Re: HP Compaq DL385 with Smart Array 6/i

[chriswareham%chriswareham.demon.co.uk@localhost]

pettai%nordu.net@localhost wrote:
> 
> On Oct 1, 2008, at 3:24 PM, chriswareham%chriswareham.demon.co.uk@localhost 
> wrote:
> 
> > pettai%nordu.net@localhost wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> We've tried installing NetBSD 4.0 on 2 HP Compaq DL385 with single  
> >> and
> >> dual CPU configuration and the Smart Array 6/i controller. The  
> >> obvious
> >> problem that occur is that the I/O towards the controller/disk is
> >> worthless.
> >>
> >> Even the installer writes -stalled- while installing/copying the
> >> NetBSD base to the disk.
> >>
> >> We've tried both NetBSD 4.0 i386 and amd64, and we've even tried
> >> NetBSD current amd64 (during the summer), but it's the same symptom  
> >> on
> >> all versions.
> >>
> >> Has anybody else seen this problem before? are there any fixes or
> >> workarounds available?
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Fredrik
> >>
> >
> > Hi Fredrik,
> >
> > The power management on many of the Compaq DL series is terrible -  
> > to get
> > NetBSD to boot you'll need to disable kernel support for ACPI. The  
> > installer in
> > -current allows you to select a non-ACPI kernel from a menu, but for  
> > NetBSD 4.0
> > I can't remember the magic incantation that boots with ACPI disabled.
> 
> Oh...we haven't tried that one yet (though now that you mention it,  
> it's something that has been suggested to solve other  problems then  
> running NetBSD on specific H/W.)
> Thanks for the pointer. I'll try that as soon as I get time over.
> 
> Regards,
> /P
> 

I'll be interested to know if this solves your problem as I've got a DL385
that's about to be decommissioned (it runs Linux at the moment, but I'd like to
repurpose it as a development machine with NetBSD on it). I came across the
ACPI issue when I installed NetBSD on the older DL360 series - the install
kernel would boot, but I couldn't access the disks, which sounds exactly like
the problem you've been having. With ACPI support disabled, everything works
fine, including APM.

Regards,

Chris