Quote Originally Posted by Loper
No, actually you can get away with a Promise (or similar) PCI-based IDE controller. [...]
From experience, I know the Promise cards work with Knoppix.
Mmm. But then we run into "known issues" with Promise controllers and VIA vt82c686a. :twisted: Well, at least from what I've read, I think it's been fixed by 2.4.20.

I still want SCSI, man! Through the right channels I hope to procure a suitable controller and disk(s), if-and-when that happens I will put this sorry problem to bed once and for all.

The VIA IDE saga lumbers on. My friend gave me an old motherboard (it's the same spec. as my problematic one) with the promise that he'd had DMA working on the secondary IDE channel no problems. The same things happen as before -- annoyingly, I've seen the mobo. working in his machine with no problems whatsoever.

I've not been able to track down a BIOS update that matches my current BIOS. You'd think the manufacturer's site would be the place, but no! I'm not mad-keen on fucking up the BIOS, so I'm leaving it until my friend (same as above) tracks down his CD-R with the BIOS update on it that he knows will work.

Googling since my last post hasn't helped, I've ended up going round in circles. The only proper "solution" is to avoid running a drive on secondary IDE that wants DMA. Not good seeing as I have three such drives.