>> The real killer is the limit of 4 devices on a secondary SCSI bus due to
>> SD_EXTRA_DEVS. I'm testing a 11.2TB subsystem for Linux compatibility.
>> You ever tried to hide 11.2TB behind a grand total of FOUR LUNS?!? ;)
>> I've heard future releases will take this to 40, but you can fit
>> 127 devices on a FC-AL. sigh.
>
>I thought we can simply re-compile the kernel (and driver modules)
>after increasing the SD_EXTRA_DEVS ourselves.
Let me point out something that those who have been intimately involved
with
Linux might forget. When _selling_ a Linux compatible _product_ to the
General Public, I find myself in a somewhat strange dilemma.
<rhetorical_questions>
Do you list your product as "Linux compatible/ready/whatever" and then
force
your maybe "not-so-technically-literate" customer to edit a bunch of source
files and recompile their kernel to actually make it work?
What about the dialog with tech support?
Support: Did you make any changes to what we shipped?
Customer: Well, yes. (alternate response: Of course!)
Support: Sorry, you are on your own. (or: That will be $250/hr
to fix.)
Or do you restrict your possible customer base to only those who are not
intimidated by a Linux kernel compile?
Or try to strike a balance between what works out of box and the support
costs attached to tweaking?
</rhetorical_questions>
The conservative route I'm taking (as in ME PERSONALLY for now) is to only
use what comes "out of the box" from a few of the major distributions.
What works under severe error injection out of box + a lilo parm or two
is what gets blessed as a supported configuration.
To get to a "Linux for the masses" situation, its gotta work out of box.
As
releases "fix" things like SD_EXTRA_DEVS, the straight-jacket starts to fit
a little more comfortably.
<cynicism>
The exact opposite approach is to take the position that all Linux users
are
wizards and can fix their own problems. Doesn't everyone have SCSI
protocol
analyzers attached between their adapters and their drives??? ;-)
</cynicism>
When the infrastructure gets more mature, I'll be able to take a path in
between the two extremes.
Regards,
Steve
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are mine alone and are not necessarily
(and in fact rarely are) the same as those of my employer.
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