Re: best driver for ncr/symbios/lsi ? not sym53c8xx_2 !
On Mon, Jul 28, 2003 at 04:08:29PM -0400, Freels, James D. wrote:
> I have an older 500 Mhz PC164 Alpha with an NCR-53c810 type scsi card
> (not exactly sure which one). I made the apparent mistake at version
> 2.4.14->2.4.16 of the kernel to change my scsi driver to the newer
> sym53c8xx_2. I am now using the 2.4.21 kernel since it's release and I
> recently discovered while trying to restore from amanda backup tapes,
> that this driver gives me problems.
>
> I have 4 hard drives, 1 tape drive, and 1 CD-ROM all connected to this
> scsi chain.
>
> Fortunately, this driver correctly writes data to the tape using amanda
> ! However, the read operation using amrestore or dd, or any tool gave
> me inconsistent results. I finally figured out it was the driver and
> reverted back to the old ncr53c7,8xx driver with 10 Mhz transfer and
> disconnect enabled. This is now working fine for me.
>
> Now the question is: There are two other drivers for this card in the
> kernel. The sym53c8xx version 1, and the ncr53c8xx. Of the four, which
> should I be using ? If version2 is supposed to be the one, then it
> needs to get fixed !
>
> Any other Alpha users with this problem ? I suspect it is an
> alpha-specific problem as surely it would have been fixed by now in the
> stable kernel (on i386) !
The ncr53c7,8xx driver is the oldest one, and IIRC, not actively
maintained.
The ncr53c8xx driver should be the one to choose for the NCR810,
though if it were an NCR810a, IIRC, it could use either of the
sym53c8xx* drivers (the "a" means it has on-chip memory to hold
scripts aka firmware).
If I were you, I'd try to find another SCSI card to augment your
configuration, ie to move the HDDs off the same SCSI bus as the
tape, especially if those HDDs will do better than fast10-narrow.
Good luck.
--Jay++
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Jay A Estabrook HPTC - LINUX support
Hewlett-Packard Company - MRO1-2/K15 (508) 467-2080
200 Forest Street, Marlboro MA 01752 Jay.Estabrook@hp.com
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