Re: [PATCH] x86_64: simplify the memtest parameter setting

[Stefan Richter]

> On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 7:15 PM, Frans Pop <elendil@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >  the new description is probably too short.
> >  The phrase "allows memtest to be set" does not really mean anything to a
> >  user who does not know what memtest really does. It also does not explain
> >  that memtest is a boot parameter.
> >
> >  Also, it should probably be made more explicit that no memtest is actually
> >  performed unless the memtest boot parameter is passed at the boot prompt.
> >
> >  Looks like 4 is the maximum possible value. This should be mentioned
> >  explicitly (here as well as in Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt).

To add to this:  The help text should IMO contain
  - that a test for faulty RAM is being added if Y,
  - that this feature can be controlled by the boot parameter
    (and, per the parameter's default, is normally off),
  - how many loops with which data patterns are performed depending
    on the boot parameter value,
  - how long this might take (so that nobody who hears of this for
    the first time enables it e.g. on a server which is supposed to
    not take too long to reboot),
  - how reliable the results of this test are (I presume that some
    faults can only be found by many repeated re-runs of the memory
    tester),
  - that saying Y slightly (?) increases the size of the kernel image
    but does not influence the kernel size after boot-up is completed.

Thanks,
--
Stefan Richter
-=====-==--- -=-- =--==
http://arcgraph.de/sr/
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