Specifications

Windows 137GB Capacity Barrier Version 1.0
21 7-Mar-2003
(http://www.siig.com
) and Promise Technology, Inc. (http://www.promise.com) and ACARD
Technology (http://www.acard.com
).
13. Linux on a traditional motherboard
Linux kernels have added native support for 48-bit LBA addressing with IDE driver patches
beginning with kernel v2.4.16. Most current commercial compilations of Linux have incorporated
the newest IDE/ATA drivers. For example, Red Hat v7.2 has the native 137GB limitation while
Red Hat v7.3 has added 48-bit Addressing; SuSE v8.0 Professional begins support for 48-bit
addressing; Caldera OpenLinux v3.1 may support 48-bit addressing.
Linux operating systems are inherently upgradeable. Nonetheless, patches to the fundamental
disc access drivers are technically challenging. Many web page articles are available which
discuss the new 48-bit LBA IDE or ATA drivers. A good place to begin your research is at the
Linux home page (http://www.linux.org
) or the Linux ATA Development and Linux Disk
Certification Project (http://www.linux-ide.org/
)
Certain disc utilities, such as DD, which depend on low-level disc access may not support 48-bit
LBAs until they are updated.
14. Linux on a PCI controller card
New controller cards are available that support ATA interface disc drives through their own
onboard BIOS and custom Linux device drivers. Companies which are known to manufacture
ATA controller cards that support drives greater than 137GB are SIIG, Inc (http://www.siig.com
),
Promise Technology, Inc. (http://www.promise.com
), HighPoint Technologies, Inc.
(http://www.highpoint-tech.com)
and ACARD Technology (http://www.acard.com).