Bugzilla Bug 174130

We have just bought a IBM x3250 server which has a "LSI Logic SAS1064E
Fusion-MPT SAS" storage controller.

I am using Live CD install version 2006.1.

Standard installation goes fine: recognizes the drives, formats the partitions,
installs, no problem, but when I reboot ... the booted system does not seem to
recognize the controller.

I get the following error:

!! Block device /dev/sda3 is not a valid root device ...
!! The root block device is unspecified or not detected.
  Please specify a device to boot, or "shell" for a shell ...
Boot() ::

The module that during installation is loaded is "mptsas", but during boot of
the system it does not seem to load this module (at least I cannot see it among
the other dozen SCSI modules it is tying to load).


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. insert LIVE CD
2. Boot using: gentoo doscsi nodhcp
3. Standard install (default options)
4. Finish and Reboot ... does not boot

Actual Results:  
boots
scans through a lot of scsi modules
stops with the following message: 
>> Activating mdev
>> Determining root device
!! Block device /dev/sda3 is not a valid root device ...
!! The root block device is unspecified or not detected.
  Please specify a device to boot, or "shell" for a shell ...
Boot() ::

Expected Results:  
boot normally

I found out the following:
The mptsas.ko module lives in
/lib/modules/2.6.17-gentoo-r7/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/

Other scsi modules live under the:
/lib/modules/2.6.17-gentoo-r7/kernel/drivers/scsi/

Could it be that the doscsi option is only loading the modules under "scsi"
directory, and for that reason not loading the mptsas.ko module?

The reason this happens is that mptsas isn't in modules_load in genkernel. This
will be fixed in the next version.

Don't touch the severity, please.  It doesn't do anything to actually change
its priority (or severity) for us.  For genkernel, this is only a minor bug,
really.  Anyway, I'll have this fixed in 3.4.8 when it comes out, and in
2007.0, when it is released.

Thanks.

I am sorry about the severity issue, as you said, for you is a minor but for me
it was a show stopper.

Fixed in subversion... the updated genkernel will be 3.4.8 and should be
released today.  Once it is released, I'll reassign this to release@gentoo.org
until 2007.0 comes out.

(In reply to comment #4)
> I am sorry about the severity issue, as you said, for you is a minor but for me
> it was a show stopper.

How exactly is it a show stopper? You are (hopefully) capable of building your
own kernel that has the mptsas driver built in instead of using the one that is
provided on the LiveCD and installed for you by the installer.

Fixed in 3.4.8...

Were you ever able to verify if this was still an issue with 2007.0 or, more
importantly, 2008.0 Beta 1?

I am sorry I gave no feedback.

After you fix, it's been alright.
I am using 2007.0 now and it is fine.
Haven't tried on 2008.0 beta 1.

If it was fixed on 2007.0, it'll likely work on the newer stuff.  Thanks.