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Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 22:46:50 +0100
From: Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@suse.cz>
To: Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@mandrakesoft.com>
Cc: Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@suse.cz>, Arjan van de Ven <arjanv@redhat.com>,
        Martin Dalecki <dalecki@evision-ventures.com>,
        linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] 2.5.6-pre2 IDE cleanup 16
Message-ID: <20020305224650.A1123@ucw.cz>
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In-Reply-To: <3C853BC9.EC553363@mandrakesoft.com>; from jgarzik@mandrakesoft.com on Tue, Mar 05, 2002 at 04:42:33PM -0500
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On Tue, Mar 05, 2002 at 04:42:33PM -0500, Jeff Garzik wrote:

> > Note that taskfiles are not being removed from IDE. Just direct (and
> > parsed and filtered) interface to userspace. Does the scsi midlayer
> > export the SCBs directly to userspace?
> 
> It should.
> 
> I think it's a mistake to remove the taskfile interface.
> 
> It provides a way for people to directly validate the lowest level IDE
> interface, without interference from upper layers.  It also provides
> access to userspace for important features that -should not- be in the
> kernel, like SMART monitoring and security features.

Well, Martin promised to reimplement it better later if there is demand
for it, and it seems there is. So I suppose it's going away only to be
replaced by something better.

There was a flamewar about this some time ago - whether the kernel
should or should not parse the taskfile access to prevent possibly
dangerous commands sent to the drive - if this is to be used for
validation, then all commands need to be allowed, which also will enable
to thin the code considerably.

-- 
Vojtech Pavlik
SuSE Labs
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