Marvell SATA Linux User Guide

Supported Controllers

SMART Data

To access the hard disk SMART data, use smartmontools (preinstalled) version 5.33 or higher. The SMART data is extracted using the command below:

            smartctl  -a  -d  marvell  <device name>

The device name is referenced as /dev/sda (1st disk), /dev/sdb (2nd disk), /dev/sdc (3rd disk) and so on.

Linux Installation Guide

Since the Marvell supplied driver (mv_sata) is not incorporated in the mainstream kernels, most Linux distributions will not detect the controller and its disk(s). However, the ASL edition of Fedora Core comes with built-in support for the Marvell chip. For other Linux distributions including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS, and SuSE Linux, use the ASL supplied Device Driver CD/Floppy to install the operating system.

Fedora Core 2,3,4

Enter 'linux' to start the installation. Due to the PCI ID conflict between the Marvell SATA controllers and Highpoint RocketRAID controllers, the controller is no longer detected automatically. As a result, the hard drives are not detected either. The installer will then prompt for the driver selection. Select Yes. Then select Add Device. Next scroll through the device list and select Marvell SCSI to SATA Adapter (mv_sata). After the driver is loaded, select Done.

Fedora Core 5

In recent months, the kernel developers have created an open source driver (sata_mv) that is included in the pristine Fedora Core 5 release. Because this driver has not reach maturity, do not use it in a production environment. Instead, use the ASL edition of Fedora Core 5 DVD that includes the stable Marvell supplied driver (mv_sata).

RHEL3/CentOS 3.X

The RHEL3/CentOS 3.X Device Driver CD is required to install the operating system. At the start of the installation, enter 'linux dd' and perform the following steps:

  1. Select Yes for the driver disk.
  2. Select hdc for the driver source. After ejecting the install CD and insert the driver CD, press OK.
  3. When the installer prompts for more driver disk, eject the driver CD and reinsert the install CD. Then select No.
  4. The installer will not see the hard drives connecting to the Marvell controller at this point. Thus when prompted for driver selection, select Yes.
  5. Select Add Device
  6. Scroll through the list and select Marvell SCSI to SATA adapter (mv_sata). Then select OK.
  7. Select Done

Note: The latest RHEL3/CentOS 3.X Device Driver CD can be downloaded here:

http://updates.aslab.com/isos/RHEL3/

RHEL4/CentOS 4.X

The RHEL4/CentOS 4.X Device Driver CD is required to install the operating system. At the start of the installation, enter 'linux dd' and perform the same steps as described for RHEL3/CentOS 3.X.

Note: The latest RHEL4/CentOS 4.X Device Driver CD can be downloaded here:

http://updates.aslab.com/isos/RHEL4/

Important Kernel Note

Because the Marvell supplied driver is not found in the mainstream kernel and the libata driver has yet to reach maturity, do not use non-ASL kernel. When performing online update, please skip the kernel package. Otherwise, Linux might no longer boot or the system becomes unstable under heavy I/O activity.

BIOS Note

During post, do not use the Adaptec HostRAID BIOS setup to configure disk arrays. This feature requires a special binary driver that has very limited kernel support. If required, use the Linux software RAID.

Installation Notes/Technical Issues:

Prior to contacting technical support, please visit the ASL online FAQ for quick answers to common hardware and software issues. The answers may be searched by keyword or browsed by category. These documents are maintained with up to date information.

FAQ: http://faq.aslab.com