[CentOS] Updating kernel driver module questions

James Pearson
Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:40 -0000

Robert Heller wrote:
> I am running CentOS 4.7, presently on an older box (PIII slot 1
> processor @ 500mhz with 384meg of RAM, using SCSI disks with an
> AHA-2940 host controller).  I have built a new box: AMH Semporon
> 2.<mumble> GHZ, 2gig of RAM.  I put in a AHA-29160 host controller
(uses
> same driver as the AHA-2940).  The motherboard is an ASROCK thing with
> nVideo's chipset: nv's SATA controller and nv's integrated
network
> (forcedeth).  I just did some tests with live CD and installer CDs for
> CentOS 4 and 5.  It looks like the stock CentOS 4 kernel's achi and
> forcedth drivers don't really care for this board :-(.  I bought a SATA
> DVD burner for this system -- it looks like I won't be able to use it
> unless/until I upgrade either the kernel or the whole O/S (eg to at
> least CentOS 5.3).  I really don't want to go an upgrade to CentOS 5 at
> this time.  Do I have any other options?  I have the kernel-devel
> installed -- is it possible to 'steal' the sources for later kernel
> drivers and re-compile them for the kernel I am running?  Are there
> other options available?

It might be possible that 'the soon to be available' CentOS 4.8 may
support these devices.

If you can get the system booted with CentOS 4.7, you could try and
install the more recent test RHEL4 kernel from:

<http://people.redhat.com/vgoyal/rhel4/>

What does the output of 'lspci' and 'lspci -n' give for this
system?

James Pearson