Re: PATCH: cdrecord: avoiding scsi device numbering for ide devices

Wakko Warner
2004-08-05T16:46:02Z

Please do keep me CCd

> >ATA method is misnamed, it's really SG_IO that is used. And you want to
> >use that regardless of the device type, SCSI or ATAPI. There's no such
> >thing as an ATA burner, and there's no need to differentiate between
> >SCSI or ATAPI CD-ROM's when burning - SG_IO is the method to use. So
> >forget browsing /proc/ide and other hacks.
>
> I am sorry but as Linux already has 6 different interfaces for sending
> Generic SCSI commands and thus, we are running out of names.
>
> Let me give you an advise: consolidate Linux so that is does only need
> /dev/sg and fix the bugs in ide-scsi instead of constantly inventing new
> unneeded interfaces.

I'd like to take this and stretch it some.

First, I don't know what would be involved in doing this or if it's even
doable (but I'd think it is). I would like to see this happen, however, I
understand that it may or may not.

Why do we have a seperate subsystem for scsi and ide, but not usb storage
devices? What I mean is that usb-storage is a scsi adapter that attaches
usb disks to the scsi layer. I know about ide-scsi, but that's like a
bridge that probably could be removed entirely.

Now here's what I'm thinking:

1) remove the IDE subsystem entirely (keeping the IDE drivers). This will
eliminate the need for /dev/hd* devices and ide-scsi.

2) rename the scsi subsystem to something more generic, like disk subsystem
(I realize that scsi can handle more than disks, like tapes, scanners, I
even once saw a scsi ethernet adapter)

3) port all of the IDE drivers to be like a scsi adapter driver (ie fix piix
to function similar to say aic7xxx). To handle the fact of multiple
interfaces on the controller (primary/secondary connectors on the board, 4
devices total) to be seperate scsi buses. On each bus, you'll only have 2
IDs, 0 and 1 (corresponding to master and slave).

4) All access to the device will be like a scsi device. For IDE devices, if
needed, the driver (ie piix) can translate the request.

Ideas? Thoughts? Flames to /dev/null.

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