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SubjectRe: [semi-offtopic] Linux 2.2 Changes ('really final' version)
>As far as Linux IDE is concerned, not much obvious has changed for Linux
>2.2. The most obvious change is that it is now possible to load and unload

Not to be too nit-picky, but the IDE team has happily hidden several
other new features that involved a heck of a lot more work than modules:

IDE tape and floppy (eg. ZIP & LS-120) support was originally developed
in 2.1.xx, though some of this has now already been back-ported to the
recent 2.03[45] releases as an interim measure.

An IDE tape device can operate in the background on the same IDE
interface as an IDE disk, *at the same*, without little or no
performance degradation.

/proc/ide provides a wide range of configuration/tuning services
to user-level programs (eg. chipset timing tweakers etc..).

>the IDE subsystem as a module, just like SCSI. (This also has the added
>bonus of allowing one to use a PnP-based IDE controller.) For less
>bleeding-edge machines, the updated IDE driver now supports older MFM and
>RLL disks and controllers without having to load an older version of the
>PCI-based IDE cards automatically, including the activation of DMA
>bus-mastering to reduce CPU overhead and improve performance. And finally,

Even more important: *detection* and activation of all complian
PCI-IDE devices, including the Promise Ultra33 & FastTrak boards.
Also, UDMA detection/support has been added, including auto-retry
on CRC failure.

Support added for up to six IDE interfaces (up to twelve drives).

The IDE driver is fully MP/MT safe, ready for high-performance
SMP and RAID applications.

>more drivers have been developed for controllers that are buggy or simply
>different. It's amazing how even excellent things can continue to get
>better.

Much of the above work was done by Gadi Oxman,
who joined (and practically was) the IDE team for 2.1.xx.
--
mlord@pobox.com

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