<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9"> <TITLE>Root RAID HOWTO cookbook: What you need BEFORE YOU START</TITLE> <LINK HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-3.html" REL=next> <LINK HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-1.html" REL=previous> <LINK HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO.html#toc2" REL=contents> </HEAD> <BODY> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-3.html">Next</A> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-1.html">Previous</A> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO.html#toc2">Contents</A> <HR> <H2><A NAME="s2">2. What you need BEFORE YOU START</A></H2> <P>The packages you need and the documentation that answers the most common questions about setting up and running raid are listed below. Please review them throughly. <P> <H2><A NAME="ss2.1">2.1 Required Packages</A> </H2> <P>You need to obtain the most recent versions of these packages. <UL> <LI>a linux kernel that supports raid, initrd and /dev/loopx <BLOCKQUOTE> I used <A HREF="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel/">linux-2.0.33</A> from sunsite </BLOCKQUOTE> </LI> <LI> <A HREF="ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/raid/">raid145-971022-2.0.31</A> patch adds support for raid1/4/5</LI> <LI> <A HREF="ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/raid/">raidtools-pre3-0.42</A> tools to create and maintain raid devices (documentation too).</LI> <LI> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-12.html#Appendix-E">Gadi's raid stop patch</A> in Appendix E.</LI> <LI> <A HREF="ftp://ftp.inria.fr/INRIA/Projects/cristal/Xavier.Leroy">linuxthreads-0.71</A> required threads package. Use ftp, browser doesn't work ftp.inria.fr/INRIA/Projects/cristal/Xavier.Leroy</LI> <LI>A Linux distribution, ready to install. <BLOCKQUOTE> I used <A HREF="ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/linux">Slackware-3.4</A></BLOCKQUOTE> </LI> </UL> Helpful but not required <UL> <LI> <A HREF="ftp://ftp.bizsystems.com/pub/raid/">raidboot-0.01.tar.gz</A> pre-built raid rescue/boot system.</LI> </UL> <P>The detailed instructions in this document are based on the above packages. If the packages have been updated or you use a different linux distribution, you may have to modify the procedures you find here. <P>The patches, tool assortment, etc... may vary with 2.1 kernels. Please check the most recent documentation at: <P> <BLOCKQUOTE> <A HREF="ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/raid/">ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/raid/</A></BLOCKQUOTE> <P> <H2><A NAME="ss2.2">2.2 Other similar implementations.</A> </H2> <P>I chose to include in the kernel all of the pieces necessary to run from boot without loading any modules. My kernel image is a little over 300k compressed. <P>Take a look at <A HREF="mailto:welbon@bga.com">Ed Welbon's</A> <B>initrd.md.tar.gz</B> for another way to make a bootable raid device. He uses loadable modules. A look at his concise scripts will show you how it is done if you need a very small kernel with modules. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE> <A HREF="http://www.realtime.net/~welbon/initrd.md.tar.gz">http://www.realtime.net/~welbon/initrd.md.tar.gz</A></BLOCKQUOTE> <P> <H2><A NAME="ss2.3">2.3 Documentation -- Recommended Reading</A> </H2> <P><B>Please read:</B> <BLOCKQUOTE> <B>/usr/src/linux/Documentation/initrd.txt</B> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P> <P>as well as the documentation and man pages that accompany the raidtools set. In particular, read <B>man mdadd</B> as well as the <B>QuickStart.RAID</B> document included in the raidtools package. <P> <P>You may also wish to review: <UL> <LI> <A HREF="http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO.html">BootPrompt-HOWTO</A></LI> <LI><B>man lilo</B></LI> <LI><B>man lilo.conf</B></LI> </UL> <P> <H2><A NAME="ss2.4">2.4 RAID resources</A> </H2> <P> <UL> <LI> <A HREF="http://http://www.linas.org/linux/Software-RAID/Software-RAID.html">www.linas.org/linux/Software-RAID/Software-RAID.html</A></LI> <LI> <A HREF="http://www.ssc.com/lg/issue17/raid.html">www.ssc.com/lg/issue17/raid.html</A></LI> <LI> <A HREF="http://linas.org/linux/raid.html">linas.org/linux/raid.html</A></LI> <LI> <A HREF="ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/raid/">ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/raid/</A></LI> <LI> <A HREF="http://www.realtime.net/~welbon/initrd.md.tar.gz">www.realtime.net/~welbon/initrd.md.tar.gz</A></LI> <LI> <A HREF="http://luthien.nuclecu.unam.mx/~miguel/raid/">luthien.nuclecu.unam.mx/~miguel/raid/</A></LI> </UL> Mailing lists can be joined at: <UL> <LI> <A HREF="mailto:majordomo@nuclecu.unam.mx">majordomo@nuclecu.unam.mx</A><I> send a message to</I> <B>subscribe raiddev</B><P>send mail to: <A HREF="mailto:raiddev@nuclecu.unam.mx">raiddev@nuclecu.unam.mx</A></LI> <LI> <A HREF="mailto:majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu">majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu</A><I> send a message to</I> <B>subscribe linux-raid</B><P>send mail to: <A HREF="mailto:linux-raid@vger.rutgers.edu">linux-raid@vger.rutgers.edu</A> <I>(this seems to be the most active list)</I> </LI> </UL> <P> <HR> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-3.html">Next</A> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO-1.html">Previous</A> <A HREF="Root-RAID-HOWTO.html#toc2">Contents</A> </BODY> </HTML>