Bug#638863: linux-image-3.0.0-1-amd64: Errors/warnings show during startup

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

Hi,

Thanks for a quick reply.

Ralf Jung wrote:
> Hi,

>> The test has been that way ever since v2.6.15-rc1~731^2~22^2~13
>> (shpchp: detect SHPC capability before doing a lot of work,
>> 2006-10-13).  The false positive (if it actually is a false positive)
>> is clearly harmless.  If someone wants to remove the "if (dev->vendor
>> == PCI_VENDOR_ID_AMD)" exception, it would be necessary to research
>> why it is there in the first place (are there AMD hotplug controllers
>> that do not advertise the shpc capability for which that exception is
>> needed?) and if so, what a more precise exception to solve the same
>> problem would be.
[...]
> The problem is, I have got no experience whatsoever with kernel or driver 
> development (e.g., I never heard "shpc" before), I didn't even compile a 
> kernel myself yet. I do a lot of programming, but it's all user-space. I am 
> willing to learn though, and for the next few weeks I even got the time (no 
> university currently). Do you think that will suffice to carry this to the 
> kernel mailing list?

Sure, if you are willing to do some reading then I think so.  SHPC
refers to "standard hot-plug controllers", as described by the PCI
Hot-Plug Specification.  If it is difficult to find a copy then it
should be possible to just ask questions on the linux-pci list and
figure things out that way.