Linux 2.6 and RAID

[Odaisé Gaelach]

Just so I know, once and for all, (and don't have to register on a Linux forum), is Kernel 2.6 - specifically, Suse 10.1 - compatible with any hardware RAID arrays?

[Yamaneko]

I'm pretty sure there's been support for most RAID configurations since 2.4. If you check under /proc/mdstat it should show which type of RAID configuration is currently built into the kernel.

[Odaisé Gaelach]

I'm pretty sure there's been support for most RAID configurations since 2.4.

That's not what Suse said when I was trying to install her. She said that I'd have to delete the RAID array (and therefore everything on my hard drives) if I wanted to install her there.

She said that most RAID arrays were compatible with kernel 2.4, but not with 2.6.

[o_O]

<a href="http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Migration_of_SUSE_LINUX_9.0_to_Kernel_Version_2.6">Link</a>.

Hardware arrays are not yet supported by the 2.6.* kernel, though software arrays are. You could always use a 2.4 kernel, though that might make maintenance a little difficult using the repositories, but you could always go from source and older binaries/packages if you get trouble with compatibility.

I guess another way you could do it, depending on how you have the drives synced, is to assemble a complete image of your array, and put it onto a separate drive and dual boot. I'm not sure how that would work, but it's an idea.

[Endless]

There's a driver for Areca raid arrays, though. (http://en.opensuse.org/Areca_RAID_Controllers_Howto)
also, check that you're not in one of these cases: http://linux-ata.org/faq-sata-raid.html