[TriLUG] IDE Hard disk limitations BIOS and Linux

[Aaron S. Joyner]

Rick DeNatale wrote:

>1. Drive from Wake Forest to Raleigh to buy 1 large HD.
>2. See if it works.
>3. If yes go to step 7
>4. Drive from Wake Forest to Raleigh to buy PCI IDE controller
>5. See if this works.
>6. If no exit with failure and figure out what to do with my new hardware.
>7. Drive back to Raleigh to buy second drive.
>
>Now, I guess I could I go ahead and buy a pci card in step one, and
>save one trip. Does anyone know whether or not the PCI IDE ATA133
>Controller Card that Intrex sells works with Linux?  One advantage of
>this is that I could each of the four IDE Drives on a separate
>channel.
>  
>
Yes, it works quite well.  :)  I would certainly recommend it from the 
sheer perspective of separating out the drives onto individual channels.

Note that from a purely hypothetical standpoint, you can optimize your 
algorithm by buying both the controller and a single drive on the first 
trip -- then on the second trip you can return the controller if it 
wasn't necessary, saving you gas in the event that the controller is 
necessary, and costing you at most a 15% restocking fee if you 
accidentally run over the box with your car, and are unable to return it 
in satisfactorily-new condition.  Note: be sure to double-check this 
plan with the store manager before you leave the store with the card, to 
ensure you will be able to return the card -- policies change, and I am 
not an authoritative source for Intrex return policies.

Aaron S. Joyner