrake linux common case

 

    Or modify it for suitable your system, each item only one can be used.



5.) Issue Linux command to make FastTrak(UP/SMP) driver: ftsata2.o



    	#make or #make all



    If Dual Processor system



	#make smp



6.) Be sure to load scsi_mod.o before "insmod ftsata2.o".



7.) You can copy this module to /lib/modules/2.4.x/kernel/drivers/scsi/

    as current kernel's modules location.



8.) Issue "cat /proc/scsi/ftsata2/x" (x is a SCSI host number) to get the

    RAID array status.

My first problem:
" # cd /usr/src/linux/, if no linux exist, make a symbolic link to proper linux source directory."
Well, there is noe files in that folder. Then i have to make a symbolic link, but i dont know what that link should point to..

I think my next problem will be this line:
"# Please note and make sure the release version string in "/usr/src/linux/Makefile" is match with the kenel version string you want to build with, else the build or the insert will be NOT properly."

Can someone help me out here? Im realy stuck! (if anyone can recomend a distro who's working with my controller and my Via mi1200 mainboard "out of the box", that would be fantstic!)

Thanks, clvn!

[cuiq]

Looks like you need to install the kernel source. This is not usually installed by default. So you need to determine which kernel you have by typing this in a shell.

uname -a

Once you have that information you can download the source files.


Peace V

[AuroraSkyes]

Yes I've been having a very similar problem but with the Fasttrak TX4000/376/378/S150 TX. I have been trying to use my RAID controller with Fedora Core 4. I've been looking for an answer myself and have found many sites all saying that the only way to make this controller work is to download the source code for the driver on the promise website and compile it yourself. From what I have read you need to have the distro installed and you must compile the driver into the kernel. You need to take the new kernel and reinstall the distro and specify that you want to use the complied kernel. I have had no luck with this myself, but I continue trying. I have gotten far enough to attempt to compile the kernal but it always fails. You have a very similar problem to me hopefully we can share info to find an answer.