  | | | dma timeout expiry | dma timeout expiry 2006-08-07 - By Rick Stevens
Back On Fri, 2006-08-04 at 16:44 -0700, Paul Campbell wrote: > I have been trying to get > an install of fedora 5 or RH AS 4 up 3 > on a Dell Precision 360 with limited sucess. > > I have been able to get thru the install and boot > process by specifying "nodma" but after the install > io to the drive seems to very slow. Too slow to use > for development.
The "nodma" is generally only required for the CD or DVD device, and then usually during the install only. Once the live kernel is up and running, nodma can usually be turned off. The problem is, whatever was specified on the command line during the install is propagated to the grub commands and must be manually removed--the thought being that if you needed it during install, you'll probably need it during normal operation. In the case of "nodma", that's usually NOT the case.
The installer's kernel is known to have issues with DMA and CD/DVDs on certain hardware platforms. The effects can be minimized by specifying the offending device on the command line:
hdc=nodma
This assumes that /dev/hdc (the master drive on the secondary IDE controller) is the CD/DVD device and is causing the error.
Following the install, try removing the parameter from the "kernel" line in the /boot/grub/grub.conf file, reboot and see how the machine behaves. Alternately, you can use hdparm to re-enable DMA on your hard drive(s) while the system is running:
hdparm -d1 /dev/hda
assuming /dev/hda [master drive on primary IDE interface] is your hard drive. Remember the mapping:
/dev/hda master drive on primary interface /dev/hdb slave drive on primary interface /dev/hdc master drive on secondary interface /dev/hdd slave drive on secondary interface
> Machine has two WD 1200 JB disks > > These are the Messages that I was getting before > I specified nodma > > dma timeout expiry status = 0x61 > dma timeout error status = 0x58 > Drive Ready > Seek Complete > Data Request
Uh, it'd be nice to know which devices these were related to, just to limit confirm which device may still need nodma specified.
> > The messages following that show > the disk geometry, so it's clear that > they can get to the drive. > > > Could the size of the disks be a problem ?
No.
> Machine runs Windows fine.
I've seen many a sick machine run Windows. Windows doesn't put as much of a strain on the machine, and Windows doesn't run DMA on CD/DVDs normally.
> The Machine ran fine when it ran RedHat WS with a 2.4 > kernel.
Smaller kernel, lower performance, not as much strain on DMA.
> This must be a "Well - known problem" but I scanned > the archive for last year and could not find similiar.
It was far more prevalent on 2.4.14 through 2.4.18 kernels, not so much later.
-- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- -- - Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer rstevens@(protected) - - VitalStream, Inc. http://www.vitalstream.com - - - - You know you've landed gear-up when it takes full power to taxi. - - -- Chuck Yeager - -- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --
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