A more complete log about my disk access errors

Kerry Hoath kerry at gotss.eu.org
Sun Jun 3 02:22:14 EDT 2001


Linux won't enable u/dma on wd drives by default all the time, sometimes you
can force it and other times you just leave it be. Let me know how you go my WD
drives run fine in UDMA mode.
On Sun, Jun 03, 2001 at 12:14:09AM +0200, Victor Tsaran wrote:
> Hi, Kirk!
> That sheds some light. I will probably end up downloading a diag diskette
> for Western Digital drives and see whether they detect DMA capabilities. OK,
> if it turns out that I was fooled by Windows during all this time, do you
> know of any parameter which I could use to tell Linux to fall to PIO mode
> right away?
> Best,
> Victor
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kirk Wood" <cpt.kirk at 1tree.net>
> To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2001 11:53 PM
> Subject: Re: A more complete log about my disk access errors
> 
> 
> > First, understand why Windows 2000 doesn't complain about the DMA. If the
> > drive times out twice (ever) then it no longer uses DMA ever. So it won't
> > complain. It won't tell you. In fact, win winclows 98 they burried any
> > indication that this had happened. It happens more often them many people
> > realize.
> >
> > Having said that, if you didn't have DMA support compiled into the kernel
> > you wouldn't get the errors. Yes, it must be compiled in if it is to be
> > used. (DMA falls back to PIO in case of failure and PIO always remains
> > available.)
> >
> > As for fixing this, it is either the motherboard or the drive. I know that
> > doesn't help. You might check to see that DMA is turned on in the
> > BIOS. (Linux will try anyway, winblows just acts like it is using DMA and
> > doesn't really.) Otherwise try another DMA drive and see if the problem
> > resolves.
> >
> > =======
> > Kirk Wood
> > Cpt.Kirk at 1tree.net
> >
> > Nothing is hard if you know the answer or are used to doing it.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup

-- 
--
Kerry Hoath: kerry at gotss.net
alternatives: kerry at gotss.eu.org or kerry at gotss.spice.net.au
ICQ UIN: 8226547




More information about the Speakup mailing list