How will Mandrake 7.2 cope with my ATA/66 hardware configuration?

[Robster]

Hi, first post here.

I've got Mandrake 7.2 Powerpack Deluxe coming soon and as a total Linux newbie I could do with a bit of pre-emptive help.

This is my current hardware configuration:

PIII 600E
Asus CUBX motherboard
2 x IBM 75GXP 46gb hard drives
Teac CD-540E CD-ROM (IDE)
Plextor 121032A CD-RW (IDE)
Matrox G400MAX graphics
Creative Soundblaster Live! 1024 Player soundcard
U.S. Robotics 56k ISA modem

I understand that I will need to prepare at least two partitions for Linux. I am planning on doing so on the second hard drive.

Both of the drives are set to master and run through the CUBX's onboard CMD ATA/66 controller. My main concern is - will the Mandrake installer be able to cope with the drives through the CMD controller? When I installed Windows 98 and Windows 2000 Pro (I currently run a dual-boot with them both) I had to switch the drives onto the standard IDE controller cards first.

I've seen many threads here discussing how to get ATA/66 to work under Linux but I've not seen this particular problem addressed.

If anyone has experience of similar issues I'd appreciate some advice.

Thanks
Rob

[bdg1983]

Have you checked Mandrake's support website to see if 7.2 supports the ATA66?

I believe there's also a NHF on the subject here and also the one I used myself for my Promise ATA100 controller is here http://linux.nf/stepbystep.htm

I would first try the install and if you then run into problems, start doing the research on installing with the ATA66.

[Datagram]

is that ATA 100 controller built into yer motherboard and by chance is it a Promise?

[Datagram]

Because I was just wondering if Mandrake 7.2 or the new kernel recognized the Promise ATA100 on the install. The board I have is a Asus A7V.

[Robster]

It's a CMD ATA/66 onboard controller.

The main reason I'm querying this is because like a plug-in IDE controller card you need drivers to get the damn thing to work. I've read that 7.2 works OK with ATA/66 but I'm just interested in how the actual install procedure will handle it.

For Windows 2000, I had to switch the drives onto the standard IDE ports for installation, then install the CMD drivers, then physically switch the drives onto the CMD ATA/66 ports.

[Xyphus]

Mandrake 7.2 detects the ATA66 controller card on the Abit boards just fine, and even has built in ATA66 drivers for them, as for the Asus, I am not sure since I don't use the Asus boards. However, I would assume that it *should* work fine with the Asus boards as well..

I just upgraded to the Abit KT7A-RAID which has ATA100 on all IDE connectors. Mandrake 7.2 installed without a hitch on the 3rd IDE connector (RAID-1 Channel)slave drive. I would say the prognosis looks very favoarable the the Asus boards... :)

[Datagram]

GOOD!!!! Thnx for the info!!!

Data

[Robster]

Hey, this is my thread! :)

Thanks for the help chaps.