[PATCH 1/1] scsi: scsi inquiry timeout config option

[Randy.Dunlap]

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005, Brian King wrote:

> Randy.Dunlap wrote:
> > On Mon, 3 Oct 2005, Brian King wrote:
> >
> >
> >>James Bottomley wrote:
> >>
> >>>On Mon, 2005-10-03 at 15:26 -0500, brking at us.ibm.com wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Add a .config option to default the scsi scan inquiry timeout.
> >>>>Due to a broken device (SCSI/ATA converter card) that is very
> >>>>common on IBM iSeries/pSeries machines, these architectures
> >>>>need a longer default inquiry timeout.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>The inquiry timeout has already been changed a while ago to be a module
> >>>parameter (or kernel parameter) for this very case.  Why does it now
> >>>need to be a config option as well?
> >>
> >>So that when a distro goes off and builds a PPC64 install kernel,
> >>it can boot on one of these broken DVD-ROMs without requiring each
> >>distro to add special module options inside their initrd.
> >
> >
> > My reading on mailing lists is that distros prefer
> > module or kernel parameters more than they do kernel config
> > options (in general) because they are more dynamic -- it
> > allows them to build one kernel instead of many kernels
> > with various config options.
>
> I agree with that statement, however.... Right now I am sitting with
> an install ISO, trying to boot off this broken DVD-ROM, with scsi
> compiled as a module in the install kernel, so I can't pass any
> boot parameters to it in order to make it boot...

and you can't modify the module parameters (on the DVD)...
Yes, I've seen that kind of problem recently too (not the
same problem, however).

> Additionally, this kernel config option does not decrease this dynamic
> ability. The config option simply alters the default inquiry timeout.
> If a module parm is passed at module load time, it will override the
> default.

True.  and we have precedent(s) for some options living in
both .config and as kernel/module parameters/options.

-- 
~Randy
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-scsi" in
the body of a message to majordomo at vger.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html