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

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Date:   Thu, 11 Jan 2018 01:27:15 +0100
From:   Gabriel C <nix.or.die@...il.com>
To:     Borislav Petkov <bp@...en8.de>
Cc:     linux-edac@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: EDAC-AMD64: what is the ecc_msg good for ?

On 11.01.2018 00:45, Borislav Petkov wrote:
> 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.

Yes ofc :) is what I meant :)

> 
>> 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.

Nothing agains messages but I get this one twice for each node is disabled
with a INFO I partially don't even need on that platform.

> 
>> 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?

The message is fine if you add a Node prefix on it and let the
that ecc_enable_override stuff out.

something like this looks better and less confusing , don't you think ?

  EDAC amd64: Node 4: DRAM ECC disabled.
  EDAC amd64: Node 4: DDRM ECC disabled in the BIOS or no ECC capability, module will not load.
  EDAC amd64: Node 5: DRAM ECC enabled.
  EDAC amd64: F17h detected (node 5).
  EDAC MC: UMC0 chip selects:
  ....