Subject: Re: Speed of SCSI drivers in NetBSD/arm32 1.3_Alpha
To: None <port-arm32@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Markus Baeurle <emw4maba@gp.fht-esslingen.de>
List: port-arm32
Date: 12/09/1997 01:53:17
In message <Marcel-1.29-1201232310-199+YEw@kjetilbt.eunet.no>
          "Kjetil B. Thomassen" <kjetil@thomassen.priv.no> wrote:

> I know that some playing around with DMA in NetBSD/arm32 has been done,
> but so far we don't have a DMA driver that works for neither the Cuman
> nor the Power-tec SCSI-2.
>
> So, my question therefore is: Is this something that is prioritized
> very high with the NetBSD/arm32 kernel team at the moment?

The question also is: When was this tried the last time?
IIRC (but I might be wrong) DMA sort of worked but hung the machine
after a while.
There have been so many changes to the source code, maybe this
situation has also changed?

> If not, then maybe I should start digging out my TRM, some good
> books on writing UNIX(like) device drivers and the source code
> and see if I can get something working better.
> 
> Somehow I doubt it, but something has to be done. We just can't
> live with this situation any longer.
> 
> I am willing to test any kernel thrown at me, or even better,
> some source code. Now that I have the source on the CD-ROM
> I should be able to make my own kernels and try them out.

The same applies to me.
I really want to change this situation for the Cumana card.
I don't know too much about kernel internals, but I've got good will
and can spend some time on this.

Atm, there are two problems:
-I can't boot 1.3-ALPHA and nobody seems to be able to help me.
-The NDA is preventing progress because Mark would have to compile
 experimental kernels to try out by people like me, which is not an
 option because it would take too much of his precious time.

Hope we get some progress here,

Markus