Re: Detecting ichlpcib watchdog "NO_REBOOT" state

[Thor Lancelot Simon <tls%panix.com@localhost>]

On Sat, Jun 04, 2011 at 11:25:16PM +0200, Joerg Sonnenberger wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 04, 2011 at 11:01:09AM -0500, David Young wrote:
> > I agree with Thor on "principle of least surprise" grounds:  NetBSD
> > shouldn't attach the watchdog that will not actually reboot the system.
> 
> Having the watchdog still allows you to enter DDB. Think one step ahead:
> certain ICH6 generations can't reboot the system, but are not detectable
> by software. The Thinkpad R52 had that problem. Either the watchdog API
> should allow to specify what types of watch dog actions are (not)
> possible or it needs to be exported via side channel. The functionality
> of the hardware is still useful.

It's not the same semantics as any other known watchdog.

Semantic confusion benefits nobody.  Until the watchdog code can
express a "does something useful but doesn't reboot the system"
watchdog, it should be disabled by default.

-- 
Thor Lancelot Simon                                    tls%panix.com@localhost
  "All of my opinions are consistent, but I cannot present them all
   at once."    -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, On The Social Contract