From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Nov 28 09:15:29 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B4F58106583D; Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:15:29 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mueller6727@bellsouth.net) Received: from fmailhost01.isp.att.net (fmailhost01.isp.att.net [204.127.217.101]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9B2078FC1C; Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:15:29 +0000 (UTC) Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:15:28 +0000 (GMT) X-Comment: Sending client does not conform to RFC822 minimum requirements X-Comment: Date has been added by Maillennium Received: from localhost (adsl-68-210-130-165.sdf.bellsouth.net[68.210.130.165]) by isp.att.net (frfwmhc01) with SMTP id <20111128091528H0100gd60ne>; Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:15:28 +0000 X-Originating-IP: [68.210.130.165] From: "Thomas Mueller" To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org References: <44ehwt5r9g.fsf@lowell-desk.lan> Message-Id: <20111128091529.B4F58106583D@hub.freebsd.org> Cc: mav@freebsd.org, freebsd-current@freebsd.org, Lowell Gilbert , "b. f." Subject: Re: "options atapicam" and/or "device ATA_CAM" in kernel config? X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:15:29 -0000 > On 11/27/11, Lowell Gilbert wrote: > > "b. f." writes: > >>> > > What is the role of "options atapicam" and "device ATA_CAM" in kernel > >>> > > config file? > >>> > > Are they redundant? Kernel will build with both these options, but > >>> > > will it make things go awry? Is ATA_CAM deprecated? > >> They are redundant and incompatible. atapicam is deprecated, and > >> ATA_CAM is the new default on FreeBSD 9 and 10. Unless you have some > >> special requirements, you should use ATA_CAM on recent versions of > >> FreeBSD, because it usually performs better than the old ATA code, and > >> has added functionality. > > Ah. My apologies to anyone I confused with my incorrect comments. > > I must say that I'm thoroughly disappointed that my searches through the > > official documentation didn't turn up anything related to this. Even the > > Handbook, with extensive practical descriptions of how to use this > > functionality, doesn't mention that its advice is irrelevant to anything > > past 8.x. > The handbook does contain some oblique and scattered references to the > new code, or at least to constructs that are common to both the old > and the new code, but the addition of a brief discussion of the > differences between the new and old ATA code in the handbook -- i.e., > the kernel and userland components that are now obsolete, and their > replacements -- might be of some help to users. The primary author of > the new code did add some material to various notes and manpages, but > he has been very busy writing and debugging code, and English is not > his first language, so others will have to supplement his efforts. > Perhaps you could ask for some additions on the freebsd-doc mailing > list? > b. Now I see it's "options ATA_CAM" or "device atapicam". It looks like I inadvertently transposed "device" and "options" in subject line. Now I think I'll try to rebuild the kernel with "options ATA_CAM" and drop "device atapicam". This question needs to be better resolved in time for FreeBSD 9.0-RELEASE. I cross-post this message to freebsd-current@freebsd.org so the developers will see it. FreeBSD users want to be able to burn CDs and DVDs, and since SCSI hardware has fallen out of style, I can say very few if any FreeBSD 9.0 users will have an actual SCSI CD or DVD drive. Tom