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On 08/03/2022 15:33, fraser kendall wrote:
Hello,
I am trying to install Devuan {Beowulf server (CD), Chimaera minimal
(USB)} on the above machine. It has a 100M EFI partition 1, W10
(partition 2, 116G, shrunk from 370G), [vacated free space for linux
after shrinking, ~250G], and a Windows recovery partition 5 (~520M). The
machine boots Windows 10 reliably with UEFI. I would like to keep the
W10 installation if possible.
However, despite two days of effort, I cannot get the machine to boot
linux from the hard drive. The first problem was not detecting disks
during installation, although after switching to legacy boot, the
installer found the disks; partitioning and installation then completed
as expected. The machine, however, failed to boot (no bootable image)
after this 'successful' installation. I grub-installed to the
'removable media path' as advised,, but I did use a 'targeted' not a
'generic' initrd; this last has not been a problem before.
I have disabled the RAID according to these instructions.
https://www.dell.com/community/PowerEdge-HDD-SCSI-RAID/Linux-installation-doesn-t-find-physical-disks-on-R320/td-p/7659439
The BIOS reports that there are no hard drives present, despite being
able to boot Windows. I have tried to add boot devices to the UEFI
menu, I can add the DVD drive, and boot from the Beowulf CD, which
then fails at the detect disks stage; I can add the USB, but it doesn't
launch the installer. I am also given a list of 3 or 4 entries (which
look like they might be partitions, although they are all identical),
although adding them causes either an 'Input not supported' error or
a 'no bootable device found'. I have changed the SATA controller from
RAID to AHCI. Is there anything that I've missed?
This is a newly-purchased, refurbished machine, and so I don't really
want to open the case, just in case something is broken (although I
can't think what) and under warrenty (unlikely). But as a last resort,
what would happen if I removed the RAID card and connected the two
drives as SATA? Would the BIOS then manage this automagically? Is there
a master (independent) BIOS image stored on the motherboard, with a
lesser one on the controller, and configured independently via the F12 menu.
Many thanks, sorry for the amount of text
PERC H310s in those older R3* PowerEdges are the devils own work.Underneath the horrible Dell firmware they are just LSI SAS 2008 chipset cards and the process of flashing them to IT mode is fortunately very well documented, for example:
https://www.vladan.fr/flash-dell-perc-h310-with-it-firmware/ https://www.sanderh.dev/flashing-your-Dell-Perc-to-IT-firmware/Don't bother persevering with the system as is, it won't work. If you need hardware RAID and want to install Linux and Windows beside each other on the array you'll need to upgrade to a "proper" RAID HBA instead of one of the crippled Dell PERCs. Warning: for pro grade server systems Dell restrict access to advanced HBA and chipset feature firmware downloads behind paywalls which you're unlikely to be able to access.
Don't fear opening the case, it won't void any warranty you have. You'll also find that your server motherboard only has one or maybe two SATA ports in the conventional sense: all disks are supposed to be connected via the SAS or SATA backplanes provided by your HBA. Crack the lid and take a look, you'll see what I mean. Basically all disks attach to your RAID card - it's a server.
Put the system into UEFI, flash the 310 to IT mode and then you can do what you want. All of this plus the install itself can be done via the integrated iDRAC... if you've got the license for it.
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