[clue] fun (not!) with a new computer

[Collins Richey]

Having purchased all the parts for a new computer months ago, I never
got around to outting everything together, but my primary linux box
failed, so here I am having lots of fun.

FWIW, the MB is a gigabyte 880GA-ud3h with AMD PhenomII cpu and 8G
memory. The MB has on-board raid1 capability, so that's how I setup
the pair of 1TB hard drives. Eventually this will be a good setup, but
the birthing pains are annoying to say the least. Here are some of the
depressing things I've encountered.

* A knoppix 5.x DVD will not run completely - unable to startx because
of the on-board ATI video (may ATI be forever cursed!).

* I tried various distro DVDs lying about with little success, but I
did have a Mint 12 DVD that works after a fashion (it's gnome, and may
gnome be forever cursed!). I'm running from that livedvd at the
moment. Most everything (sound, internet, raid1 drives, etc.) works
from the livedvd envirornment. I successfully completed an install to
harddrive, and all the files look ok when mounted and inspected
running from the livedvd

* Unfortunately the system will not boot from the harddrive. More
info. I have an extra pair of non-raid sata harddrives cabled in (from
the previous machine, for eventual recovery of files). The
[/]boot/grub partition on the raid1 drives has a standard grub2 setup,
and the grub.cfg looks pretty normal. However, at boot time, I get
dropped into a grub batch prompt. It appears that the system is
detecting the grub setup from my old drives (the prompt is from grub
not grub2) and I don't seem to be able to convince it to find anything
on the raid1 drives.

* It looks like I'll have to open the case again and recable the
drives. Bummer. That's not a simple operation with this case/MB, The
sata connectors have a right angle turn outwards at a case position
where you need the tiniest of fingers to insert the connectors.

* I haven't found anything thus far that will allow me to specify the
order of drive search at boot time. Do any of you have experience with
this type of problem?

* Another question. In the MB instructions for the sata connections
there is a recommendation "cable the l-shaped end of the sata cable to
the harddrive". Some of the sata cables are straight on both ends, and
some are l-shaped on both ends. Do any of you know more about this?

-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.