-------------------------------------------------------------------------------         
               Copyright (c) 2002-2005 VIA Technologies Inc.             
                                                                         
             VIA RAID Driver For RHEL 4.0 Software Package README
                                                                        
    This README file is to provide the information of VIA RAID Linux Driver
    Package. VIA Technologies assumes no responsibility for any errors in
    this document and no part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted,
    or translated into any language,or in any form without the prior written 
    permission of VIA Technologies Incorporated.
  
              Package Version 2.10 / README Version 2.10                                                          
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 0) Introduction

    This RAID driver can support 5 kinds of VIA RAID Controllers, including 
        VT6410,
        VT6420/8237,
        VT6421,
        VT8251,
        VT8337.
    And supports the following RAID type:
        RAID0, 
        RAID1, 
        RAID0+1, 
        RAID5(needs at least 3 hard disks), 
        SPAN(needs 4 hard disks).

    VIA VT6410 is a ATA RAID controller, supports up to four ATA hard disks.
    VIA VT6420/8237 is a SATA RAID controller.
    VIA VT6421 supports two SATA and two ATA hard disks.
    VIA VT8251 is AHCI controller.
    This Package provides Driver Disk which are needed when using the above 
VIA RAID Controllers.

 1) System Requirements

    You should have at least one VIA RAID controller.

    System BIOS must integrates VIA RAID BIOS if you want to install OS
    on RAID Controller.

    Supporting up to four hard disk drives, which all support LBA address.

    Supporting the following Operating Systems:
      RHEL 4.0 AS
      RHEL 4.0 WS
      RHEL 4.0 Desktop

 2) Software Package Contents 
 
    The following files are in the package: 

        README                      :This file
        driverdisk/rhel4.img        :Driver disk floppy image
        tool/rawwrite.exe           :Public Domain Windows program to write floppy

 3) Install Operating System RHEL 4.0 on the RAID controller

    1. Prepare the driver disk
        rhel4.img is the floppy image for RHEL 4.0 driverdisk.

        Under Linux, to write the image to floppy, using the following command:
            dd if=rhel4.img of=/dev/fd0
        Under Windows, can use rawwrite.exe(included in this package) to do it.

    2. Boot from the RHEL 4.0 install CD, when it prompt "boot:", type
        linux dd

    3. When Prompt "Do you have a driverdisk?", insert the floppy and choose 
       "Yes", and select the proper device(should be fd0) in the following 
       install dialogs.

    4. The RAID devices will be recognized as sda, sdb, etc. And the system 
       will be installed in these devices.

    5. The remained installing steps are all normal.

 4) Install driver on an existing RHEL 4.0 system

    1. Find the driver module file and copy it to proper place:
       Please extract the driver module files from the file modules.cgz on the
       driver disk. Using the following commands:

        # gzip -dc modules.cgz | cpio -idumv

       Driver modules for all supported kernel versions will be extracted in 
       current directory. Please find the proper driver module for the running 
       kernel, and install it to the default system module directory. And run
       the command:

        # depmod -a

       to update the module dependency.

    2. Testing the driver:

       # modprobe viamraid
       
       If found the SCSI disk devices /dev/sda, etc., the driver work find.

    3. Configuration the system to load the driver when booting:

          Modify /etc/modprobe.conf: add the line with the content:
            "scsi_hostadapter viamraid"

    NOTE: If you are using VT8237/VT6420, this driver may conflict with the 
          system's default driver: sata_via, so please disable the sata_via 
          firstly:

          1. rmmod sata_via
          2. modprobe viamraid
          3. mkinitrd /boot/newinitrd.img `uname ¡Vr` --preload sd_mod  --preload viamraid
          4. modify the grub config file or lilo config file, add a new boot selection with the new initrd image. Or modify the origin one.
          5. boot and try


