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Date:      Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:03:21 -0700
From:      Scott Long <scottl@samsco.org>
To:        Andriy Gapon <avg@freebsd.org>
Cc:        freebsd-current@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: revisiting tunables under Safe Mode menu option
Message-ID:  <65B1891F-9079-4948-BF37-8A50B4E85071@samsco.org>
In-Reply-To: <4F4B5ED3.5090508@FreeBSD.org>
References:  <4F26CC5A.2070501@FreeBSD.org> <4F4B5ED3.5090508@FreeBSD.org>

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On Feb 27, 2012, at 3:45 AM, Andriy Gapon wrote:

> on 30/01/2012 18:59 Andriy Gapon said the following:
>>=20
>> First, I think that this proposal/discussion could have been more =
useful before
>> the 9.0.  Maybe the RE would be interested in adding another item to =
their
>> pre-release checklist: ask developers about what could be dropped and =
what should
>> be added to the Safe Mode settings in a new (.0) release.  Probably =
the developers
>> should keep the Safe Mode in mind too when adding new features or =
making other
>> drastic changes, but the reminder should be welcome.
> [snip]
>> o Since we have a separate ACPI option and because ACPI now is almost =
a mandatory
>> thing (and not a significant source of boot troubles), maybe we could =
remove the
>> code that automatically disables ACPI in Safe Mode?
>>=20
>> o hint.apic.0.disabled - APIC code doesn't seem to be a significant =
source of boot
>> troubles, like ACPI it has become almost a mandatory thing.  So maybe =
we should
>> remove this setting?

Turning off the APIC turns off SMP in a very efficient, clean manner.  I =
added this not to isolate the APIC code, but to turn off SMP.  That's =
why it's there, and I'd like the ability to turn off SMP to stay there =
in some form.  If there's a better way to disable SMP that doesn't get =
into problems with interrupt delivery, then please propose it.  As for =
it being mandatory, it's really only mandatory for MSI these days, =
though it used to be required for more complex PCIX topologies.

> [dropped proposals snipped]
>> o hw.eisa_slot - Looks like something from ancient times.  Probably =
just
>> irrelevant for most systems.
>>=20

This turns off probes in the ISA ioport space that used to cause =
problems.  Why get rid of it?  Is its presence causing you problems?

>> o hint.kbdmux.0.disabled - I do not recall any recent problems with =
kbdmux.  In
>> fact disabling it may produce a surprising behavior for a user if =
there are
>> multiple keyboards actually attached.
>>=20

Fair enough, if we're all happy that the kbdmux code has progressed =
beyond this being useful, then get rid of it.  But what's the surprising =
behavior?

>> Just so that the Safe Mode doesn't turn into a NOP I propose to add =
the following
>> tunables:
>>=20
>> o kern.eventtimer.periodic=3D1 - Use periodic timer to drive clocks =
just in case a
>> system has any problems with the default mode.  Example: PR 164457.
>>=20
>> o kern.geom.part.check_integrity=3D0 - Let GPART code be more =
permissive, could be
>> useful during upgrades from earlier versions of FreeBSD or when =
multi-booting with
>> other OSes.
>>=20
>> o More?
>>=20

I suggested before that maybe it's time to expand this "Safe Mode" topic =
into a sub-menu that allows selection of some/all/none of the options.

Scott




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