[mythtv-users] Distro that will install to SATA

[Jo Shields]

Yan Seiner wrote:

>Ben Bargabus wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Hello All,
>>I've been reading this list for quite a while and finally bought
>>hardware for my first install.  Unfortunately it appears that I made
>>incorrect assumptions that linux would get along well with sata (oops). 
>>It appears that the debian net install won't mount a sata dvd drive so
>>it can't find the files it's attempting to install (fun!).  Does anyone
>>know of a distro that will install via a sata dvd drive (Plextor
>>px-716-sa) to a sata hdd (seagate 500GB baracuda).  I'd rather learn
>>    
>>
>>from someone else's experience than spend the next week downloading
>  
>
>>various distros.
>>    
>>

There's no "SATA" support in linux - there's support for assorted SATA 
controllers. For example, Silicon Image Sii3112 is well supported, 
Nvidia nForce3/4 SATA mostly works, new Marvell SATA chipsets have 
experimental support, VIA SATA is generally trouble free, and so on. 
There's no generic SATA driver.

>My only experience has been with debian installs:
>
>You must install the 2.6 kernel.  The drives are detected as /dev/hd?? 
>but will boot as /dev/sd??....
>
>So you must provide a root=/dev/sd?? once the kernel is installed to 
>boot the system.  Then you can go and change lilo/grub to have the 
>correct boot parameter.
>  
>

This is specific only to 2.4-based installs onto Intel SATA controllers 
- the SATA support in the 2.4 kernel is dodgy at best, and some bright 
cookie decided that Intel's controllers should live in the hd* space. 
All controllers on 2.6 kernels (or other 2.4-supported SATA controllers) 
should use sd*. You can install Debian with a 2.6 kernel from the outset 
by typing "linux26" at the boot: prompt.