Re: Linux & ECC memory

Tim Wright (timw@sequent.com)
Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:21:10 PST

There are indeed. It's not so much a function of the motherboard as the
support chipset. Triton (I) is notorious for not offering ECC support.
Intel put up some pathetic attempt at justification on their Web page, but
it appears that saner heads have triumphed and Natoma (the P6 support chipset)
does indeed support ECC memory. I don't know if Triton (II) does so.

Anyway, Linux doesn't have to do a thing to take advantage of ECC memory.
If the board is setup to do this, then the correction will happen
automatically.
Double bit errors should be detected and cause an NMI which will kill the
machine. At least that is what I assume will happen.

t

In message <Pine.LNX.3.93.961114171315.7925A-100000@kjahds.com>,Kenneth Albanow
ski writes:
>
>
> I just recently saw an advertisement for a Dell computer with a P6
> motherboard & CPU that includes "64MB EDO RAM with ECC".
>
> Are there in fact x86 motherboards that support ECC RAM? Can such a
> motherboard provide better error recognition & recovery then a simple
> "parity error"?
>
> Most importantly, can (does) Linux take advantage of this?
>
> --
> Kenneth Albanowski (kjahds@kjahds.com, CIS: 70705,126)
>
> 

--
Tim Wright, Worldwide Technical Services,         |  Email: timw@sequent.com
Sequent Computer Systems Inc., 15450,             |
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"Applying computer technology is simply finding the right wrench to pound
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