Re: Why do so many machines need "noapic"?

[Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>]

On 06 Sep 2007 13:31:50 +0200 Andi Kleen <andi@firstfloor.org> wrote:

> Chuck Ebbert <cebbert@redhat.com> writes:
> 
> > Some systems lock up without the noapic option.
> 
> Please find patterns: cpu type, chipsets, mainboard vendors etc.

There are 48 bugs in bugzilla which mention "noapic"

http://bugzilla.kernel.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=substring&long_desc=noapic&kernel_version_type=allwordssubstr&kernel_version=&bug_status=NEW&bug_status=REOPENED&bug_status=ASSIGNED&emailassigned_to1=1&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailassigned_to2=1&emailreporter2=1&emailcc2=1&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&regression=both&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0-0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=

And there are 173,000 on the internet ;)
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=linux+noapic&btnG=Google+Search

We screwed this pooch a long time ago - years.  Perhaps if some of the many
noapic users could run a bisection search to work out when it broke we
could start fixing things.  But they all have a workaround so there's no
motivation.