Re: [PATCH] x86_64: simplify the memtest parameter setting

Stefan Richter
2008-04-19T08:21:39Z

> On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 7:15 PM, Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl> wrote:
>> the new description is probably too short.
>> The phrase "allows memtest to be set" does not really mean anything to a
>> user who does not know what memtest really does. It also does not explain
>> that memtest is a boot parameter.
>>
>> Also, it should probably be made more explicit that no memtest is actually
>> performed unless the memtest boot parameter is passed at the boot prompt.
>>
>> Looks like 4 is the maximum possible value. This should be mentioned
>> explicitly (here as well as in Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt).

To add to this: The help text should IMO contain
- that a test for faulty RAM is being added if Y,
- that this feature can be controlled by the boot parameter
(and, per the parameter's default, is normally off),
- how many loops with which data patterns are performed depending
on the boot parameter value,
- how long this might take (so that nobody who hears of this for
the first time enables it e.g. on a server which is supposed to
not take too long to reboot),
- how reliable the results of this test are (I presume that some
faults can only be found by many repeated re-runs of the memory
tester),
- that saying Y slightly (?) increases the size of the kernel image
but does not influence the kernel size after boot-up is completed.

Thanks,
--
Stefan Richter
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