I think I solved the ide=nodma not being recognized problem by compiling and installing
a custom kernel. I turned [b]off[/b] the option [b]CONFIG_IDEDMA_PCI_AUTO[/b] in the
.config file. This option is set to "Y" in the standard Debian 4.0 kernel.
From 'menuconfig' help for this option:
CONFIG_IDEDMA_PCI_AUTO:
│
│
│
│ Prior to kernel version 2.1.112, Linux used to automatically use
│
│ DMA for IDE drives and chipsets which support it. Due to concerns
│
│ about a couple of cases where buggy hardware may have caused damage,
│
│ the default is now to NOT use DMA automatically. To revert to the
│
│ previous behaviour, say Y to this question.
│
│
│
│ If you suspect your hardware is at all flaky, say N here.
│
│ Do NOT email the IDE kernel people regarding this issue!
│
│
│
│ It is normally safe to answer Y to this question unless your
│
│ motherboard uses a VIA VP2 chipset, in which case you should say N.
│
│
│
│ Symbol: IDEDMA_PCI_AUTO [=n]
│
│ Prompt: Use PCI DMA by default when available
│
│ Defined at drivers/ide/Kconfig:426
│
│ Depends on: IDE && BLK_DEV_IDE && BLK_DEV_IDEDMA_PCI
│
│ Location:
│
│ -> Device Drivers
│
│ -> ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support
│
│ -> ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support (IDE [=y])
│
│ -> Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cdrom/tape/floppy support
(BLK_DEV_IDE [=m]) │
│ -> PCI IDE chipset support (BLK_DEV_IDEPCI [=y])
│
│ -> Generic PCI bus-master DMA support (BLK_DEV_IDEDMA_PCI [=y])
Once I installed my custom kernel, the system booted quickly without IDE DMA
timeouts. I don't even think I need to pass the [i]ide=nodma[/i] option
anymore.
By the way, I recommend installing 'kernel-package' which installs the make-kpg
tool. It creates a proper custom .deb package file you can use to install the
kernel painlessly on the target system. Roughly the steps were:
1) apt-get install kernel-package libncurses5-dev fakeroot
2) apt-get install linux-source-2.6
3) tar jtvf /usr/src/linux-source-2-6-18-4 build_dir
4) cd build_dir/linux-source-2.6.18.
5) make-kpgg --rootcmd fakeroot --config menu kernel-image
6) Browse the menuconfig interface, toggle the CONFIG_IDEDMA_PCI_AUTO setting.
7) make some tea.
Assuming the build went well, the resulting .deb file should be in the parent
directory.
8) Copy the linux-image-2.6.18custom10.deb file to the target system.
9) Install on the target system dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.18custom10.deb.
10) reboot.
-Geoff
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