The Linux 2.4 SCSI subsystem HOWTO

Douglas Gilbert


      
     

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts.

For an online copy of the license see www.fsf.org/copyleft/fdl.html.

2003-08-24

Revision History
Revision 2.12004-08-24dpg
scsihosts change -> run mkinitrd, lk 2.4.21,22
Revision 2.02003-05-04dpg
lk2.4.20, linuxdoc->tldp, sATA and SAS, last sector on raw devs, blockdev
Revision 1.92002-11-20dpg
convert to xml, lk2.4.19, spelling
Revision 1.82002-05-05dpg
scsihosts comma delimiter, grub+lilo
Revision 1.72002-04-27dpg
mkinitrd, scsi_debug, 2.4.18, more ATAPI
Revision 1.62002-01-26dpg
ATAPI cdrom selection
Revision 1.52001-12-21dpg
16 byte SCSI commands, SCSI_IOCTL_GET_PCI
Revision 1.42001-08-26dpg
spelling, dd_rescue, mkinitrd example, lk 2.4 changes, 1394.
Revision 1.32001-08-26dpg
ATAPI CDROM section, alter title, U320, iSCSI.
Revision 1.22001-03-25dpg
Information about scu, dt, "Alt" sequences, more notes.
Revision 1.12001-01-22dpg
Add osst description, _EXTRA_DEVS limitations.

Abstract

This document describes the SCSI subsystem as the Linux kernel enters the 2.4 production series. An external view of the SCSI subsystem is the main theme. Material is included to help the system administration of the Linux SCSI subsystem. There are also brief descriptions of ioctl()s and interfaces that may be relevant to those writing applications that use this subsystem.


Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Architectural Overview
3. Names and Addresses
1. SCSI Addressing
2. Device Names
3. Device Names in devfs
4. Device Names in scsidev
4. Kernel Configuration
5. Boot Parameters
6. Modules and their Parameters
7. Proc pseudo file system
8. Mid Level, Unifying layer
1. boot parameters
2. module parameters
3. proc interface
9. Upper level drivers
1. Disk driver (sd)
1.1. sd boot parameters
1.2. sd module parameters
2. CDROM driver (sr or scd)
2.1. sr boot parameters
2.2. sr module parameters
2.3. sr proc interface
2.4. ATAPI cdroms
3. Tape driver (st)
3.1. st boot parameters
3.2. st module parameters
3.3. st proc interface
3.4. osst driver for OnStream devices
4. Generic driver (sg)
4.1. sg boot parameters
4.2. sg module parameters
4.3. sg proc interface
10. Lower Level drivers
1. Pseudo drivers
11. Raw devices
12. Devfs pseudo file system
A. Common bus types (SCSI and other)
B. Changes between lk 2.2 and (during) 2.4
1. Mid level changes
2. sd changes
3. sr changes
4. st changes
5. sg changes
6. Changes during the lk 2.4 series
C. Troubleshooting
D. Performance, Test and Debugging tools
E. Compile options and System calls including ioctls
1. Mid level
1.1. Mid level compile options
1.2. Mid level ioctls
2. sd driver
2.1. sd compile options
2.2. sd ioctls and user interface
3. sr driver
3.1. sr compile options
3.2. sr ioctls and user interface
4. st driver
4.1. st compile options
4.2. st ioctls and user interface
5. sg driver
5.1. sg compile options
5.2. sg ioctls and user interface
F. References, Credits and Corrections