[Bug 1091465] Re: debian-installer fails to detect lsi 2208-based raid card in precise, quantal, raring

[Ron]

I also posted this solution to bug#  1091263 "Cannot install Ubuntu
Server on Intel Raid System"

I have FINALLY discovered a work-around/solution for this situation.
(after spending 3 days, wrongly debugging the megaraid_sas driver source
code....)

Setting linux kernel boot parameter pci=conf1 allows my Intel RAID
Controller-RMS25PB080 (LSI 2208/Fusion based) to be detected, and the FW
to transition to Ready state. Without this setting the Card FW responds
only with 0xF0000000 Fault (Masked).

I found linux kernel series 3.0.0 (as used in Oneiric / 11.10), properly
discovered and used the RAID card. Things broke in kernel series 3.2.0
(as used in Precise / 12.04), onward. So this also affects Quantal
(12.10), and current Raring 13.04 kernel builds (v3.7+). So this means
in my Intel s2600 system, using the Intel/LSI card I have confirmed
broken PCI discovery in kernels 3.2 up to current day 3.7.1 kernels.

Details:
Card PCI ID: 1000:005b
Card PCI description: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic MegaRAID SAS 2208 [Thunderbolt] (rev 03) aka Fusion
Card Firmware Version: v23.9.0-0018 (most current to-date)
Card OEM: Intel RAID Module (Card) RMS25PB080 SAS
System Board: s2600CP - E5-2600 Xeon, LGA2011 Socket
System Firmware BIOS level: 01.06.0002 2012/11/15 (most current to-date)

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to debian-installer in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1091465

Title:
  debian-installer fails to detect lsi 2208-based raid card in precise,
  quantal, raring

Status in “debian-installer” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  I have been trying to install ubuntu server for the last 4 days on an Intel P4208CP4 server with intel rms25pb080 raid controller.
  Although the raid card (LSI 2208 chipset, 1 gb RAM, 2 8087-ports ) is recognized correctly by the kernel as megaraid_sas it will not ever be used or even offered as an installation target.
  dmesg reports "FW in fault state", and that is about all that ever happens. lsmod shows the relevant modules to be loaded.
  fdisk or gparted never show any devices on this controller.
  Versions i tried:
  - 12.04 server 64bit, release
  - 12.04.1 server 64bit, release
  - 12.04.2 daily build server 64bit as of 12/12/2012, kernel 3.5 quantal-lts
  - 12.04.2 daily build desktop 64bit as of 12/12/2012, kernel 3.5 quantal-lts
  - 12.10 deskktop and server , daily build from 12/13/2012 kernel 3.5
  - 13.04 alpha, daily build from 12/14/2012 64bit, desktop only, kernel 3.7-rc
  Just to make sure, i moved the raid card around between the pci-e slots.
  I also tried efi and legacy boot with all these versions - nothing.
  There are 3 more 1tb sata disks in the machine, that are not attached to the raid card, ubuntu in any of the above versions installs and runs there without any problems
  Machine Specs:
  - intel server chassis 4208cp
  - MB intel S2600CP4
  - 2xE5-2630 xeon
  - 8x8GB Kingston ecc reg
  - intel raid adapter rms25pb080 lsi 2208 chipset, 1gb ram, 8x Samsung SSD 840PRO /256gb wrapped into a single raid6 volume
  - battery backup module for raid controller intel AXXRMFBU2
  - 3x 1TB Hitachi HTE54101,  2,5" sata on onboard sas-ports (only for backup, not connected for installation, i wanted all system-things to got to the raid set)
  no cd/dvd

  BTW: Centos 6.3-64bit works out of the box, much to my chagrin..
  Disk throughput ist 2.9GB/s read avg. and 2.4GB/write avg. according to centos gnome disk utility, so the raid card seems to be ok with these ssds attached to it.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/debian-installer/+bug/1091465/+subscriptions