Thomas Ronayne <trona@REMOVETHISameritech.net> wrote in message news:<BZ89d.14844$Qv5.10060@newssvr33.news.prodigy .com>...

> >>I've got a new Dell 8400 (Pentium 4 3.0 GHz, 1 MB cache, 800 MHz FSB, 1
> >>GB 400 MHz SDRAM, 160 GB SATA 7200 RPM drive, 128 MB PCI Express x16 ATI
> >>Radeon X300 SE video, Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit Advanced HD Audio, 100
> >>dB/Dolby, and, alas, XP professional) on the way. Assuming that Dell
> >>

Thomas,
I've got a Dell8400 2 months ago, without the SoundBlaster Live! but
appears to be of the same specs. ( Sound from ICH6 ,working well )

The SATA ports are seen with kernel-2.6.8.1, but the libata driver can't
boot my SATA drives ( WD 160 GB and 200 GB ). I had to switch the BIOS
back to ATA/133 compatible mode. ie the SATA drives are functioning like
ATA/133 drives, but with SCSI emulation viz /dev/sda & /dev/sdb :-(
I am convinced that the libata driver does not currently access the ICH6
controllers fully, in the Intel-925 chipsets.

I have, however made a bootable Slack-10 cd using the method as outlined
by Cichlidiot et al., but with a 2.6.8.1 kernel from korg. This cd
served as an Installation Disk ( Slackware-10.0-installation-disk1 ) for
my Slack-10 system on the Dell-8400 Intel-925 chipset system.

micctoh

Michael Toh wrote:

>Thomas Ronayne <trona@REMOVETHISameritech.net> wrote in message news:<BZ89d.14844$Qv5.10060@newssvr33.news.prodigy .com>...
>
>
>
>>>>I've got a new Dell 8400 (Pentium 4 3.0 GHz, 1 MB cache, 800 MHz FSB, 1
>>>>GB 400 MHz SDRAM, 160 GB SATA 7200 RPM drive, 128 MB PCI Express x16 ATI
>>>>Radeon X300 SE video, Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit Advanced HD Audio, 100
>>>>dB/Dolby, and, alas, XP professional) on the way. Assuming that Dell
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
>Thomas,
>I've got a Dell8400 2 months ago, without the SoundBlaster Live! but
>appears to be of the same specs. ( Sound from ICH6 ,working well )
>
>The SATA ports are seen with kernel-2.6.8.1, but the libata driver can't
>boot my SATA drives ( WD 160 GB and 200 GB ). I had to switch the BIOS
>back to ATA/133 compatible mode. ie the SATA drives are functioning like
>ATA/133 drives, but with SCSI emulation viz /dev/sda & /dev/sdb :-(
>I am convinced that the libata driver does not currently access the ICH6
>controllers fully, in the Intel-925 chipsets.
>
>I have, however made a bootable Slack-10 cd using the method as outlined
>by Cichlidiot et al., but with a 2.6.8.1 kernel from korg. This cd
>served as an Installation Disk ( Slackware-10.0-installation-disk1 ) for
>my Slack-10 system on the Dell-8400 Intel-925 chipset system.
>
>micctoh
>
>
I've built a 2.6.8.1 kernel (including CONFIG_SCSI_ATA_PIIX=y) and can
get as far as kernel panic trying to boot it. Looking at the BIOS
settings, for the life of me I cannot see how to change to ATA/133 (any
hints?). Did I miss something in the kernel confiuration -- I let it
compile with the default, which I think is "everything," and checked to
see that ...ATA_PIIX=y was there (it is). The one thing I have done is
leave XP on the the thing (repartitioned with Partition Magic), which
may be a problem but I've run out of ideas.

How did you do the ATA/133 thing?

Thanks

Thomas Ronayne <trona@REMOVETHISameritech.net> wrote in message news:<416D5277.8060900@REMOVETHISameritech.net>...

> >
> >
> I've built a 2.6.8.1 kernel (including CONFIG_SCSI_ATA_PIIX=y) and can
> get as far as kernel panic trying to boot it. Looking at the BIOS
> settings, for the life of me I cannot see how to change to ATA/133 (any
> hints?). Did I miss something in the kernel confiuration -- I let it
> compile with the default, which I think is "everything," and checked to
> see that ...ATA_PIIX=y was there (it is). The one thing I have done is
> leave XP on the the thing (repartitioned with Partition Magic), which
> may be a problem but I've run out of ideas.
>
> How did you do the ATA/133 thing?
>
> Thanks

Hi,

XP can stay in the /dev/sda2 , with DELL Utility partition as /dev/sda1.
I think your 2.6.8.1 build is OK, as it is -
I have under the Low-level SCSI stuff: CONFIG_SCSI_SATA=y and
CONFIG_SCSI_ATA_PIIX=y

This kernel is not able to boot the computer if the BIOS setup
is configured for RAID/AUTODETECT/AHCI (factory-default) - the libata
driver can't grok the ICH6 AHCI/matrix controller

I changed the SATA OPerations options in the BIOS setup (F2) to
"Combination" ( ie SATA/PATA combined controller mode) and the SATA
drives can then be seen and configured by the BIOS. Your system may
or may not be able to do this - depending on whether your MOBO from
DELL is identical to mine ( different region ? ) I am still running
the factory-original BIOS version A00 ( June 2004 ). Your motherboard
may have come with the latest A02 updated BIOS ( see DELL's support page ).

In order to avoid confusion from discussing different motherboard
incarnations, my system is the Dimension8400 P4 PSCT 3.0 Ghz/800 MHz fsb.

At BIOS-SETUP (F2),--->
Drives options----->SATA OPERATIONS--->
Raid Auto AHCI / Raid Auto ATA / Raid Only/ Combination
^^^^^^^^^
Choose SATA/PATA combination mode.
Drive 0 ------------> Controller-ON Serial-ATA
Port - SATA 0

Drive 2 -------------> Controller-ON Serial-ATA
Port - SATA 2

Hope your motherboard is the same as mine.
For now, I'll live with combined mode SATA/PATA operations and
run the SATA drives as fast ATA/133 devices. That means I can't use
the WinXP stuff ( no loss ) as setup from factory-DELL.

When 2.6.9 or later comes on stream, I hope that the INTEL-925X chipset
and Controller components (ICH6) will be accurately configured - for Slack-11?

Best of luck !

mick.

Michael:

Wow! Thanks for all of that -- tells me what I didn't have a clue about.
Off to recompile a kernel (with the one thing I forgot) and burn another
CD and see what happens.

Thomas

Michael Toh wrote:

>Thomas Ronayne <trona@REMOVETHISameritech.net> wrote in message news:<416D5277.8060900@REMOVETHISameritech.net>...
>
>
>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>I've built a 2.6.8.1 kernel (including CONFIG_SCSI_ATA_PIIX=y) and can
>>get as far as kernel panic trying to boot it. Looking at the BIOS
>>settings, for the life of me I cannot see how to change to ATA/133 (any
>>hints?). Did I miss something in the kernel confiuration -- I let it
>>compile with the default, which I think is "everything," and checked to
>>see that ...ATA_PIIX=y was there (it is). The one thing I have done is
>>leave XP on the the thing (repartitioned with Partition Magic), which
>>may be a problem but I've run out of ideas.
>>
>>How did you do the ATA/133 thing?
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>
>
>Hi,
>
>XP can stay in the /dev/sda2 , with DELL Utility partition as /dev/sda1.
>I think your 2.6.8.1 build is OK, as it is -
>I have under the Low-level SCSI stuff: CONFIG_SCSI_SATA=y and
>CONFIG_SCSI_ATA_PIIX=y
>
>This kernel is not able to boot the computer if the BIOS setup
>is configured for RAID/AUTODETECT/AHCI (factory-default) - the libata
>driver can't grok the ICH6 AHCI/matrix controller
>
>I changed the SATA OPerations options in the BIOS setup (F2) to
>"Combination" ( ie SATA/PATA combined controller mode) and the SATA
>drives can then be seen and configured by the BIOS. Your system may
>or may not be able to do this - depending on whether your MOBO from
>DELL is identical to mine ( different region ? ) I am still running
>the factory-original BIOS version A00 ( June 2004 ). Your motherboard
>may have come with the latest A02 updated BIOS ( see DELL's support page ).
>
>In order to avoid confusion from discussing different motherboard
>incarnations, my system is the Dimension8400 P4 PSCT 3.0 Ghz/800 MHz fsb.
>
>At BIOS-SETUP (F2),--->
> Drives options----->SATA OPERATIONS--->
> Raid Auto AHCI / Raid Auto ATA / Raid Only/ Combination
> ^^^^^^^^^
> Choose SATA/PATA combination mode.
> Drive 0 ------------> Controller-ON Serial-ATA
> Port - SATA 0
>
> Drive 2 -------------> Controller-ON Serial-ATA
> Port - SATA 2
>
>Hope your motherboard is the same as mine.
>For now, I'll live with combined mode SATA/PATA operations and
>run the SATA drives as fast ATA/133 devices. That means I can't use
>the WinXP stuff ( no loss ) as setup from factory-DELL.
>
>When 2.6.9 or later comes on stream, I hope that the INTEL-925X chipset
>and Controller components (ICH6) will be accurately configured - for Slack-11?
>
>Best of luck !
>
>mick.
>
>