[gentoo-user] Installing Gentoo with a true Hardware RAID Controller ...

[Christopher Koeber]

Hello,
     I am trying to install Gentoo linux on an AMD 64 system with a Promise Supertrak 8350 Hardware RAID controller. Here are the points of note with this:

• The vendor has open source drivers available but I have to compile them with the kernel source.
• The LiveCD and LiveDVD do not have automatic detection for this card.
• I don't have a spare IDE hard disk to install Gentoo and then port over.
• I have over 2 GB's of RAM.

     So here is what I am wondering?

1. Does anyone have experience / working system with Gentoo with this card yet?
2. If so, can I get a kernel module that works with the LiveCD/LiveDVD so that i can at least partition and mount my drives?
3. If this is not possible, is there a way where I can do a no nonsense installation of Gentoo on RAM so that I can compile the kernel drivers myself?

     Anything else that i haven't thought of as well? I am open to suggestions. Thank you for any help you provide with this.
Regards,
Christopher Koeber