Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 29 Nov 2001 20:11:44 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 29 Nov 2001 20:11:34 -0500 Received: from vindaloo.ras.ucalgary.ca ([136.159.55.21]:30137 "EHLO vindaloo.ras.ucalgary.ca") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Thu, 29 Nov 2001 20:11:26 -0500 Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 18:11:21 -0700 Message-Id: <200111300111.fAU1BLR05033@vindaloo.ras.ucalgary.ca> From: Richard Gooch To: Rene Rebe Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, ziegler@informatik.hu-berlin.de Subject: Re: IDE controller detection 2.4 +devfs In-Reply-To: <20011130015538.68b09e03.rene.rebe@gmx.net> In-Reply-To: <20011130001138.78ab1242.rene.rebe@gmx.net> <200111300017.fAU0Hx704241@vindaloo.ras.ucalgary.ca> <20011130012752.0fd5380a.rene.rebe@gmx.net> <200111300034.fAU0YB904723@vindaloo.ras.ucalgary.ca> <20011130015538.68b09e03.rene.rebe@gmx.net> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Rene Rebe writes: > On Thu, 29 Nov 2001 17:34:11 -0700 > Richard Gooch wrote: > > Um, from your previous message, it seems that host numbering doesn't > > change depending on BIOS settings. > > It was the first storry - my older Athlon. OK, so, just to be clear, BIOS settings are *not* changing host numbering. IOW, "host1" always refers to the same piece of hardware, whether or not "host1" appears in devfs. > > So what exactly is happening? And what is the problem? I realise you > > may find the naming a little confusing, but is there an actual > > problem? > > ok - again. > > I have a K6 on an ALI Aladin-5 board and an additional IDE controller > (Promisse). The onboard can be found as /dev/host0 and the additional > Promisse one appears as /dev/host2: > > server1:~ # l /dev/ide/ > total 0 > drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Jan 1 1970 . > drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Jan 1 1970 .. > drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Jan 1 1970 host0 > drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Jan 1 1970 host2 > > The boot messages: [...] > I works - but sucks, because I'm not able to predict the > ide-controller entries in /dev/ide/* because they seem (for me) > randomly on each workstaion I am ... But it is actually predictable, isn't it? Think of it this way: the IDE subsystem reserves "slots" (host numbers) for installed hardware. If a piece of hardware is disabled in the BIOS, it doesn't mean that the slot won't be reserved. > (All info from my very first mail ...) > > The other bug is: On a Athlon-600 workstation based on an Irongate > board (Asus-K7M) I have to disable the first (primarry) channel of > the onbaord IDE controller, because it has problem with the UDMA-66 > mode. But when I disable this channel, Linux generates a /dev/ide/host1 > entry - No host0 entry is there. Sure it works - but sucks, too! > (Generates a very unstable feeling in me ...) The "host0" entry isn't shown, because it is disabled. But to say "when I disable this channel, Linux generates a /dev/ide/host1" isn't correct, and implies a problem where there isn't. The correct way to describe this is: "host0" is my primary onboard IDE controller. It might not appear if I disable it. "host1" is my secondary onboard IDE controller. It has the same name whether or not I disable the primary. And this is a Feature[tm]. It means that tomorrow when a shiny new drive arrives, you can plug it into your primary channel and enable the channel in the BIOS. You can then boot without having to fix your /etc/fstab, because /dev/ide/host1 is still pointing to the same devices. The only thing that confuses me is why the secondary onboard channel is /dev/ide/host1 rather than /dev/ide/host0/bus1. Regards, Richard.... Permanent: rgooch@atnf.csiro.au Current: rgooch@ras.ucalgary.ca - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/