[parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Thibaut VARENE]

Hi fellows !

Paul Bame has noticed a problem that seems to occur on B2600 with SYM1 
driver, causing the box to slow down everything and increasing the 
loadavg, while top reports 99% idle.

When this happens, one can hear HD making strange noise: two grouped 
"ticks" every 2 seconds or so.

I have experienced this behavior by myself, and it seems that using SYM2 
driver solves this problem.

Now I'm asking you to know if anybody has an objection against making 
SYM2 the default driver in debian-configs instead of old SYM1.

Thanks,


Thibaut VARENE
PA/Linux ESIEE Team
http://pateam.esiee.fr/

Re: [parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Grant Grundler]

Thibaut VARENE wrote:
> Now I'm asking you to know if anybody has an objection against making 
> SYM2 the default driver in debian-configs instead of old SYM1.

I don't. All the boxes I care about have 53c8xx chips in them.

A slightly safer approach is to make sym2 the default for PA2.0 systems
and the old sym the default for PA1.1 systems. But GSC/HSC c720 cards
don't fit that model since they go into systems with either sub-arch.
I don't see a way around users "tuning" based on actual HW configuration.

grant

Re: [parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Joel Soete]

Hi Thibaut,

Thibaut VARENE wrote:
> Hi fellows !
> 
> Paul Bame has noticed a problem that seems to occur on B2600 with SYM1 
> driver, causing the box to slow down everything and increasing the 
> loadavg, while top reports 99% idle.
> 
> When this happens, one can hear HD making strange noise: two grouped 
> "ticks" every 2 seconds or so.
> 
> I have experienced this behavior by myself, and it seems that using SYM2 
> driver solves this problem.

At a moment it solved also this problem of disk on my b2k. So for 
severall month now, I use only SYM2 on this b2k.

More over as on a b180 I notice that SYM2 driver could also be used 
also, I test it with same success.

(sorry I could not any more test on 712)

Good idea,
	Joel

Re: [parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Thibaut VARENE]

Le vendredi, 13 sep 2002, =E0 21:09 Europe/Paris, Grant Grundler a =E9crit=
 :

> Thibaut VARENE wrote:
>> Now I'm asking you to know if anybody has an objection against making
>> SYM2 the default driver in debian-configs instead of old SYM1.
>
> I don't. All the boxes I care about have 53c8xx chips in them.
>
> A slightly safer approach is to make sym2 the default for PA2.0 =
systems
> and the old sym the default for PA1.1 systems. But GSC/HSC c720 cards
> don't fit that model since they go into systems with either sub-arch.
> I don't see a way around users "tuning" based on actual HW=20
> configuration.
Well, this might be a good solution, though IIRC, Randolph Chung=20
mentioned
that sym1 is b0rken in Linux 2.5.

Therefore making sym2 default for both archs may be preferable for=20
future compatibility?

Anyway, I think we can start with making sym2 default for PA2.0,=20
keeping sym1 for PA1.1,
and then "wait and see".

If everything goes well, we can switch PA1.1 as well.

Opinions ? :)


Thibaut VARENE
PA/Linux ESIEE Team
http://pateam.esiee.fr/=

Re: [parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Grant Grundler]

Thibaut VARENE wrote:
> though IIRC, Randolph Chung mentioned
> that sym1 is b0rken in Linux 2.5.

It won't always be broken.

> Anyway, I think we can start with making sym2 default for PA2.0,
> keeping sym1 for PA1.1, and then "wait and see".
> 
> If everything goes well, we can switch PA1.1 as well.

If we switch PA1.1, then we should do that for both releases.
And when we do so, better add a FAQ about "SCSI Controller not found".
Maybe even add it now already to cover PA2.0 case (but don't mention
PA2.0 in the FAQ).

grant

Re: [parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Richard Hirst]

On Fri, Sep 13, 2002 at 01:09:29PM -0600, Grant Grundler wrote:
> Thibaut VARENE wrote:
> > Now I'm asking you to know if anybody has an objection against making 
> > SYM2 the default driver in debian-configs instead of old SYM1.
> 
> I don't. All the boxes I care about have 53c8xx chips in them.

I don't think that is relevant.  SYM1 and SYM2 both only drive 53c8xx
chips (and newer, 53c1010, etc).  SYM1 didn't drive some of the nearly
53c810 chips (iirc), and you needed ncr53c8xx.c to drive those.

> A slightly safer approach is to make sym2 the default for PA2.0 systems
> and the old sym the default for PA1.1 systems. But GSC/HSC c720 cards
> don't fit that model since they go into systems with either sub-arch.

There was no linux driver for 53c720 before parisc.  Now we drive 53c720
with a modified ncr53c8xx.  So, something like my B180 with a bluefish
card uses:

CONFIG_SCSI_LASI700 (James driver) for 53c710 (cdrom)
CONFIG_SCSI_ZALON (modified ncr53c8xx) for 53c720 on blusfish
CONFIG_SCSI_SYM53C8XX (SYMV1) for 53c8?? main disk interface

So, in theory, chnaging to CONFIG_SCSI_SYM53C8XX_2 for all configs
shouldn't upset anyone.  SYM1 and SYM2 both only drive PCI chips, so
that makes the change irrelevant to earlier boxes anyway.

Cheers,
  Richard

Re: [parisc-linux] Making SYM2 default SYM-SCSI driver instead of SYM1

[Grant Grundler]

Richard Hirst wrote:
> I don't think that is relevant.  SYM1 and SYM2 both only drive 53c8xx
> chips (and newer, 53c1010, etc).  SYM1 didn't drive some of the nearly
> 53c810 chips (iirc), and you needed ncr53c8xx.c to drive those.

Ah ok. my bad. I thought sym1 drove 53c720 but that's wrong.

Someone might consider porting the PDC_INITIATOR support to ncr53c8xx.
Should be a cut/paste from sym1 or sym2 driver.

> So, in theory, chnaging to CONFIG_SCSI_SYM53C8XX_2 for all configs
> shouldn't upset anyone.  SYM1 and SYM2 both only drive PCI chips, so
> that makes the change irrelevant to earlier boxes anyway.

OK - I've been using sym2 on both c3k and A500. I'm comfortable with it.
Sounds like I should use it on B180 as well.

Thanks for clarification richard!

grant