Re: DMA timeouts & errors when using Sandisk CF for root.

[Robert Hancock <hancockr@shaw.ca>]

Ben Greear wrote:
> I have a small VIA based system with a 512MB CF disk for
> the 'hard drive'.  It seems to work OK, but I am getting some
> DMA timeouts and errors upon boot.
> 
> kernel is 2.6.11.  I saw the same problem with FC2's 2.6.5 default kernel.
> 
>  From dmesg:
> 
> hda: max request size: 128KiB
> hda: 1000944 sectors (512 MB) w/1KiB Cache, CHS=993/16/63, DMA
> hda: cache flushes not supported
>  hda:<4>hda: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x21
> hda: DMA timeout error
> hda: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }

What kind of CF-IDE adapter are you using? This looks like a CF card 
which supports DMA in an adapter which doesn't hook up the DMA lines 
properly, therefore the DMA times out when the kernel tries to use it. 
You can use a "nodma" option on the kernel command line to disable DMA, 
I think..

I've seen some newer adapters that have jumper settings for "DMA" or 
"non-DMA" on them..

-- 
Robert Hancock      Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from hancockr@nospamshaw.ca
Home Page: http://www.roberthancock.com/