Promise SuperTrak EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx FreeBSD driver
-- Installation Guide
This driver package is for Promise SuperTrak EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx
RAID controllers, running under FreeBSD i386 release 6.0. Please do not use it
for other FreeBSD versions and no i386 platform.
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A.If a FLOPPY disk is used as working media, please follow the instructions below:
First of all, prepare a floppy disk. Use the floppy image copy tools under
Windows or Unix(Linux, FreeBSD etc.) systems to transfer the driver image
(freebsd6.0_i386_st.img) to this floppy disk. Or format it under FreeBSD
and copy the needed files.
For example, under Linux or FreeBSD, insert the floppy disk, type the
following command:
dd if=freebsd6.0_i386_st.img of=/dev/fd0
where "freebsd6.0_i386_st.img" is the driver image file name, and
"/dev/fd0" is the floppy device name. You should see "freebsd6.0_i386_st.img"
and "README.TXT" and "freebsd6.0_i386_st.iso" after unzipping the driver
package. Please note that if the current directory is not where the image
file resides, then you should type the full path, instead of just typing
"freebsd6.0_i386_st.img". For example, if the image file is under directory
"/usr", which is not the current directory, then you will type
"/usr/freebsd6.0_i386_st.img" right after "if=" in the above command,
but not just "freebsd6.0_i386_st.img".
Please be DOUBLE sure that you have made the correct driver disk before continuing.
(A).Install FreeBSD on EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx SuperTrak Card:
1.Boot from the FreeBSD install CD. When the console prints a menu list,
please choose "6. Escape to loader prompt", and then, press any key
(except "Enter" of course) to enter the "OK" prompt.
2.Insert the floppy disk. Under the "OK" prompt, type the following
commands:
set currdev=disk0
load /shasta.ko
set currdev=cd0
boot
and then take out the floppy disk. Continue the installation process and
install FreeBSD system into a RAID on the EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx
SuperTrak card.
3.When the installation is complete, do NOT exit instantly. Press
"Alt+F4" to switch to another screen, type the command:
ls /dev/fd0
to check whether the device node exist. If existing, follow 3a,
or else, follow 3b.
3a.Insert the floppy disk again, type the following commands:
mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /cdrom
/cdrom/install
and wait the commands to finish. type the following commands:
umount /cdrom
Take out the floppy disk. Press "Alt+F1". Now you can exit the
installation. After reboot, your system should be up.
3b.If there is no device node "/dev/fd0", please copy all the files
in the floppy to the root directory of a blank USB mass storage
device(a USB mobile hard drive or a USB flash storage device)
which has been formated as msdos(fat or fat32).
Insert the USB mass storage device, type the following commands:
mount -t msdos /dev/daXsX /cdrom
/cdrom/install
and wait the commands to finish, type the following commands:
(where "/dev/daXsX" is the USB mass storage device node)
umount /cdrom
Pull out the USB disk. Press "Alt+F1". Now you can exit the
installation. After reboot, your system should be up.
(B).Use disks on EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx SuperTrak card as data drives:
It is rather simple. Insert the floppy disk, and type the following
commands:
mount | grep "/cdrom " && umount /cdrom
mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /cdrom
/cdrom/load
and the RAID targets on EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx SuperTrak card
should be detected as SCSI devices.The driver will be automatically
loaded every time the system is booting up.
Before taking out the floppy disk, type the following command:
umount /cdrom
Notes:
1. If any other FreeBSD system has been installed before THIS installation
on the SAME EX{4,8,12,16}3{0,5}0 card, and if it cann't be booted, please boot
THIS time installed FreeBSD 6.0, insert the floppy disk again, type the
following commands:
mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt
bsdlabel -B -b /mnt/boot /dev/daXsX
umount /mnt
where "/dev/daXsX" is the slice where root file system (/dev/daXsXa)
resides, which you want to boot. Please be DOUBLE sure.
Take out the floppy disk and after reboot, your system should be up.
2. If bootloader files would be compiled from source code and
would be installed in FreeBSD 6.0 on EX{4,8,12,16}3{0,5}0 card, please
substitute the file "/sys/boot/i386/btx/btx/btx.S" with the
same file in the floppy disk root directory.
3. The driver supports dual cards.
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B.If a CDROM is used as working media, please follow the instructions below:
First of all, prepare a blank CD. Use the CD image burning tools
(eg. nero) under Windows or Unix(Linux, FreeBSD etc.) systems to burn
the driver image (freebsd6.0_i386_st.iso) into the blank CD.
You should see "freebsd6.0_i386_st.iso" and "README.TXT" and
"freebsd6.0_i386_st.img" after unzipping the driver package.
Please be DOUBLE sure that you have made the correct driver disk before continuing.
(A).Install FreeBSD on EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx SuperTrak Card:
1.Boot from the FreeBSD install CD. When the console prints a menu list,
please choose "6. Escape to loader prompt", and then, press any key
(except "Enter" of course) to enter the "OK" prompt.
2.Take out the FreeBSD install CD, and insert this customized CD. Under
the "OK" prompt, type the following commands:
load /shasta.ko
and then take out the CD, insert the FreeBSD install CD, continue the
installation process by type:
boot
and install FreeBSD system into a RAID on the EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx
SuperTrak card.
3.When the installation is complete, do NOT exit instantly. Press
"Alt+F4" to switch to another screen, type the command:
umount /dist
and take out the FreeBSD install CD, insert the customized CD again,
type the following commands:
mount /cdrom
/cdrom/install
and wait the commands to finish. Type the following commands:
umount /cdrom
Take out the customized CD. Insert the FreeBSD install CD again, type:
mount -t cd9660 /dev/acd0 /dist
Press "Alt+F1". Now you can exit the installation.
After reboot, your system should be up.
(B).Use disks on EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx SuperTrak card as data drives:
It is rather simple. Insert the customized CD, and type the following
commands:
mount /cdrom
/cdrom/load
and the RAID targets on EX43xx/EX83xx/EX123xx/EX163xx SuperTrak card
should be detected as SCSI devices.The driver will be automatically
loaded every time the system is booting up.
Before taking out the customized CD, type the following command:
umount /cdrom
Notes:
1. If any other FreeBSD system has been installed before THIS intallation
on the SAME EX{4,8,12,16}3{0,5}0 card, and if it cann't be booted, please boot
THIS time installed FreeBSD 6.0, insert the customized CD again, type the
following commands:
mount /cdrom
bsdlabel -B -b /cdrom/boot /dev/daXsX
umount /cdrom
where "/dev/daXsX" is the slice where root file system (/dev/daXsXa)
resides, which you want to boot. Please be DOUBLE sure.
Take out the CD and after reboot, your system should be up.
2. If bootloader files would be compiled from source code and
would be installed in FreeBSD 6.0 on EX{4,8,12,16}3{0,5}0 card, please
substitute the file "/sys/boot/i386/btx/btx/btx.S" with the
same file in this CD root directory.
3. The driver supports dual cards.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.