linux-kernel - Re: EDAC-AMD64: what is the ecc

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Date:   Thu, 11 Jan 2018 00:45:25 +0100
From:   Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
To:     Gabriel C <nix.or.die@...il.com>
Cc:     linux-edac@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: EDAC-AMD64: what is the ecc_msg good for ?

On Thu, Jan 11, 2018 at 12:31:08AM +0100, Gabriel C wrote:
> Beacuse we see the following:
> 
> [    4.694948] EDAC amd64: Node 6: DRAM ECC disabled.
> [    4.694949] EDAC amd64: ECC disabled in the BIOS or no ECC capability, module will not load.
>                 Either enable ECC checking or force module loading by setting 'ecc_enable_override'.
>                 (Note that use of the override may cause unknown side effects.)
> 
> The first one tells the Node is disabled

The first one says *DRAM ECC* is disabled on that node - not the node
itself. Looks like it confuses you too.

> the second is a
> KERN INFO message telling the *module* will not load.
> 
> Telling then *module* will not load for 'this Node' should be clear for everone.

So this is a purely informational message. There's a lot of messages
like that in the kernel. I still don't understand what your problem is
with this particular one.

> Don't get me wrong for me is clear what this means , I don't need the
> second message at all but I have here folks didn't understand wth that means.

"ECC disabled in the BIOS or no ECC capability, module will not load." -
I think that sentence is explaining the situation pretty good:

either ECC checking is disabled in the BIOS

or

ECC capability cannot be detected.

What do you think it should say instead?

> So do we need an < fam17h  check for that message then ?

That message says:

"Either enable ECC checking or ..."

That first part refers to the user going into the BIOS and enabling ECC
checking. It says so above too: "ECC disabled in the BIOS".

-- 
Regards/Gruss,
    Boris.

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