newbie on linux(wgere do i find drivers?)

[CipRyaN]

i have a dual core e8400,mobo: p45r2000 asrock, ati hd4850 vga an incorporated audio.

i want to install ubuntu linux and i don't know where to find drivers.Please help me:0(i did find some catalyst for my vga but i'm not sure that it will work on my 4850)

[Budious]

Just install the Ubuntu disk. The driver for the video will be found in the restricted drivers control panel. You check the box and it will automatically install it for you.

[simsie]

Most of the drivers should either be in Linux, or will be available from manafacturers sites. Try the Ubuntu LiveCD and see how you go.

[markwolfe Veteran]

And, trying it out on its initial "LiveCD" boot mode should show you what works quickly (and safely) enough. Nothing is installed unless you run the installer. (Y)

[CipRyaN]

I'll run the live cd but, for example, if i go on amd.ati.whatever.com -->driver site, they do have some drivers out there but they don't have for 4850(they stop at 3XXX series), and another question, does ubuntu support RAID function?(my mobo site doesn't have ANY drivers for LINUX< and that is a big shame if you ask me...>).

[markwolfe Veteran]

You are thinking the Windows way, about going to each individual manufacturer's site.

In Linux, generally, it is in there and working. A few drivers are closed-source, or restrictively licensed and can't be included. However, common ones like nVidia or ATI drivers are detected, and you will be prompted to download if you choose to use a "restricted" (non-GPL-compatible) driver module.

Yes, RAID is supported. True hardware RAID is transparent to the OS, working at the hardware level and all. ;) However, many Windows RAID setups are "fake raid" or software RAID, and may not be detected or usable by Linux. Even if you don't have a true hardware RAID, Linux can do its own software RAID, using dmraid. I have played with it once to try it out. It works as advertised, nothing fancy. So even if your motherboard doesn't advertise "Linux compatible", stuff should still work just fine.

[dmd3x]

Ubuntu 8.04.1 is the latest I think, right?

[CipRyaN]

Thx a lot guys. i will dl a live cd first, just to see if it's all ok and after that i will go on installing.(i'm sick of windows). Hope that everything will be ok, and i will have raid0 and my video card up and running at full power:).

[markwolfe Veteran]

For future reference in setting up RAID in Ubuntu, here is a quick link with some basic information:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Raid

[CipRyaN]

again, thank you!.....ah...i have fakeraid:), now i'm thinking to re-install windows and remove the so called RAID.....i hoped that with RAID0 i will gain some speed but if it is a fake one i'm not so sure that i did gain some speed.

Edited July 25, 2008 by CipRyaN

[simsie]

It may give you a speed gain. As I understand it fake RAID is still a RAID only it's controlled by software, whereas a Hardware RAID does it on the hardware level.

[markwolfe Veteran]

It may give you a speed gain. As I understand it fake RAID is still a RAID only it's controlled by software, whereas a Hardware RAID does it on the hardware level.

Correct

[CipRyaN]

now....what software?...the BIOS one?(if i may call BIOS a software:D), or SO?

[markwolfe Veteran]

Ummm... What do you mean by "what software?"? :unsure:

[dmd3x]

A software RAID does not require changes in the BIOS, a software RAID is set up using the OS (Windows, Linux, what have you) and chews up a lot of CPU power.

If you have the ability to do a hardware RAID instead, I recommend it - it will be faster and you will have more free system resources.

[CipRyaN]

what i wanted to say is:Should i use fakeRAID or should i go on the classic way?(the part with the software it's a total crap...sorry for that:D).

Edited July 25, 2008 by CipRyaN

[markwolfe Veteran]

Software RAID is fine. I set it up for testing on a 400 (or maybe a 750-ish) megahertz computer. It didn't drag down the CPU any amount I could notice, but I admittedly did no benchmarking.

I would think that you would only see impact if doing heavy disk I/O while also having high CPU usage for number crunching. It doesn't take long to do a quick RAID5 checksum, I would imagine. And if you use RAID0, there really is no redundancy or checksumming going on.

I don't see a noticeable negative impact from software RAID.

[dmd3x]

By fake RAID you mean software RAID? and by classic way you mean hardware RAID?

if so - hardware raid, all the way! ;)

[CipRyaN]

wait a minute:). in my mobo manual says that i can make "Software raid" using intel matrix storage bla bla software, or i can go with the hardware raid, BUT from this uri i found out that my mobo maker is telling lies because the hardware RAID isnt't a real one ...(my mobo is: ASROCK P45R2000). So, now i'm asking, again...Should i stay with this "Hardware RAID offered by my mobo?

[markwolfe Veteran]

I have googled your motherboard, and google led me to this site:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/manual.asp?Model=P45R2000-WiFi

So I checked out the RAID information presented there. It seems your board uses an Intel ICH10R chipset, which is apparently well-supported. Good news.

The bad news is that from reading the PDF documentation I found on the first link, it seems that the motherboard works in conjunction with an "Intel® Matrix Storage Manager software" that must be installed.

That tells me the motherboard says it supports RAID, but in reality, it is software doing the work.

What is the right answer for you? I don't know - I don't have that motherboard. Try it one way, and see if it works. If not, go the other route.

[[ucw]prophet]

To add to markjensen's comment above regarding the Intel Matrix Storage Manager, the following link might be handy:

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-020663.htm

By following the links there, it appears that dmraid should support this software RAID configuration.

http://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-list...y/msg03335.html

[CipRyaN]

you guys are awesome! i'm going LINUX pretty soon!

the intel matrix blabla software it's not a must. you can install it or not, the hdd with raid will work(but with that software you can make virtual raid's).

edit: it seems like the link you offered me for my chipset is not really my chipset it's an Intel? ICH7R RAID Technology, and my chipset is Intel? ICH10R

Edited July 25, 2008 by CipRyaN

[[ucw]prophet]

Linux is great. It's all we use here at my company, with a few minor exceptions where there is proprietary software that *must* use windows (blah).

edit: it seems like the link you offered me for my chipset is not really my chipset it's an Intel? ICH7R RAID Technology, and my chipset is Intel? ICH10R

The link provided comes directly off of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager Q&A page.

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-020785.htm

Or another option if you don't want to go with the software raid is to purchase a hardware raid controller. Some options:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList....aid+-controller

[CipRyaN]

i'll try to run it from live cd and see if it will req my hdd if yes, then i'll install it:)