[nzlug] SATA PCI cards on linux?

[Howard]

David McNab said on 09/07/2007 01:46 PM:
> Does anyone here have any experience getting PCI SATA cards to work?
> 
> If so, what brand/model/chipset cards will give me the least pain at the
> lowest cost?
> 
> And, can you point me to any sites which can help?
> 
> Thanks in advance for your advice.

I've just had problems getting a Ali based card to work under a CentOS 
V4 based distro (SME Server), and the Debian based 'e-box'.  I probably 
could have persevered and found/loaded drivers though.  I thought the 
SATA spec should 'just work' with any PCI card, but this doesn't seem to 
be the case.

This was Ali M5283 chipset (not sure of the card's retail name sorry as 
it was given to me).  I think the driver is sometimes called Uli?  It 
was a 2 port SATA + 1 PATA PCI.

I do know the ST Lab A-223 6 port (4 internal) works well as previously 
mentioned. I have used a few of them.  I believe there is a bit of a 
stock shortage of them in NZ at the mo though.  Comes in a silver box, 
and worth about $55-70.  Good if you want more than 2 SATA ports on a card.

Here are the STLab cards at Eden Computers (no affiliation, but I have 
bought from there)
http://edenonline.co.nz/search.aspx?searchcat=&kw=STLab
and this is the card I have used successfully:
http://edenonline.co.nz/p.aspx?344736

Just remember to order PCI, not PCIX if that is what you need.

HTH
H