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Only inserting the floppy when I want to boot linux is an option of course. That should indeed work. That would mean installing Mandrake without a boot loader and installing that separately on a floppy disc. And there is plenty of stuff written on forums about doing that, so that should not be a problem. I am going to try that. But first I need to buy that 3rd HD. Getting linux to run on a 3rd HD will however not completely solve my question. When it is running I want to be able to use data stored on my RAID set from out of the linux operating system. Another option for being able to solve this (not a perfect solution) is to put a large FAT32 partition on the 3rd HD so that both operating systems can write to it. I will do that but I still want to be able to view data on my RAID system (principle matter). This will make the question less urgent sice I will already be running mandrake. An advantage would also be that when mandrake would be able to read (and write) the RAID 0 set, that I could ad the 3rd HD to it to further enhance performance will dividing this virtual HD in several partitions. With kind regards, Jonathan PS. I know that when I ad a 3rd HD to my RAID set I will loose all data stored on it.

First of all I currently only have two harddiscs in one RAID set. So I don't have a /dev/hda or /dev/hdc I only have /dev/hde and /dev/hdg. That is the problem because this should indeed be seen as one harddisc (that is how WinXP sees it). And I am afraid that when I remove my current HD's that my RAID set will be gone and I lose all data. Putting the operating system on a 3rd harddisc would not be a problem, booting it would. I already have a different system running on MD 9.2 that is almost identical to my system except for not being overclocked and not having SATA harddiscs (just one tiny 17.4Gb HD). Here everything functions normally The question ectually is if and how Linux (from 3rd HD) can be added to the existing windows boot record (on RAID set). Booting from floppy or 3rd HD won't make a difference since in both cases you will need to be able to access the RAID set in order to be able to boot from the RAID set (winXP). I do not see it as an option to switch cables (RAID set loose and installing 3rd HD and the other way around) every time I wich to switch operating systems. with kind regards, Jonathan van Bochove

When I would make use of a 3rd HD how can I let it boot? I can't use MD to write on the RAID set to create the menu to enable me to choose what system I wan't to boot. How can I fix this problem? If this still can't be fixed even a 3rd HD makes no scense. If I put the boot menu on the 3rd HD it will say that there is no bootable system on the other twoo HD's (RAID SET). Already tried that. Can I put an extra option in the existing boot table using MS WinXP? If yes how? With kind regards, ;-) Jonath

And before I started posting questions on forum's I had alreddy tried google in case my question had already been asked before. All I could find is people trying to get SATA Harddisks working on this controller, not in a RAID set or using the software RAID only. These forums all end with the announchment that MD 9.2 supports my SATA controller wich also does the RAID thing. Perhaps it is not possible yet. That would only leave me forced to get a 3rd HD and use that for linux. This will however not solve my question here, since it is my goal to slowly get rid of winXP and only use Linux. This while not loosing any data stored on my RAID 0 set. But just as important I think is that a software RAID set makes use of more processor power and therefore slows my computer down. Thanks for welcomming me by the way! With kind regards, ;-) Jonathan

I have 2X 120Gb (maxtor diamond max plus 9) SATA in a striped raid set. And on one of the partitions stands windows XP. (ASUS A7N8X DELUXE Mainboard with SATA RAID controller onboard PCB revision 2.0). Mandrake seez both my HD sepperate (hde 240Gb en hdg 120Gb) and the first with the total capacity of both discs, the second with a 120Gb capacity. The first should also be sees as 120Gb, or even better just see the set as one Hd being 240Gb, as Windows XP sees it and as my hardware RAID controller tels me it is. All of my attemps to install on the first Hd have failled. I have been able to install normaly but cannot boot it afterwards. I have tried a lot there (boot flop and so on) but it just won't work. On the Windows partition is a rather large amount of video data that I wan't to keep (80Gb). So I don't wan't to lose my video and other data but do wan't to install Mandrake (or another distro) besides my Windows XP instalation. For this purpose I have reserved a 40Gb of Hd space at the beginning of my HD. I do not wan't to install on one of my harddiscs seperately for the loss of speed and data (80Gb video). Putting in a sepparate HD is not an option since I want to slowly reduce Windows XP and increase Linux (NTFS slowly smaller and /home slowly bigger). This is not really possible when only using a sepparate HD and that would also mean that I'd be wasting my hardware RAID controller. I am making use of the following RAID controller: Silicon ImageR Sil 3112A Controller with 2 ports Supporting RAID 0/1 Incasse anyone knows more about this problem, please don't heasitate to let me know. _________________ With kind regards, ;-) Jonathan