Flash Drive USB port location + adding a SATA controller card

[DiggsNC]

Need a little help with Unraid/Linux.

 

While installing unraid on a new HP server, I used an external USB port for the flash drive. After I finished getting all my hardware installed and unraid configured, I moved the Flash Drive to the USB port on the motherboard. After doing that, the server will not obtain an IP address or complete a shutdown - h now. If I move the flash drive back to the external USB port, everything works again.

 

I am assuming there is a config file of some sort where the flash drive is mounted to the USB port that I used during setup, but that is just an assumption. Can anyone advise me as to how to change this? It's not crucial, but would be nice to have the USB flash drive inside the server. And this is a learning process, and so far I have been able to either google search, or do forum searches here to find answers to my previous questions, but I just can't seem to locate an answer on this one.

 

The second question I have is about adding hardware to my HP N40L server that I am using for Unraid. I would like to use 7 drives (5 data + Parity + Cache) but only have an option for 5 internal and 1 external (esata) with this server. Is there a PCI-X controller out there that would install easily (drop in out of the box, plug and play style) you would recommend for unraid? All I really need is one with one E-sata port to add one more additional external HD. So far all I have had to do was drop in the flash drive and follow the configuration guide for unraid and unmenu. No drivers have been needed that I can tell and I would like to keep it that way since I don't even know how to go about doing that in linux. So any tips on a very basic PCIX Esata controller would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[dgaschk]

The Flash drive should work in any USB port. I have the same box and it works fine.

 

The bus is PCI-e. It is not PCI-x. PCI-x is an older type that is not compatible with PCI-e.

 

This card should work: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816115073

 

The card may work with the latest RC, but you may need this script to get it working: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=19882.0

[DiggsNC]

The flash drive "Works" in any USB port, but when plugged into the internal USB port located on the motherboard it seems the unraid configuration changes. It will not obtain an IP address per "ifconfig eth0" and when I attempt to do a shutdown, it gives an error. Sorry not going to duplicate it and can't remember the wording, but the only way to shutdown at that point is to remove power since the keyboard no longer functions after the command is put in.  It just seems like there is a configuration file that isn't being found during the boot up process. Now to clarify, I say the flash drive works in any usb port, but I have only plugged it into 2 of the ports on the server. So I may get the same symptoms plugging it into a different external port as well, but don't want to try it  again due to the improper shutdown.

 

My only guess is that while doing the initial setup of unraid a config file was created which mapped the configuration files to that particular USB port, and when the flash drive is moved the path to those files has been changed and cannot be located on boot.

 

Thanks for the recommendation for the SATA controller, and sorry for the nomenclature screw up (PCI-E / PCI-X) I meant PCI Express.  I am running Unraid V4.7 currently, will the script you link work with a version prior to the V5.x releases also if needed?

 

Thanks again for all the assistance and the USB flash drive location is not crucial, I just am curious why this happens and would like to keep it inside the server if possible, but it will run and live happily on the external port.

 

 

[dgaschk]

The script will work in 4.7.

 

It should make no difference whether the flash is on the internal or the external USB port. I have moved mine back and forth several times.