CentOS 4.2 for alpha

[Jay Estabrook]

On Tue, Oct 25, 2005 at 06:41:40AM +0300, Pasi Pirhonen wrote:
> 
> I've ran the SMP myself quite extensively. I do make it one of primary
> requirements having SMP hardware available when even thinking making
> something public. 

Thanks. I agree that it should be important.

> At least on AlphaStation 255/233, where i have one of these 
> 
> SCSI storage controller: QLogic Corp. ISP1020 Fast-wide SCSI (rev 05)
> 
> the qla1280 isn't even working.

I knew that at some point the qla1280 driver was "enhanced" to support
the 1020 and 1040 chipsets, but I couldn't remember what version of the
kernl it was first committed.

Thanks to Cristian, he remembered that it was 2.6.11... :-)

> I am forced to use qlogicisp and even that does barf 
> 
> ERROR: SCSI host 	sp1020' has no error handling
> ERROR: This is not a safe way to run your SCSI host
> ERROR: The error handling must be added to this driver
> 
> On boot, but does work like a champ after that.

Yes, that's the official "nag" message encouraging someone to add
error handling to that driver. Ain't gonna happen, IMHO, since there's
no official maintainer for it, and hasn't been for years...

Much better to use the supported qla1280 if possible.

> I do believe that was the case with AlphaCore 2.6.11 kernel too as i've
> actually re.installed that box back Jun when i made the 'beta release
> with AlphaCore kernel'. I didn't even have my 2.6.9 work done by then,
> so i've rolled that in later.

Well, "qlogicisp" is still in 2.6.11, IIRC, but deprecated now that
the qla1280 is available.

> If i think CentOS-4/alpha, the inetntion is to make it use as much as
> possible the upstream codebase, including kernel, but it might be
> impossible for long term. I don't mind rolling in/testing some much
> recent kernel and put that on centosplus repository (we use that repo
> for stuff which is out of upstream).

If I have the time, I'll see about porting that driver back from 2.6.11.
It really is much better behaved than the old one, and not just because
it doesn't cause those "nag" messages... ;-}

 --Jay++

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Jay A Estabrook                            HPTC - XC I & B
Hewlett-Packard Company - ZKO1-3/D-B.8     (603) 884-0301
110 Spit Brook Road, Nashua NH 03062       Jay.Estabrook at hp.com
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