New slax 2.0 alpha1 available

[probutus]

Time for an update  Since Kernel 2.6.18 is out and the sata subsystem got improved I gave it a try and implemented sata support for the slax disc. To avoid confusion we now have a versionning scheme:

Here is a list of improvements:

1) plscsi and modeb command now integrated in baseimage (no dvd_base-mo package needed anymore)
2) usb and sata->pata adapter works as usual
3) modeb-cdb now integrated into generic scsi driver (which is used by libata)

Since I cant get my drive out of my box anymore (please dont ask...  ) I have not been able to test it

If you have problems please PM me your dmesg output that I can help.

TO AVOID confusion: There are some sata-raid controllers out (e.g. sil 3112 and 3114) which do not support sata-atapi drives so please check if your controller supports atapi devices before complaining

Heres the link:

http://rapidshare.de/files/35595007/p_slax2.0_alpha1.iso.html

[santamaycry]

Does the config need to be in legacy or Raid?, and if it wouldnt be too hard, could you up this somewhere like savefile because i JUST went over my rapidshare limit >_<

[probutus]

legacy is required since most controllers dont support ATAPI commands when in RAID mode..

[santamaycry]

Oh, and does it need to be in Primary Master/Slave or Secondary master/slave?

[probutus]

doesnt care; choose a location which is not yet occupied by real parallel ata drives

[Textbook]

Does this offer any more compatibility for other SATA chipsets that did not work before, or is it just a more stable build with the same compatibility as the original?  From the improvements, I can see that the modeb cdb command is now integrated into the scsi driver and base image, but it doesn't mention any compatibility improvements.  Is there any way to improve on that or not?  Slax is wonderful, if it works with your chipset.  Only problem is the compatibility.

[probutus]

The new slax2.0 should work with all sata chipsets which are supported by linux and can handle atapi devices; I put the modeb activation into scsi_scan.c.

However, there are sata controllers out which only can talk to hdds and refuse to talk to atapi devices (like some of the 3112 and 3114 devices with RAID bios). I have a 3112 controller and have not found another (better) one for PCMCIA. Therefore I could not test this activation.

I need your help for testing; If you have a sata controller (e.g. intel ichX, nvidia nforce, 3114 with IDE bios, VIA ...) please post your experience when using this disc.

If there are problems please PM me the /var/log/messages file so that I can help you

[superost]

I have an Asus P4P800SE mainboard which uses the intel ich5r chip as southbridge..
Slax kept telling me the following and could not reach the login screen:
"sda: spinning up disc ...... not responding"

what I did was to reboot from this point, eject the hitachi (LED FLASHES=MODEB YES!!) and boot windows.
Drive flashes/recoveres firmware perfectly..

So basically IT WORKS 

thank you, no "crossing wire risk" for me anymore

[Brendt]

STlab A180 Raid 2x sata SIL3112 works for me even though in raid mode ( i use the first slax cd).
In fact the bios is burnt in to a eprom from factory, so cant flash it to legacy.

[Textbook]

Wow, this is an AWESOME update then.  Your last post should have been in the README    A lot easier to understand and really promotes the update.  I have a Samsung drive, but I should be getting a couple Hitachis to mod next week.  My onboard VIA 8237 worked with the first Slax disc while my VIA 6421L PCI card did not work with the Slax CD.  But since it does work with ATAPI devices, this new updated Slax disc should work with the VIA 6421 cards.  I know a lot of people who have purchased this card.  Hopefully somebody will test it out before I can, as I won't get a Hitachi to play with until next week.  Thanks again Protubus.

[beeny]

this worked with my VIA 6421A card done 2 hitachi drives

Thank you 

[Phased]

Sweet Probutus .  I will try to test this weekend and let you know.

[probutus]

I forgot to post the source changes:
http://rapidshare.de/files/35772872/slax20_2.6.18_changes.tar.gz.html

There are three files involved:

1) usb.c ->contains changes for usb->sata connectors
2) ide-cd.c -> contains changes which send the modeb command to the drive
3) scsi-scan.c -> contains the same changes like in ide-cd.c

BTW: I am currently looking for an alternative to rapidshare.de since the files will all vanish after 30 days of no download; I tried savefile.com but there is a 60MB limit (the slax disc has 60.5 MB; sh.. ). If you have any suggestions, please PM me

[Iriez]

While not a http alternative, I would like to remind you that as always, the release is posted on xbins.

[Pandor]

STlab A180 Raid 2x sata SIL3112 works for me even though in raid mode ( i use the first slax cd).
In fact the bios is burnt in to a eprom from factory, so cant flash it to legacy.

If you use a system bios (built onto mobo) it already has 'sata'(legacy)/'sata raid' mode into it and should be switchable through you bios configuration.

This can also be updated. If your mobo manufacturer hasn't done so already.

You can easely unpack you motherboard bios (it's just a packed binary, with different roms and gfx files), get the reference system bios from silicon image and inject it into your motherboard bios.

My motherboard also had an old sil rom, and i updated it to sil's latest reference rom by simply injecting it.

[johnbhoy]

ok i have bricked my drive already using the hotwire trick as as could not get slax cd to work... the dvd drive is just not ejecting. i did nowever get hold of the new alpha version (so wish i had this a few days ago now.... ach welll...) 
i managed to boot with slax cd and then get windows to see the hitachi drive... its took a while to do it but just left it alone and it popped up in device manager and then in my computer........ i believe altough not 100% sure that the drive is trying to complete an opertain but is not being able.... tried to use the flash.bat nad it gives me the folliing message...... is this in anyway recoverable. many thanks



C:\LG>flash21.bat g 1529

****************************************
*                                      *
* garyOPA: Xtreme v2.1 -- Hitachi 7in1 *
*                                      *
* Updates your x360 DVD drive firmware *
*                                      *
****************************************


Making BACKUP of your DRIVE KEY...



Dumping CURRENT firmware...



Detecting VERSION of drive...


---------- WAS.BIN

---------- WAS.BIN

---------- WAS.BIN

---------- WAS.BIN

---------- WAS.BIN
HL-DT-STDVD-ROM GDR3120L00470BMBB   05/07/27    ☺
HL-DT-STDVD-ROM GDR3120L00470BMBB   05/07/27

---------- WAS.BIN
0074    LHD--TTSVD-DOR MDG3R21L0
0074    LHD--TTSVD-DOR MDG3R21L0

Making XTREME patch for v47...


Flashing 1/9 sector 90003000 (Xtreme Custom Code)...

DeviceIOControl() failed 0
failed to stop the disc (sense: 02/04/01)


Is the flashing stable...


Done.
Done.

ERROR: Hitachi DVD drive is NOT flashing...

WARNING: One of THREE things could be wrong

#1: Shut-down all your back-ground programs
#2: Windows is in-compatible, try SAFE MODE
#3: Your DVD drive is not really in Mode B!

Access is denied.
Access is denied.
Access is denied.

C:\LG>


---I believe i now have the key from the dvd drive.... now i did read in the readme.txt... that the new 2.1 version of the opa firmware will to the following:

SMALL BUG fixes from last night release of our Xtreme v2.0 - 7IN1

   - #1: The new delay command frozed on some user's computer setups.

   - #2: Users with v46 drives had no TRAY FUNCTION after flashing...
     
         * To fix your BRICK (We are very sorry!, But it is fixable!)
         
           - manually open the dvd tray!
           - now power up your PC system
           - power up your bricked drive
           - re-flash the drive with 2.1


sorry if this is a stupid question but do you think this will fix my drive.and more importantly . how do i open the drive manually.

[beeny]

sorry dont know if it will fix your drive. but i saw this video on youtube hope it helps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQgD77-zvkc

[pichuerca]

Hi,

I have an ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard with SIL3114 chip and this version of Slax doesn´t work for me, it doesn´t boot. It stops booting at the middle of the initializing process; the older version of slax worked fine but it could´t be able to put my hitachi drive in modeb.

On the other hand, thanks for this new version, i hope some day it works for my motherboard.

Bye

[probutus]

If your 3114 controller has a RAID Bios you cant attach ATAPI devices to it; you can try to upload a IDE Bios ( www.siimage.com ) This should work then...

[dante1979]

OK johnbhoy...I am noob enough to have bricked my Hitachi 47. Under no circumstance can I get my drive recognised in windows.You say that you did that with the new Slax CD and I have just a couple of questions...

1. While slax boots up, at some point it must say that it disables an #IRQ. Did that happen? 'cause the slax cd did that before I bricked my drive but it doesn't now.
2. What do you mean it just popped up in ''My computer''? I mean did you just do nothing and it suddenly appeared? I've been waiting for 20 minutes now and still nothing...

Sorry if this Hitachi talk messes up this thread (I know there are other places where I can talk about that, but since there has been nothing on repairig a bricked Hitachi for some time now, there really is not much I can do but try to figure out a way around this and what johnbhoy has done sounds quite prommising...)

again SORRY...