No /proc/mdstat but is mdadm

Longer version -

Am currently running a different Debian-based distribution using an older kernel and KDE version. Would like to get a bit more modern, and Knoppix seems to be one of the easiest ways to get a Debian SID system setup.

My OS is on an internal HD, and all my data is on a RAID 5 made up of four firewire external drives. So to convert I need to make sure Knoppix has RAID support built in.

Normally I would start by checking for /dev/md* devices. Knoppix has those. Then I see if mdadm is available, and yup, Knoppix has that as well.

But it doesn't show a /proc/mdstat, which makes me wonder if the tools are there but the support in the kernel is missing? I'd like to run the 2.6.6 kernel in Knoppix 3.4, and maybe that file has gone away?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Ewan

Am working up a Knoppix 3.6 HDD Install with the 2.4.27 kernel, and would still be interested in an answer to this. Basically just want to know if I can create a Software RAID-5 array with Knoppix, and have it be autorecognized at boot?

Thanks!

For anyone else who is curious, running apt-get or Synaptic to get mdadm 1.7 or later does allow Knoppix to deal with RAID-5 arrays. Took a while to get mine setup, but that was more to do with the 1394 (firewire) support than with the RAID support.

FWIW,
Ewan