Hello.

I started installing gentoo on my box on sata raid1 array. I followed
the instructions on the gentoo-wiki
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Gentoo_...(Onboard)_RAID but
got stuck trying to emerge the dmraid package because of this package is
masked.
I managed to install the dmraid package by editing the package.mask file
in /usr/portage/profile/ but I don't think this is the propper way to
deal with this problem.
Does anybody know how to solve this problem, is there a workaround in
some way (do I need the dmraid package after all?)?
The kernel I built using the genkernel skript #genkernel --dmraid all.

Any help would be apreciated.


Harry

hot_rage wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I started installing gentoo on my box on sata raid1 array. I followed
> the instructions on the gentoo-wiki
> http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Gentoo_...(Onboard)_RAID but
> got stuck trying to emerge the dmraid package because of this package is
> masked.
> I managed to install the dmraid package by editing the package.mask file
> in /usr/portage/profile/ but I don't think this is the propper way to
> deal with this problem.
> Does anybody know how to solve this problem, is there a workaround in
> some way (do I need the dmraid package after all?)?
> The kernel I built using the genkernel skript #genkernel --dmraid all.
>
> Any help would be apreciated.
>
>
> Harry

Hi Harry,

I few weeks ago I used this guide for installing Gentoo on 4 250 GB SATA
disks configured as software RAID and it works like a charm.

The only difference is that I compiled my kernel by hand, but normally
you only need to make sure the right drivers are installed, but if the
hardware is automatically recognised when you use the liveCD you can get
an overview with the lspci command (or snoop around in Windows or read
the manual of the mainboard for clues)

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-...ickinstall.xml

Here they use mdadm for that purpose, since dmraid is not installed on
my fileserver...

And you can of course skip the LVM2 steps, and use more that 3 RAID
arrays (or just a /boot and a /-array), that's up to you.

HTH,

Wimmy
--
Being owned by someone used to be called slavery.
Now it's called commitment.

> I managed to install the dmraid package by editing the package.mask file
> in /usr/portage/profile/ but I don't think this is the propper way to
> deal with this problem.

There is a good writeup on how to deal with masked packages at:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/TIP_Dealing_with_masked_packages
The part you want to pay attention (from looking at the ebuild) is the
section on "Masked by missing keyword". I assume you are using either
the x86 or amd64 trees, and this package is in the "unstable" tree, aka
~x86/~amd64.
As to whether you need this package I am not sure, but I hope this helps
you with how to deal with packages.
One really good place to look for solutions to these type of questions
is the Gentoo Forums:
http://forums.gentoo.org/
People are very helpful and very nice on the boards. The search function
is also fairly good. Just make sure you are using generic enough search
terms, eg: the package name, rather than the package-0.8.1-r2.
-B

hot_rage wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I started installing gentoo on my box on sata raid1 array. I followed
> the instructions on the gentoo-wiki
> http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Gentoo_...(Onboard)_RAID but
> got stuck trying to emerge the dmraid package because of this package is
> masked.
> I managed to install the dmraid package by editing the package.mask file
> in /usr/portage/profile/ but I don't think this is the propper way to
> deal with this problem.

No, you are right about that

you have /etc/portage/package.keywords and /etc/portage/package.unmask
for that

You add the package name to the file, one per row, in the keywords you
need to add which unstable version you want to use, for example for
PowerPC 32bit you add ~ppc and if you want just to affect one specific
version, add = infront and include the version number.

Each time you try to emerge a masked package there is a reference to the
Gentoo handbook, where to read more about emerge/portage to emerge
masked packages.


> The kernel I built using the genkernel skript #genkernel --dmraid all.

I quit using that one while it was broke the last or next last time.


//Aho

J.O. Aho <user@example.net> wrote:
> hot_rage wrote:
>
>> The kernel I built using the genkernel skript #genkernel --dmraid
>> all.
>
> I quit using that one while it was broke the last or next last time.

Even when it works, it creates a bloated kernel. Better to roll your own.

To those who wonder how to make a lean, mean kernel:

- All permanently attached hardware that you use should be directly in the
kernel, not as modules.
- All hardware that you are likely to plug in and out should be modules.
- Alsa must (unfortunately) be built as a module.
- Anything else should be disabled in the kernel, and not built as modules.
This includes support for file systems you don't use, serial/parallel ports
you don't use, onboard graphics and sound if not used.
- Avoid using initrd or similar. If you have to use initrd, it's a sign
that you have built something as a module that should be directly in the
kernel.
- If the combined size of your vmlinuz and /lib/modules/[kernelversion] is
much more than 4-5 GB, you probably have a lot of stuff that you never use.

Note that having something as a module that you don't use doesn't mean that
it doesn't use memory and resources in the kernel. The hooks for each
module are still in place in the kernel proper even when the module isn't
loaded. You save *most* of the space by having an unloaded module.

lsmod and lspci are your friends. Most anything listed by lsmod will be
slightly faster and less memory demanding if built directly into the kernel
instead of as a module. And things not listed at all can often go.

Regards,
--
*Art

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007, Arthur Hagen wrote:

> J.O. Aho <user@example.net> wrote:
>>
>
> To those who wonder how to make a lean, mean kernel:
>
> - Alsa must (unfortunately) be built as a module.

Does it? The /etc/init.d/alsasound only loads/unloads modules (plus it
saves the levels), so this does not have to be run.

You don't have to install alsa-driver if you have built a kernel with all
the necessary alsa features.

J.O. Aho wrote:
> hot_rage wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> I started installing gentoo on my box on sata raid1 array. I followed
>> the instructions on the gentoo-wiki
>> http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Gentoo_...(Onboard)_RAID but
>> got stuck trying to emerge the dmraid package because of this package is
>> masked.
>> I managed to install the dmraid package by editing the package.mask file
>> in /usr/portage/profile/ but I don't think this is the propper way to
>> deal with this problem.
>
> No, you are right about that
>
> you have /etc/portage/package.keywords and /etc/portage/package.unmask
> for that
>
> You add the package name to the file, one per row, in the keywords you
> need to add which unstable version you want to use, for example for
> PowerPC 32bit you add ~ppc and if you want just to affect one specific
> version, add = infront and include the version number.
>
> Each time you try to emerge a masked package there is a reference to the
> Gentoo handbook, where to read more about emerge/portage to emerge
> masked packages.
>
>
>> The kernel I built using the genkernel skript #genkernel --dmraid all.
>
> I quit using that one while it was broke the last or next last time.
>
>
> //Aho


Well since dmraid is masked by packages.mask and ~x86 for bugs I think
thats not very safe to use it. But on my amd64 I used raidtools (not
masked) and it works perfectly (but i haven't used on board raid because
thats deprecated as it depends on the driver and is not really hardware)
on an nForce motherboard with two sATA disks.

I suggest you if you can to disable the RAID on you motherboard and do
software RAID with raidtools if you can't well I read raidtools Doc and
it doesn't seem to support hardware RAID so you should find a
replacement for dmraid or unmask it at you own risk.

So anyway, it was like, 14:52 CET Jan 24 2007, you know? Oh, and, yeah,
hot_rage was all like, "Dude,

[..]

> I started installing gentoo on my box on sata raid1
> array. I followed the instructions on the gentoo-wiki
> http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Gentoo_...(Onboard)_RAID
> but got stuck trying to emerge the dmraid package because of this
> package is masked.

I'd avoid using the onboard "raid", since it's just faked software
raid anyway (there's no true hardware raid on any consumer-level board
that I'm aware of) and you'll have an easier time setting up native
software raid (using mdadm and kernel capabilities) instead.

An added bonus is that you can replace your hardware without having
to do a full backup just to move your data to another software raid
configuration.

--
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. Perth ---> *
10:12:24 up 82 days, 7:53, 6 users, load average: 0.26, 0.17, 0.11
Linux 2.6.18.1 x86_64 GNU/Linux Registered Linux user #261729

abelenda wrote:
> J.O. Aho wrote:
>> hot_rage wrote:
>>> Hello.
>>>
>>> I started installing gentoo on my box on sata raid1 array. I followed
>>> the instructions on the gentoo-wiki
>>> http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Gentoo_...(Onboard)_RAID but
>>> got stuck trying to emerge the dmraid package because of this package is
>>> masked.
>>> I managed to install the dmraid package by editing the package.mask file
>>> in /usr/portage/profile/ but I don't think this is the propper way to
>>> deal with this problem.
>> No, you are right about that
>>
>> you have /etc/portage/package.keywords and /etc/portage/package.unmask
>> for that
>>
>> You add the package name to the file, one per row, in the keywords you
>> need to add which unstable version you want to use, for example for
>> PowerPC 32bit you add ~ppc and if you want just to affect one specific
>> version, add = infront and include the version number.
>>
>> Each time you try to emerge a masked package there is a reference to the
>> Gentoo handbook, where to read more about emerge/portage to emerge
>> masked packages.

> Well since dmraid is masked by packages.mask and ~x86 for bugs I think
> thats not very safe to use it. But on my amd64 I used raidtools (not
> masked) and it works perfectly (but i haven't used on board raid because
> thats deprecated as it depends on the driver and is not really hardware)
> on an nForce motherboard with two sATA disks.

Yes, the double masking is a good argument to use, but it's not always
possible to use a replacement package, no matter the reason, you should unmask
in the correct way if you don't want to get troubles.


> I suggest you if you can to disable the RAID on you motherboard and do
> software RAID with raidtools if you can't well I read raidtools Doc and
> it doesn't seem to support hardware RAID so you should find a
> replacement for dmraid or unmask it at you own risk.

Not sure if mdadm works well with hardware raid or not, but it's described as
a good replacement for raidtools.

--

//Aho

Whoever <nobody@devnull.none> wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jan 2007, Arthur Hagen wrote:
>
>> J.O. Aho <user@example.net> wrote:
>>>
>>
>> To those who wonder how to make a lean, mean kernel:
>>
>> - Alsa must (unfortunately) be built as a module.
>
> Does it? The /etc/init.d/alsasound only loads/unloads modules (plus it
> saves the levels), so this does not have to be run.
>
> You don't have to install alsa-driver if you have built a kernel with
> all the necessary alsa features.

You can't use alsaconf unless it's built as a module, and AFAICT, neither
can you use gstreamer with the alsa plugin -- you have to use oss
(deprecated) or esd (defunct) instead.

Regards,
--
*Art