Subject: Re: IDE HPA
From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To: Molle Bestefich <molle.bestefich@gmail.com>
Cc: ataraid-list@redhat.com, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
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Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 15:50:59 +0100
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On Gwe, 2005-09-02 at 15:33 +0200, Molle Bestefich wrote:
> > It also wouldn't solve the case of a file system that spans both inside and
> > outside the HPA.
> 
> If HPA were exposed as /dev/.../hpa then it wouldn't be possible to
> create such a filesystem. I'm guessing it's not possible with Windows
> either, or with any BIOS-based OS.

It is on many windows systems which include extra drivers that come with
large disks.

> Creating filesystems that include the HPA defeats the entire idea of
> the HPA in the first place.

See previous discussion, this is untrue. It may not have been the intent
of the standards authors but its certainly the idea of a large number of
disk and system vendors that the HPA is a handy way to deal with old
BIOSes and other items of that nature.
  
> If one does not care to use the HPA, one should disable it in the BIOS
> entirely, so that everywhere (!) the entire disk is seen.

And in the real world BIOSes don't get updated often by vendors let
alone by users.

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