Arch Linux

happy

Member

From: Hongkong

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 11

Can I delete 'scsi' in mkinitcpio.conf !!

I have no scsi device in my system , but in lsmod
I found :
scsi_mod               96460  5 usb_storage,sg,sr_mod,sd_mod,libata
and in dmesg:
I found
SCSI subsystem initialized
scsi0 : ata_piix
scsi1 : ata_piix
scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      ST380817AS       3.42 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5
scsi 1:0:0:0: CD-ROM            AOPEN    CD-RW CRW2440    2.02 PQ: 0 ANSI: 5

Since my system spent so much time in  boot process, so I want to remove scsi in mkinitcpio.conf to make it faster,
may I?

(sorry for my poor english.)

z0phi3l

Member

From: Waterbury CT

Registered: 2007-11-26

Posts: 278

Re: Can I delete 'scsi' in mkinitcpio.conf !!

Do you have say a SATA HDD and CD/DVD drive?

If so, that's what's being "recognized" as SCSI

happy

Member

From: Hongkong

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 11

Re: Can I delete 'scsi' in mkinitcpio.conf !!

thanks for your fast reply!!
I have a sata hd and cdrom!

.:B:.

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2006-11-26

Posts: 5,819

Website

Re: Can I delete 'scsi' in mkinitcpio.conf !!

Lo and behold!

The Arch Linux Wiki entry on mkinitcpio hooks

Isn't it a darn shame nobody ever seems to look at that? The wiki must feel pretty neglected... Shame of all the hard work people put into it!

Last edited by B (2008-11-04 08:48:03)

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Wittfella

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 462

Re: Can I delete 'scsi' in mkinitcpio.conf !!

To be fair that wiki page does not exactly state the information he needed.  It just says use SCSI hook if you have a SCSI device.

It doesn't really say that other things like cd-rom are considered to be scsi devices by the system.

Another question, if SATA devices are considered SCSI, why both the SATA and SCSI hooks?  I never really quite got my head around the IDE, PATA, SATA, SCSI transition.

.:B:.

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2006-11-26

Posts: 5,819

Website

Re: Can I delete 'scsi' in mkinitcpio.conf !!

scsi     Adds SCSI modules to the image. Use this if your root device is on a SCSI disk. Also use the autodetect hook if you want to minimize your image size.     Loads SCSI modules. You will need the udev or modload hook unless you specify the needed modules manually (see MODULES section below).

I don't think I have the SCSI hook in any of my setups (I have a server with P-ATA disks, a laptop with a P-ATA SSD, and a desktop with S-ATA disks) and neither of them has an SCSI hook.

The terminology is a bit confusing indeed, since the SCSI transport layer is used afaik for both P-ATA and S-ATA devices with the libata layer. Nevertheless, since the explanation on the wiki page explicitly says the SCSI hook is for SCSI HDs (which, even with the libata layer, the P-ATA and S-ATA HDs are not, you have separate PATA and SATA hooks for them), I'd say you can just dump it.

You can always try to take it out, rebuild the image of the default kernel, and try to boot it. If it breaks, you just try again - with the fallback kernel (that's what it's there for). Just make sure you don't rebuild that one accidentally.

Last edited by B (2008-11-04 13:23:32)

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Got Leenucks? :: Arch: Power in simplicity :: Get Counted! Registered Linux User #392717 :: Blog thingy