Re: [PATCH] ipr: Remove SATA support

From: Damien Le Moal <damien.lemoal@opensource.wdc.com>
To: Elektrokinesis DJ <cpubuilder2@gmail.com>,
	brking@linux.vnet.ibm.com,
	"linux-ide@vger.kernel.org" <linux-ide@vger.kernel.org>
Cc: jejb@linux.ibm.com, john.g.garry@oracle.com,
	linux-scsi@vger.kernel.org, martin.petersen@oracle.com,
	wenxiong@linux.ibm.com, Niklas Cassel <cassel@kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] ipr: Remove SATA support
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 14:04:56 -0800	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <18490fc9-7fda-41ee-803a-bda874c2b42d@opensource.wdc.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CABa-fKRfE8B2TLVJASB9xQaOXDiYH3YCw0YEEg1UcGu2Le8xWw@mail.gmail.com>

On 2024/02/29 9:31, Elektrokinesis DJ wrote:
> I am dissatisfied with the decision to remove SATA from the ipr driver, I
> have multiple machines in my homelab that now require manual patching every
> time I would like to update the kernel and initrd image. Bladecenter PS700
> uses the ipr SCSI driver if you install a common SATA SSD into the Planar
> SAS slots. This limits me from being able to use newer kernels without
> patching, unless I would like to procure expensive SAS SSDs.

The ipr driver was the only libsas/ATA driver that had not been converted to the
new libata error handling, and was thus preventing necessary cleanups in libata.
When it was removed, it seemed that no-one was using ATA devices with IPR beside
SATA DVDs, and very few people had this hardware to test anything.

So it seems that devices beside DVDs were/are actually used.

We can try to reintroduce the support for ATA in ipr, but that will not be a
simple revert as the new EH handling needs to be supported.

Brian,

Any comment ? Is this feasible ?
I do not have the hardware to work on this, so patches will have to be done by
you or someone with access.

-- 
Damien Le Moal
Western Digital Research