request one more step in the Install guide?

zenon · Apprentice Joined: 09 Oct 2002 Posts: 263

I think most everyone has DMA these dayz and there is no setup of DMA in the install guide, if I weren't so die hard Linux (1st time user) gun-ho, the HID mouse lag from non-DMA operation would have caused me to give-up on Gentoo...
Fortunately XMMS was running like crap otherwise that ReiserFS would-by-now-be NTFS...
Now if I could just convert that damn NTFS partition to FAT 32 so I can write to it I'd be sitting pretty

Great distro guys, I LOVE IT!

Here is the ONE step I'd like added:
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=206044#206044

cheers!

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Moved from Installing Gentoo.
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cyfred · Retired Dev Joined: 23 Aug 2002 Posts: 596

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86-install.xml#doc_chap4

Scroll up a few lines, and youll see that its allready in there

I know what you're saying though, I missed it first time, and had to go looking for it.

H-Pi · Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 1:09 pm Post subject:

it is in thee docs for as long as I use gentoo (june or something)

what I don't understand is I actually didn't need to put a hdparm in local.start because dma is turned on automatically here, is that because I turned it on in the kernel?

Sargonas · Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2003 10:33 pm Post subject:

there is an option in the kernel for dma autoconfig right in kernel configuration. I dont remember where it is but it is turned on by default. So unless you turned it off there is no reason to throw it in local.
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zenon · Apprentice Joined: 09 Oct 2002 Posts: 263

Mine defaults with DMA off and I don't think I've mucked with anything in the kernel... hdparm changes AREN'T kept after a reboot so the install guide won't enable it pernmanently the way its written (I followed that thing to the letter and DMA hasn't been enabled)

It was just a suggestion, for me I just thought Linux wasn't all it's cracked up to be and was literally ready to bail on Linus for the last time. Now I'm just trying to get wine to work on all the things that I can't get working in Linux.

Soon I'll wipe out those silly FAT and NTFS partitions... but for now I need them

red_over_blue · Guru Joined: 16 Dec 2002 Posts: 310

Zenon,

You make a good point. In the install docs, it shows how to use DMA while you are installaling, but in some cases, one reboot later and DMA may no longer be turned on.

I just created an init script to turn DMA on, and added it to default, but there should be something about how to proper ensure DMA will be on after reboot, especially since the developers deem DMA important enough to be in the install docs during install (phew... run-on sentence or what!)

I too like seeing good documentation for improving the performance of my linux box. Also, as has been said before, the Gentoo install docs are some of the best and easiest to follow docs available.

zepar · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 28 Jul 2002 Posts: 107

Just edit the settings in:

zenon · Apprentice Joined: 09 Oct 2002 Posts: 263

Right now it's sitting in local.start when I boot back into Gentoo (haven't started getting burning functional yet and I had to make a few dics) I'll make that change to (god damn I mis the middle click paste from linux, NE1 know if there is a hack to get it in M$?) /etc/init.d/hdparm.

I agree that the documentation is magnificent, it's part of the reason I'm not using Debian.... I'm glad too, I love the idea that my whole system has been compiled from sratch.

But if that one little section were tweaked to add the editing of /etc/init.d/hdparm it'd be that much better because not using DMA causes a very laggy system. Which could give some newbies likr myself the wrong impression of linux, I personally thought Linux just needed more RAM!!

Now my lowly 256MB are enough to tide me over intil I can afford a 512MB stick.

OT:What's the best burning and (preferably seperate) audio ripping software MP3 de/coder (even tho I think I'll turn into an Ogg convert)...

SanitysEj · Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:51 pm Post subject: just Recompile

If you just recompile your kernel, there's an option for ntfs read and write support right there in "filesystems" section.

Hopefully not too late.
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counterpt · n00b Joined: 29 Dec 2002 Posts: 66

So now I'm confused.
I enabled DMA in the kernel but I didn't touch hdparm at all.
Do I need to do anything or am I set?
It's just an ata100 onboard controler (no fancy drivers).
Thanks.

zenon · Apprentice Joined: 09 Oct 2002 Posts: 263

don't know if it's too late... here's how you check disc speed: