Re: Install of 5.4 i386 formatting is very slow

[John R Pierce <pierce@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jason Pyeron wrote:
> Unfortunatly, there is no option to change this. I will search for a new BIOS
> for it, but as the system will be running off a flash drive in production I am
> not in a hurry.
>   



you might just see if you can enable DMA with the hdparm command.

first off...

    # hdparm -i /dev/hdb

I only have a IDE cdrom handy on on a centos 5 box (my HD's are all 
scsi, hardware raid, or fiberchannel), it displays...

    # hdparm -i /dev/hda
   
    /dev/hda:
   
     Model=TEAC CD-ROM CD-224E, FwRev=K.9A, SerialNo=
     Config={ Fixed Removeable DTR<=5Mbs DTR>10Mbs nonMagnetic }
     RawCHS=0/0/0, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=0
     BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=0kB, MaxMultSect=0
     (maybe): CurCHS=0/0/0, CurSects=0, LBA=yes, LBAsects=0
     IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
     PIO modes:  pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
     DMA modes:  sdma0 sdma1 sdma2 mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
     UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 *udma2
     AdvancedPM=no
   
     * signifies the current active mode


note the * mode.  in my case, its udma2 which is fairly fast (I believe 
66MB/sec).   a modern hard drive should do udma3 or 4 (100 or 133Mhz).

try...

    # hdma -Xudma3 /dev/hdb
   
    .dev/hda:
     setting xfermode to 100 (UltraDMA mode3)

use at your own risk.




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