Re: VIA 686 timer bugfix incomplete

[Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@suse.cz>]

On Thu, Nov 08, 2001 at 09:32:30AM +1100, Neale Banks wrote:
> On Wed, 7 Nov 2001, Vojtech Pavlik wrote:
> 
> [...]
> > On Wed, Nov 07, 2001 at 08:48:00PM +0100, Jonas Diemer wrote:
> [...]
> > > well, just use the option described above. that way, ppl that need the fix can
> > > choose to use it (at a cost of performance), others simply don't need checking.
> > > 
> > > -jonas
> > > 
> > > PS: CC me in your answers plz, I am not subscribed to the list.
> > 
> > The VIA bug isn't a problem: The fix doesn't cause performance problems
> > to people unaffected by the bug, it just prints an annoying message to
> > people who see it triggered by bug #2 (Neptune).
> [snip]
> 
> Maybe not performance problems, but my tired-but-otherwise-reliable
> AcerNote-950C (which definitely does not have a VIA686a - it's a Pentium)
> doesn't seem to like this VIA686a fix (but only sometimes {:-( ).
> 
> Prior to 2.2.19, on going to sleep due to low battery, I could reliably
> wake it up.  with 2.2.19 (being where this fix entered 2.2) this isn't the
> case - sometimes I just get the "probable bug" message, sometimes also a
> diag re hda (sorry, can't quote right now) and on one occasion serious
> file system corruption (OK, maybe it was a co-incidence, or maybe not).
> 
> Yes, I probably have a bug in the timer department, but I strongly suspect
> that the fix for the 686a is not appropriate for my chipset.
> 
> If the current VIA686a "probable bug" fix is going to remain as default,
> then I for one would like to see a knob to disable it.
> 
> For 2.2, I'm happy to have a go at making and alpha-testing a patch for a
> kernel command-line switch to disable this - but I'd very much like to
> hear from the custodians of consistency in such matters as to an
> appropriate/best attribute=value to use for this.  Some sugestions:
> 
> 	chips=novia686a
> 	via_hacks=no686a
> 	via_hacks=none
> 	timer=no686a

I think the latest would be best. Anyway, I don't think it could be a
cause of your IDE problems.

-- 
Vojtech Pavlik
SuSE Labs