dec_esp?

dec_esp?

[Craig Prescott]

Hello;

I've built a 2.6.28.4 kernel from LinuxMIPS.org and have booted it on 
one of my DECstations.  No SCSI devices are detected, though.

I noted that the dec_esp driver was removed from the kernel.  Does an 
alternative exist?

Thanks,
Craig

Re: dec_esp?

[Maciej W. Rozycki]

On Wed, 22 Apr 2009, Craig Prescott wrote:

> I've built a 2.6.28.4 kernel from LinuxMIPS.org and have booted it on one of
> my DECstations.  No SCSI devices are detected, though.
> 
> I noted that the dec_esp driver was removed from the kernel.  Does an
> alternative exist?

 Not at the moment.  I meant to write frontends for the esp_scsi core, but 
got stuck with interrupts for the PMAZC card -- the core has to be 
redesigned (the way the core handles them right now is awful) to get the 
card supported correctly and I didn't have time to get into it yet.  
Simpler wirings such as the PMAZ card or the IOASIC setup might be 
supportable more easily, but said support would have to be rewritten once 
the core has been fixed.

 You're the first one to ask since the old driver was removed -- which is 
sort of indicative of how much interest (beyond myself) in the platform is 
there.  I have planned to get back at it once I am done with what I'm 
doing at the moment (which'll take a while yet), so I have noted your 
request, but feel free to look into the driver if you like.  There's a GIT 
tree at kernel.org dedicated to ESP development and the point of contact 
is DaveM.

  Maciej

Re: dec_esp?

[Craig Prescott]

Maciej W. Rozycki wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Apr 2009, Craig Prescott wrote:
>> I've built a 2.6.28.4 kernel from LinuxMIPS.org and have booted it on 
>> one of
>> my DECstations. No SCSI devices are detected, though.
>>
>> I noted that the dec_esp driver was removed from the kernel. Does an
>> alternative exist?
> <snip>
>
> You're the first one to ask since the old driver was removed -- which is
> sort of indicative of how much interest (beyond myself) in the 
> platform is
> there. I have planned to get back at it once I am done with what I'm
> doing at the moment (which'll take a while yet), so I have noted your
> request, but feel free to look into the driver if you like. There's a GIT
> tree at kernel.org dedicated to ESP development and the point of contact
> is DaveM.
Ok, thanks.  I will have a look.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to do 
anything useful - maybe start by looking at the old dec_esp driver and 
at how other 53c94 drivers made the conversion from the NCR to the 
esp_scsi core will give some guidance.

Cheers,
Craig