Has anybody managed to use the OpenSUSE 11.0 installation DVD to install and
then boot using LVM and RAID?

I have managed to get myself really confused and thought I would ask before
trying different variations of the installation.

I get to the disk partitioning screen and I select 'LVM Based' as the
partitioning type. This displays:

Create boot partition /dev/sda1 70.5 MB with ext3
Create partition /dev/sda2 (465.5GB) with id=8E
Create volume group system from /dev/sda2
Create logical volume /dev/system/home (25 GB) for /home with ext3
Create logical volume /dev/system/root (20 GB) for / with ext3
Create swap logical volume /dev/system/swap (2 GB)

I then select 'Edit Partition Setup...' and this is displayed:

/dev/mapper/isw_dcghefacg_RAID Volume 1 465.7 GB BIOS RAID isw_...
/dev/sda 465.7 GB SAMSUNG-HD502IJ
/dev/sda1 70.5 MB F Linux native (Ext3) /boot
/dev/sda2 456.6 GB Linux LVM
/dev/sdb 465.7 GB SAMSUNG-HD502IJ
/dev/system 465.6 GB LVM2 system
/dev/system/home 25.0 GB F LV /home
/dev/system/root 20.0 GB F LV /
/dev/system/swap 2.0 GB F LV /swap

If I then select 'RAID... -> Create RAID' I am presented with ...

To use RAID, at least 2 partitions of type 0xFD (or 0x83) are required.
Change your partition table accordingly. In most cases, this can be done
in the following way: click 'Create', select 'Do not format', and set the
File System ID to 0xFD.

And at this point I realise I am out of my depth.

If anybody could point me in the right direction I would be grateful. I will
endeavour to keep notes and post how I get it working.

Thanks in advance, Stanley

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:11:00 +0100, Stanley typed this message:

[..]
> required. Change your partition table accordingly. In most cases,
> this can be done in the following way: click 'Create', select 'Do not
> format', and set the File System ID to 0xFD.
>
> And at this point I realise I am out of my depth.
>
> If anybody could point me in the right direction I would be grateful. I
> will endeavour to keep notes and post how I get it working.
>
> Thanks in advance, Stanley

Don't select LVM and don't select RAID.

Use custom or Edit Partition Setup if you want to keep existing
partitions or partition the drive yourself.

If you're keeping an existing partition setup, you must assign /, and
label the existing partitions and decide which should not be formatted.

Stanley a écrit :
[..]
> in the following way: click 'Create', select 'Do not format', and set the
> File System ID to 0xFD.
>
> And at this point I realise I am out of my depth.
>
> If anybody could point me in the right direction I would be grateful. I will
> endeavour to keep notes and post how I get it working.
>
> Thanks in advance, Stanley
>

I've done something which partially looks like what you're talking
about, but:

1) I've never used bios raid which is generally "fake raid"; my advice
is not to use this feature (bios raid), but instead use linux software raid;

2) I've never stored "/" partition on an LVM+Software Raid, but only on
a normal Software Raid.

3) idem for swap partition, and /boot partition

4) other partitions are on LVM+Software Raid partitions

having said that, here is the operating mode:

1) disable raid feature in bios
2) partition your disks with:
2a) create a "FD" partition on sda for (usually 100M : sda1)
2b) create a "FD" partition on sdb for (usually 100M: sdb1)
2c) create a raid 1 array (md0) for sda1 and sdb1 on /boot and ask for
formatting with the file system adapted to your needs (ext3 or reiser)

2d) repeat steps 2a to 2c for a swap partition; you should have sda2 and
sdb2 mapped to a "md1" raid 1 array (with format = swap)

2e) repeat steps 2a to 2c for the "/" partition; you should have sda3
and sdb3 mapped to a "md2" raid 1 array

2f) create an extended partition with the size adapted to your needs
(sda4 AND sdb4); do not mirror (MD) them;

2g) create a logical partition sda5 and sdb5 on each disk, each of the
same size; choose NO format and FD type for each partition; mirror them
(raid 1 array); you should have now an "md3" raid partition NOT formatted

2h) now comes the lvm; chose the lvm menu; create a lvm volume using the
MD3 partition; now you have a LVM partition using a software raid1 array.

then allocate the data partitions inside you LVM volume (they are
automatically mirrored, as the volume itself is mirrored)


I don't pretend this is the best way to do things;
This is the way I've chosen, and I'm very satisfied with it.


BTW, in your grub menu, remove "resume=/dev/sda2" or "resume=/dev/md1"
because you can't resume from a software mirrored swap partition (at
least in 10.2)

HTH
fabrice