Yes, the BIOS doesn't configure the chipset at boot-time. But, there might
be a workarround in 2.1.x kernels in the future ...
If you want to update your kernel now and want to use it:
0. Update to 2.1.[56]x
1. Get my patch from
ftp://ftp.huwig.de/pub/linux/mama/2.1/unsorted/idedma-patch.gz,
2. Configure generic dma chipset support (not trition !!!)
3. Define "BUGGYBIOS" in drivers/block/gendma.c
4. compile
5. tell me what happens
WARNING: The BUGGYBIOS option is still very experimental and not enabled
by default
> Can't see much discussion in the kernel source code about the
> meaning of the bit in question, but it *looks* to me to be fairly
> terminal for this BIOS.
>
> Next stop Dell I guess, but I can't believe they would release a
> motherboard with crippled IDE ports ? This would imply that NT
> would be in the same boat with this motherboard, yes ?
Dell provides a special WinNT driver for this problem. Instead of fixing
their BIOS... *grrrr*
Ciao, Christian