From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Dec 3 20:43:11 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 232281065670 for ; Sat, 3 Dec 2011 20:43:11 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bf1783@googlemail.com) Received: from mail-ww0-f50.google.com (mail-ww0-f50.google.com [74.125.82.50]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B57CD8FC14 for ; Sat, 3 Dec 2011 20:43:10 +0000 (UTC) Received: by wgbdr11 with SMTP id dr11so4095664wgb.31 for ; Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:43:09 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=googlemail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:reply-to:date:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type; bh=nt0Tx47qSnePVTnuDPmhIiQyi/yaLaXfJHutJ7ZiaWc=; b=GAAH9w4h5VfbS9z0roB+aijYo9riGclGpfAQsg5DyRIZ92bxL1rVQ7Hun++qzBXQsI 6s79s6mgM5V+3FjTHshZxm90p+uo96rvbvvLS+ektKq2iHUh2MakEcwNLuwUU0rnG3tn GcLQiOInfY5sfWrYc1aRhqvrd2Kemj6HrUR0s= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.180.108.47 with SMTP id hh15mr5023757wib.14.1322944989819; Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:43:09 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.180.94.131 with HTTP; Sat, 3 Dec 2011 12:43:09 -0800 (PST) Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 20:43:09 +0000 Message-ID: From: "b. f." To: Rob , freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Cc: Subject: Re: AHCI driver and static device names X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: bf1783@gmail.com List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:43:11 -0000 > I was getting ready to install the latest FreeBSD 9-RCs image, and I > found that 9 now defaults to using the ahci driver for sata disks. This > would be great if it weren't for the fact that the ahci driver seems to > do dynamic device name assignment as opposed to the static ones used > with the older drivers. > > I've looked around on google and while this is mentioned (in old > threads), the "solution" is to use labels or elaborate mapping via hints > which really aren't solutions imo. If I have 15 disks in an array, I > want to be able to label them and know which bay is which device name. > If I have to replace a drive, I have no idea what dynamic device name it > will have when it comes time to partition (and label, if I were using > that). I could probably figure it out by looking at what disks are used > on the system, but that's more work that it really should be. > > Is there a way to use the ahci driver and get static device names? cam(4) gives examples of how you can do this by using device hints in loader.conf(5) or device.hints(5). Another example: http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-fs/2011-March/011036.html You may need the workaround from: http://svn.freebsd.org/changeset/base/227635 for some problematic BIOS. I'm not sure if this is what you meant by "hints which aren't really solutions", but they seem to be a practical method for fixing device names with ahci(4). b.