aic7xxx problem in 2.4.18-SMP

aic7xxx problem in 2.4.18-SMP

[Burkhard Bunk]

Hallo,

it took me some time to boot a SCSI system with the aic7xxx driver
compiled into kernel 2.4.18-SMP.

After the boot messages:
========================================================================
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel: SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel: (scsi0) <Adaptec AHA-294X Ultra SCSI host
adapter
> found at PCI 0/13/0
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel: (scsi0) Narrow Channel, SCSI ID=7, 16/255
SCBs
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel: (scsi0) Cables present (Int-50 YES, Ext-50
NO)
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel: (scsi0) Downloading sequencer code... 436
instruc
tions downloaded
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel: scsi0 : Adaptec AHA274x/284x/294x
(EISA/VLB/PCI-F
ast SCSI) 5.2.4/5.2.0
May 21 12:21:10 ficus2 kernel:        <Adaptec AHA-294X Ultra SCSI host
adapter>
========================================================================
the SCSI disk is listed, but then I see (copied from the screen)

	scsi: aborting command due to timeout ...

repeated for various scsi IDs and the a never(?) ending cycle of
	...
	SCSI host0 abort, timed out - resetting
	...
	time out - trying harder
	...


The following didn't help:
 o driver aic7xxx_old
 o kernel patch linux-aic7xxx-6.2.5-2.4.18.patch
With the patch, the error messages look more specific. I would
have to copy them from the screen...

But with kernel boot options "noapic" or "nosmp" the new driver works!
(both with and without the patch.)

There was no such problem with aic7xxx in 2.2.x-SMP kernels.

Hardware: S1662D dual PPro motherboard (440FX)
          Adaptec AHA-2940UW SCSI adapter
	  9GB SCSI disk, QUANTUM ATLAS_V__9_WLS Rev: 0230

Booting with "noapic" is a workaround for me, and the hardware is
old anyway. If, however, someone needs more info for debugging,
please let me know. (I'm not subscribed to linux-scsi.)

Regards,
Burkhard Bunk.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 bunk@physik.hu-berlin.de      Physics Institute, Humboldt University
 fax:    ++49-30 2093 7628     Invalidenstr. 110
 phone:  ++49-30 2093 7980     10115 Berlin, Germany
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: aic7xxx problem in 2.4.18-SMP

[Doug Ledford]

On Tue, May 21, 2002 at 03:31:35PM +0200, Burkhard Bunk wrote:
> Hallo,
> 
> it took me some time to boot a SCSI system with the aic7xxx driver
> compiled into kernel 2.4.18-SMP.

[ snip ]

> But with kernel boot options "noapic" or "nosmp" the new driver works!
> (both with and without the patch.)

And this is the important bit of information.  You are having IRQ routing 
problems.  Evidently the smp kernel can not properly set up the apic IRQ 
routing on your machine.  Try going into the BIOS and looking for an 
option to set the BIOS MPS table to either version 1.1 or 1.4 and try 
switching it from whatever it is to the other and see if it works.  If it 
doesn't, then you'll just have to add noapic to your default kernel boot 
line until someone knowledgable in ioapic issues can resolve your 
machine's problem.

-- 
  Doug Ledford <dledford@redhat.com>     919-754-3700 x44233
         Red Hat, Inc. 
         1801 Varsity Dr.
         Raleigh, NC 27606