Re: 2.6.23-rc9-git4: pata_pcmcia,disabling IRQ #9 and Re: libata and legacy ide pcmcia failure

From: Peter F. Patel-Schneider
Date: Thu Mar 20 2008 - 20:26:53 EST


Hi:

There have been several threads related to continuing problems with CF flash memory card in PCMCIA adapters not being recognized and leading to traces like:
Mar 20 19:51:44 idefix kernel: pccard: PCMCIA card inserted into slot 0
Mar 20 19:51:44 idefix kernel: pcmcia: registering new device pcmcia0.0
Mar 20 19:51:45 idefix kernel: scsi17 : pata_pcmcia
Mar 20 19:51:45 idefix kernel: ata12: PATA max PIO0 cmd 0xa100 ctl 0xa10e irq 3
Mar 20 19:52:15 idefix kernel: ata12.00: qc timeout (cmd 0x91)
Mar 20 19:52:15 idefix kernel: ata12.00: failed to IDENTIFY (INIT_DEV_PARAMS failed, err_mask=0x4)
Mar 20 19:52:15 idefix kernel: ata12: failed to recover some devices, retrying in 5 secs
Mar 20 19:52:50 idefix kernel: ata12.00: qc timeout (cmd 0x91)
Mar 20 19:52:50 idefix kernel: ata12.00: failed to IDENTIFY (INIT_DEV_PARAMS failed, err_mask=0x4)
Mar 20 19:52:50 idefix kernel: ata12: failed to recover some devices, retrying in 5 secs

I, too, am experiencing this problem (and have been for about a year). Currently I'm running
2.6.24.3-34.fc8 #1 SMP on a Thinkpad T61p, but the problem has surfaced in all recent (to me) kernels. I've tried with two different PCMCIA CF adapters and quite a few CF cards - all exhibit the same broken behaviour.

I can't find a resolution. If there isn't one I'm willing to donate one of my adapters and a CF card so that anyone with a PCMCIA slot can test out the situation.

By the way, the problem occurs for me on insertion into a running system. If I boot with the PCMCIA adapter and CF card in, I either get a freeze during udev startup (until I remove the card and then the system works fine) or I get the card mounted as a disk, and everything works fine. I'm willing to provide more information about these two situations if anyone is interested. The same CF card works fine when put into a USB multi-card reader as well.

Peter F. Patel-Schneider
Bell Labs Research

PS: Please cc me directly if possible on replies, thanks.
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/