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Multiple IDE Controllers

Posted by Cliff on from the it-still-doesn't-beat-SCSI dept.

hornerj asks: "I was just reading the highlights on the 2.4 kernel and I see that Linux currently has support for more than 4 IDE devices. I have always been told that multiple controllers was a thing of the past and that finding a good controller was impossible. Where can I find more information on installing a second IDE controller, for my 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th devices, and where can I find out which IDE controllers are supported? I haven't seen the HOWTO for multiple IDE controllers yet. Is there one? Thanks. "

10 comments

  1. BP6 motherboard by MattMann · · Score: 1
    I don't know what you are referring to, but the BP6 motherboard which is extremely popular right now comes with the "normal" complement of IDE drives, and with a "new" set of IDE connectors for ATA66/UDMA6 drives. So, theoretically, you can plug in 8 IDE devices.

    FWIW, the BIOS "implementation" is similar to motherboard SCSI. There's that entry that says "boot from A/C/SCSI" except now it's the extra IDEs. Then, when you boot, after the normal drive detection , there is the extra drive just like the "Hit Ctrl-A" SCSI boot.

    see the motherboard at http://www.bp6.com/

    1. Re:BP6 motherboard by dufke · · Score: 1

      The BP6 uses a Hotpoint controller for ATA66. Abit also sells these separately, called Hotrod, I think.

      Promise also makes ATA66 controllers, among them IDE RAID (!).

      Linux support? No idea... :-(

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    2. Re:BP6 motherboard by Zurk · · Score: 1

      bp6 works fine in linux.

  2. Promise IDE by Nicodemas · · Score: 1

    You might want to look at some of the solutions at http://www.promise.com/Products/ideraid/ideraid.ht m. I don't know what kind of Linux support is available, but certainly worth checking out.

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  3. Multiple IDE Controllers by nasdaq · · Score: 1

    The Promise Technology Ultra66 pci controller is the best that I have seen yet! It has full support for 95,98,NT,2k Plus they have support for Linux!!! They also make a RAID controller too. The Speed of the ATA66 drives are now fast enough to do real time video rendering w/o dropping frames. Check it out! Nasdaq www.gorked.com

  4. Tertiary & Quaternary controlers by Eponymous_Coward · · Score: 1

    Tertiary & quaternary controlers are what they are sometimes called. That may help you in your searches.

    There's some more info in: /usr/src/linux-2.2.5/Documentation/ide.txt

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  5. Uniform IDE Patch && upto 20 IDE devices by bug1 · · Score: 2

    I have an Abit HPT366 controller card, to give me 4 seperate IDE channels, this is good for software raid people.

    It works fine on my newer via chipset motherboard, but doesnt work on my old intel hx chipset. So having multiple ide cards must need some level of bios support.

    Support for it and the promise card are via the uniform ide patch.

    There is also a patch to support upto 20 or so devices, from what ive read (etiehr the linux kernel or linux-raid mailing list) it isnt a big deal to support more ide devices.

    If you look on your local kernel mirror under people/hedrick you will find the uniform ide patch.

  6. I've used up to 3 IDE chains on one machine before by aheitner · · Score: 2

    by using the IDE controller on my SoundBlaster AWE32. It worked fine :).

    As far as I know Linux supports just about everything out there in the IDE controller world. The Promise PCI UDMA controllers definitely work and have acheived quite a bit of popularity. They cost $20-30 and have 2 controllers on a board. Lots of people are using them to build cheap software RAID solutions.

  7. Multiple IDE devices in newer kernels. by technos · · Score: 2

    There is nothing really new about it; Tert and Quat controller support has been around since the 2.0 release (and earlier w/ a little hacking)and has been upped to six IDE channels in the 2.2.x. It's teriffic in certain situations, like mine. Needed to serve up 10+ CD's to a segment of workstations. Snagged a dozen 24x IDE CDROM drives from storage and bought four Promise PCI IDE controllers for $21.50 each. Only real downside was that I needed to make a custom plexiglas plate for the side of the case that now had twelve CDROM drives sticking out of it, and that I had to cram another pair of power supplies in. (note: Macintosh IIfx powersupplies are always a good thing to have around!) The commercial solution would have been $1600. Mine was $100 (including plexiglas, contact cement, beige spraypaint and the cut-off wheel I broke slicing up the case.

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  8. Promise 2.4 by gng · · Score: 1

    as an above comment said,
    check out www.promise.com
    I have a Promise ultra/66 on my p100
    i was using the 2.3 branch of the kernel(i belive that is were ultra/66 support starts)(there is also a patch aval for current kernels(i think), search for ultra66 at redhat to find the patch maintainer).
    I was able to use both controllers (the ultra/and integrated hdcont) with no problems -xcept an the kenel being a bit unstable at times.

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