problem with mdadm not remembering config

[martin f krafft]

also sprach tom hall <thattommyhall at gmail.com> [2006.08.28.1427 +0200]:
> hi, ive built about 5 RAID systems recently, but have hit trouble
> with the latest not remembering the raid config after some number
> of reboots.

What version of mdadm?

Also, please elaborate. What does "not remembering the raid config"
mean?

> i have a fairly simple setup, 4 drives, raid5 array on
> /dev/sd[abcd]5 (on an nvidia controller) and mdrun used to run
> fine (i had no mdadm.conf file) i think the mdadm.conf created is
> wrong, and the script in /usr/share/mdadm seems to read it as
> 3 drives + spare or something.

It would help if you posted the mdadm.conf file.

> is the advice at http://deb.riseup.net/storage/software-raid/
> still valid ?

Whch advice? It all seems more or less correct.

> if i get get a correct (as far as i can tell) mdadm.conf is there
> any reason that it should not survive rebooting as many times as
> i want to?

Not really.

> most recently when the raid went down, i had to re-add the 3rd
> drive (using webmin) to get it back up. is there a problem with
> using webmin for this?, as i like it.

I have no idea. I would never use webmin for something like RAID.

> all a bit strange, what happens if i boot now with no mdadm.conf,
> does one get created, id like to be able to clone the systems
> easilly

Yes, this is what will happen, at least in the newest versions.

> i noticed in the first digest of this list i recieved "kernel
> autostart" is this mdrun or something else?

No, that would be kernel autostart. Do you have a /boot/initrd*
file?

> what setup would people recommend for the simple raid setup ive outlined?

Plain setup with plain Debian kernel and initrd to start the RAID,
ideally using mdadm 2.5.3.

-- 
 .''`.     martin f. krafft <madduck at debian.org>
: :'  :    proud Debian developer, author, administrator, and user
`. `'`     http://people.debian.org/~madduck http://debiansystem.info
  `-  Debian - when you have better things to do than fixing systems
 
"a compliment is like a kiss through a veil."
                                                        -- victor hugo
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