Mirar how u'r going to get 4 GB with max 512 GB DDR400 in a single chipset?
I suggest you to read what I said before posting anything. The issue is not how both E7205 and 875 handle DDR400. THe problem is in high density memory. There are no 1 GB DDR400 chipsets on a market (or DDR333 for that matter). You could happily run 2x512 with fast timing like 2-2-2-5 (thanx to dual channel memory architecture) But with 4x512=2GB you have to go to CAS2.5 or 3-3-2 timing

When it comes to 1GB DDR266 you can run 2x1GB or 4x1GB with 2-2-2.5-6 timing and as you see for 2GB you already get the same memory timing for both DDR400 and DDR266.

Tell me how you want to go above 2GB with DDR400 :-)

Ah, I thought you said that there were up to and including 1Gb PC3200 memory around. My mistake.

Hello!

Well, let's do a little step backwards, in a previous message in this thread one asks how to use the controller in Mandrake 8? Well, I would like to know how I can do that. I think it should be done by using a SCSI-driver (in the beginning the setup-wizard asks if I need such a driver) but where to find the driver? My MoBo-CD only contains three RPMz for an so-called all-in-one driver for Linux, but the installation doesn't eat that :-)

Does sb know how I can install prev versions of mandrake on my PC?

Pelle.

Crap... so the driver for the Silicon Image 3112A (PCI# 1095:3112) linux driver is basically dead? The Linux ATA & Linux Disk Certification projects are both dead. Supposedly, 1M of these Silicon Image chips have been shipped, according to the mfgr. Is this thing another vestigial VGA connector that's never going to be used until sATA II? So where's the #$%#% linux driver? Pardon my ignorance, but I dont think installing an -ac kernel is the way to go, it's not even going to stay around for long (2.6 is around the corner). Does this mean that this driver is still being "tested' or isn't ready for prime-time, or no one is working on it? What gives?

Well, it's a litte frightening how little support there is for this. I still haven't got past PIO.. and wish there was some folks that could show me there configs.. (HDPARM has been completely useless..)

Besides why on earth would anyone settle with having to run hdparm to get their drives to work right?

Besides, I am reading more and more comments that SATA might be a dead solution anyways, if IEEE1394 /Firewire hard drives become available soon.

But back to the point.. HOW can manufacturers continue to release stuff and ignore the linux universe.. so SII must have 1 million users all on windows..?

BTW- Does anyone here who know their CHIP revision they have? Mine is 1.21. (Just trying to figure out if that is my problem).

Also anyone using a P4G8X DELUXE? I am wondering if there are interupt/irq problems with the DELUXE board in linux....

nearly certain it's 1.2, asus bios c1004.

config:

asus a7n8x dlx rev 2.00 bios 1004
nforce2 400 ultra chipset (i think it's stepping A2)
SPP, MCP-T
w/ nforce ide & Sil 3112A sATA Raid controller


Btw, u know that somehow, this Sil chipset is capable of sATA pre-2.0 too? Segate, Siimage, and someone else demoed it w/ the 3112a chipset. It's prob a small wiring change & a closed-source bios. =(


Maybe there's some flaws/shortcomings in this chipset they dont want us to know about? Just a wild guess.

<rant>
This is so fax0ring stupid, closed source drivers? Confused... why do they NOT want linux support? If their drivers and specs are open-sourced, they might be able to sell more product. It's not like giving out the drivers code is going to cause these chips to be duplicated. And he11, there'd be more supported OSes too. But no, we have to resort to WINBLOZE pci spying that effectively does the same thing as them handing out the source, but w/ more work. PCI replaying is fun! jk.

There is just no legitimate reasons for closed-source drivers. I'd take it as-so-far to say that customers have a right to the specs of stuff they buy. I wouldn't buy a car if I couldnt get a service manual. Make it a point NOT to buy products from mfgrs that keeping their specs a secret.There is just no legitimate reasons for closed-source drivers. I'd take it as-so-far to say that customers have a right to the specs of stuff they buy. I wouldn't buy a car if I couldnt get a service manual.

Stupid, stupid, stupid ... it's almost as stupid as not being able to find datasheets on old IC/semis/components because the mfgr doesnt want u to buy used/old stuff, they want to sell new products and then cut support off ASAP.
</rant>

skewld00d,
Don't be too dispondent :-)
----
From linux-2.4.21-rc7,

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SIIMAGE:
This driver provides (U)DMA support for the SII3112 SATA controllers and
for the CMD/SI680 UDMA/DMA ATA controller.
----
You will need to patch a vanilla 2.4.20 kernel to 2.4.21-rc7 or wait for 2.4.21 final and build it yourself - the other option is to wait for your distro to issue an updated kernel.

I'll be getting a couple of SATA drives for the new workstation I'm building in about three weeks, once I have it built I'll be posting a guide at p-two.net.

Aussie,
You'll notice from my previous post I have already done these steps.. I am now running 2.4.21-rc6 with no more luck than any other version of the kernel.

The drives are loaded fines, just not with DMA support. They default to PIO and no matter what I do I cannot get them to run in DMA (hdparm no go, /sysconfig/harddisks no go).

BTW--- from hwconf:

-
class: RAID
bus: PCI
detached: 0
driver: unknown
desc: "CMD Technology Inc|Silicon Image SiI 3112 SATARaid Controller"
vendorId: 1095
deviceId: 3112
subVendorId: 1095
subDeviceId: 6112
pciType: 1
-

I've been wondering if there is someway to make the driver know.. ie the siimage driver.

I have the kernel compiled with the SIIMAGE driver you mentioned as compiled in vs. module. When compile as module, it just plain refuses to load the sata drives. Grub is starting up on a regular ol' ide drive, then loading the kernel from there.

Also to show you what's going on here's the relevant section of the kernel log:

Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 7.00beta4-2.4
ide: Assuming 66MHz system bus speed for PIO modes
ICH4: IDE controller at PCI slot 00:1f.1
PCI: Found IRQ 9 for device 00:1f.1
PCI: Sharing IRQ 9 with 00:1d.2
PCI: Sharing IRQ 9 with 02:05.0
ICH4: chipset revision 2
ICH4: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
ide0: BM-DMA at 0xf000-0xf007, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:pio
ide1: BM-DMA at 0xf008-0xf00f, BIOS settings: hdc:DMA, hdd:DMA
SiI3112 Serial ATA: IDE controller at PCI slot 02:04.0
PCI: Found IRQ 9 for device 02:04.0
SiI3112 Serial ATA: chipset revision 2
SiI3112 Serial ATA: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
ide2: MMIO-DMA , BIOS settings: hde:pio, hdf:pio
ide3: MMIO-DMA , BIOS settings: hdg:pio, hdh:pio
hda: WDC WD400EB-00CPF0, ATA DISK drive
blk: queue c0385540, I/O limit 4095Mb (mask 0xffffffff)
hdc: ATAPI DVD-ROM 16XMax, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
hdd: LITE-ON LTR-48125W, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
hde: ST3120023AS, ATA DISK drive
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15
ide2 at 0xf8827080-0xf8827087,0xf882708a on irq 9
hda: attached ide-disk driver.
hda: host protected area => 1
hda: 78165360 sectors (40021 MB) w/2048KiB Cache, CHS=4865/255/63, UDMA(100)
hde: attached ide-disk driver.
hde: host protected area => 1
hde: 234441648 sectors (120034 MB) w/8192KiB Cache, CHS=232581/16/63

Try 'hdparm -X66 -d1'.

thanks, but yes that was as fun as all the other times

unfortunately I can't capture the screen quickly enough has the hard drive starts failing:

but executing hdparm -x66 -d1 /dev/hde (or any previously posted suggestion so far)

leads to an immediate fatal breakdown starting with:

"setting using_dma to 1(on)
blk: queue c0385de8, I/O ERROR ....... "


too much to write down, since it start scrolling by, and everything is shot by that time...

Doing "hdparm -X66 -d1 /dev/hde > hdparm.txt" should write the errors to a file called hdparm.txt, you may see a hint to the problem there.

Arxik, wondering if you have made any progress here? Elswhere I have seen hints about problems with sata and shared IRQ, so I think you are onto something with your hints with the -u options, but I am wondering if:
a. there is a way to tell the ide controllers to not share IRQ, before that event actually occures
b. do both standard ide + the sata need the -u in order for this solution to mean anything?
c. is there any options configuring the sata setup in grub.conf? perhaps if these things were done earlier it would work...


BTW --- why would I want more than 2 GB DDR400


(lol)

I am using RedHat 9.0 with the 2.4.20-8 kernel. I have been able to access the SATA drives without a problem, they have just been stuck in PIO mode. I have enabled 32 bit IO and udma mode 2 (X66). That is as fast as I can get the drive to run.

The switches: hdparm -X66 -c3 -u1

My speed is an incredible 3.35 mb/sec!!!!

If I try any of the other UDMA modes, I get the following log message: hdg: Speed warnings UDMA 3/4/5 is not functional. This is in additional to the following message written to the screen: HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(setxfermode) failed: Input/output error.

coolsites,
I did see Sil3112 support in 2.4.21-rc7 kernel. I even compiled one on my home computer without problems. I didn't have time to do it on a workstation computer with a Seagate 120Gb SATA drive. Right now i'm very busy at work :-(

Speaking of -u option, as I mentioned before SATA controllers share IRQ with another devices. There is no way to reassign IRQ from Award BIOS (as in P4G8X motherboard). In any case, from what I know you need to do the following :
0) download 2.4.20 kernel and apply 2.4-21-rc7 patch
0a) don't forget to download Broadcom 1000 Mbit driver (for Deluxe model). You could include in into kernel.
1) in kernel configuration say "N" to "USE multy-mode by default" in "IDE, ATA " section
2) make sure you say "Y" to "Silicon Image Support"

After kernel compilation if SATA disk is still in PIO mode try: hdparm -X66 -d1
Don't go for higher UDMA.

I wish I could be more specific on this topic.

As for 4GB memory. Well If you have "all in one" set (mysql, apache, php, etc) you need a lot of memory. Also don't forget that apache 2 keeps child processes in memory. So if u set a web server u need at least 1 GB memory and optimal 3Gb

I stumbled on this thread today, I need to buy another hdd asap, to install into a dual boot system. A7N8X deluxe mb, maybe I should rather use the SATA drive as the windows drive for now, I need more speed there anyways. Does anyone have any experience with the WD Raptor 10k rpm drive under linux ? (or with this motherboard...)

Thanks,
Peter