🚀 go-pugleaf

Two questions/problems:

1.  MULTIMODE?

I compiled and installed hdparm 1.6 about a week ago, and read in the
man page that enabling multiple mode on some drives ("most notably the
WD Caviar series") actually makes them run slower.

I just got a brand new (only a few weeks old) WD Caviar 540 to replace
my ancient Maxtor SCSI drive which finally died.  Does anyone know
whether enabling multimode will benefit me or not?

I'm using a VL-300 AHA1522-based scsi/ide/serial/parallel controller card
at the moment, so just plain IDE not EIDE.


here's what hdparm reports about the drive:

$ hdparm -i /dev/hda

/dev/hda:

 Model=WDC AC2540H, FwRev=12.08R30WDC AC2540H, SerialNo=WD-WT261
 Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec SpinMotCtl Fixed DTR>5Mbs FmtGapReq }
 Physical CHS=1048/16/63, TrkSize=57600, SectSize=600, ECCbytes=4
 BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=128KB, MaxMultSect=16
 Features: DblWordIO=no, LBA=yes, DMA=yes, tPIO=1(medium), tDMA=2(fast)
 Current CHS=1048/16/63, TotSect=1056384, MaxLBAsect=1056384
 MultSect=off, DMA-1w=0001, DMA-mw=0003
 EIDE: IORDY=switchable, mode3, tDMA={min:150,rec:150}, tPIO={min:330,iordy:180}


$ hdparm /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
 readahead = 8
 multcount = 0
 readonly  = 0
 unmaskirq = 0
 geometry  = 1048/16/63, offset = 0
 sectors   = 1056384


2.  hdparm -t crashes?

When I first installed hdparm, I enabled 16 sector multimode, then ran
"hdparm -t" whilst compiling a new version of the kernel in another VC.
I didn't expect any meaningful results (because of the disk thrashing
caused by the compile) but I also certainly didn't expect the system to
lock up.  All disk activity ceased, but I was still able to switch
consoles.  Couldn't do anything so eventually had to press the reset
button.

When I get time I'll reboot my machine into single user mode and test it
more thoroughly.  In the meantime, has anyone else noticed anything like
this?


-- 
cas@muffin.apana.org.au

    "Organise a strike in your school or workplace on the grounds that it
     does not satisfy your need for indolence & spiritual beauty."
                              -- Hakim Bey, The Temporary Autonomous Zone