0001 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
0002
0003 ===================================
0004 The BusLogic FlashPoint SCSI Driver
0005 ===================================
0006
0007 The BusLogic FlashPoint SCSI Host Adapters are now fully supported on Linux.
0008 The upgrade program described below has been officially terminated effective
0009 31 March 1997 since it is no longer needed.
0010
0011 ::
0012
0013 MYLEX INTRODUCES LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORT FOR ITS
0014 BUSLOGIC FLASHPOINT LINE OF SCSI HOST ADAPTERS
0015
0016
0017 FREMONT, CA, -- October 8, 1996 -- Mylex Corporation has expanded Linux
0018 operating system support to its BusLogic brand of FlashPoint Ultra SCSI
0019 host adapters. All of BusLogic's other SCSI host adapters, including the
0020 MultiMaster line, currently support the Linux operating system. Linux
0021 drivers and information will be available on October 15th at
0022 http://sourceforge.net/projects/dandelion/.
0023
0024 "Mylex is committed to supporting the Linux community," says Peter Shambora,
0025 vice president of marketing for Mylex. "We have supported Linux driver
0026 development and provided technical support for our host adapters for several
0027 years, and are pleased to now make our FlashPoint products available to this
0028 user base."
0029
0030 The Linux Operating System
0031 ==========================
0032
0033 Linux is a freely-distributed implementation of UNIX for Intel x86, Sun
0034 SPARC, SGI MIPS, Motorola 68k, Digital Alpha AXP and Motorola PowerPC
0035 machines. It supports a wide range of software, including the X Window
0036 System, Emacs, and TCP/IP networking. Further information is available at
0037 http://www.linux.org and http://www.ssc.com/.
0038
0039 FlashPoint Host Adapters
0040 ========================
0041
0042 The FlashPoint family of Ultra SCSI host adapters, designed for workstation
0043 and file server environments, are available in narrow, wide, dual channel,
0044 and dual channel wide versions. These adapters feature SeqEngine
0045 automation technology, which minimizes SCSI command overhead and reduces
0046 the number of interrupts generated to the CPU.
0047
0048 About Mylex
0049 ===========
0050
0051 Mylex Corporation (NASDAQ/NM SYMBOL: MYLX), founded in 1983, is a leading
0052 producer of RAID technology and network management products. The company
0053 produces high performance disk array (RAID) controllers, and complementary
0054 computer products for network servers, mass storage systems, workstations
0055 and system boards. Through its wide range of RAID controllers and its
0056 BusLogic line of Ultra SCSI host adapter products, Mylex provides enabling
0057 intelligent I/O technologies that increase network management control,
0058 enhance CPU utilization, optimize I/O performance, and ensure data security
0059 and availability. Products are sold globally through a network of OEMs,
0060 major distributors, VARs, and system integrators. Mylex Corporation is
0061 headquartered at 34551 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont, CA.
0062
0063 Contact:
0064 ========
0065
0066 ::
0067
0068 Peter Shambora
0069 Vice President of Marketing
0070 Mylex Corp.
0071 510/796-6100
0072 peters@mylex.com
0073
0074
0075 ::
0076
0077 ANNOUNCEMENT
0078 BusLogic FlashPoint LT/BT-948 Upgrade Program
0079 1 February 1996
0080
0081 ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
0082 BusLogic FlashPoint LW/BT-958 Upgrade Program
0083 14 June 1996
0084
0085 Ever since its introduction last October, the BusLogic FlashPoint LT has
0086 been problematic for members of the Linux community, in that no Linux
0087 drivers have been available for this new Ultra SCSI product. Despite its
0088 officially being positioned as a desktop workstation product, and not being
0089 particularly well suited for a high performance multitasking operating
0090 system like Linux, the FlashPoint LT has been touted by computer system
0091 vendors as the latest thing, and has been sold even on many of their high
0092 end systems, to the exclusion of the older MultiMaster products. This has
0093 caused grief for many people who inadvertently purchased a system expecting
0094 that all BusLogic SCSI Host Adapters were supported by Linux, only to
0095 discover that the FlashPoint was not supported and would not be for quite
0096 some time, if ever.
0097
0098 After this problem was identified, BusLogic contacted its major OEM
0099 customers to make sure the BT-946C/956C MultiMaster cards would still be
0100 made available, and that Linux users who mistakenly ordered systems with
0101 the FlashPoint would be able to upgrade to the BT-946C. While this helped
0102 many purchasers of new systems, it was only a partial solution to the
0103 overall problem of FlashPoint support for Linux users. It did nothing to
0104 assist the people who initially purchased a FlashPoint for a supported
0105 operating system and then later decided to run Linux, or those who had
0106 ended up with a FlashPoint LT, believing it was supported, and were unable
0107 to return it.
0108
0109 In the middle of December, I asked to meet with BusLogic's senior
0110 management to discuss the issues related to Linux and free software support
0111 for the FlashPoint. Rumors of varying accuracy had been circulating
0112 publicly about BusLogic's attitude toward the Linux community, and I felt
0113 it was best that these issues be addressed directly. I sent an email
0114 message after 11pm one evening, and the meeting took place the next
0115 afternoon. Unfortunately, corporate wheels sometimes grind slowly,
0116 especially when a company is being acquired, and so it's taken until now
0117 before the details were completely determined and a public statement could
0118 be made.
0119
0120 BusLogic is not prepared at this time to release the information necessary
0121 for third parties to write drivers for the FlashPoint. The only existing
0122 FlashPoint drivers have been written directly by BusLogic Engineering, and
0123 there is no FlashPoint documentation sufficiently detailed to allow outside
0124 developers to write a driver without substantial assistance. While there
0125 are people at BusLogic who would rather not release the details of the
0126 FlashPoint architecture at all, that debate has not yet been settled either
0127 way. In any event, even if documentation were available today it would
0128 take quite a while for a usable driver to be written, especially since I'm
0129 not convinced that the effort required would be worthwhile.
0130
0131 However, BusLogic does remain committed to providing a high performance
0132 SCSI solution for the Linux community, and does not want to see anyone left
0133 unable to run Linux because they have a Flashpoint LT. Therefore, BusLogic
0134 has put in place a direct upgrade program to allow any Linux user worldwide
0135 to trade in their FlashPoint LT for the new BT-948 MultiMaster PCI Ultra
0136 SCSI Host Adapter. The BT-948 is the Ultra SCSI successor to the BT-946C
0137 and has all the best features of both the BT-946C and FlashPoint LT,
0138 including smart termination and a flash PROM for easy firmware updates, and
0139 is of course compatible with the present Linux driver. The price for this
0140 upgrade has been set at US $45 plus shipping and handling, and the upgrade
0141 program will be administered through BusLogic Technical Support, which can
0142 be reached by electronic mail at techsup@buslogic.com, by Voice at +1 408
0143 654-0760, or by FAX at +1 408 492-1542.
0144
0145 As of 14 June 1996, the original BusLogic FlashPoint LT to BT-948 upgrade
0146 program has now been extended to encompass the FlashPoint LW Wide Ultra
0147 SCSI Host Adapter. Any Linux user worldwide may trade in their FlashPoint
0148 LW (BT-950) for a BT-958 MultiMaster PCI Ultra SCSI Host Adapter. The
0149 price for this upgrade has been set at US $65 plus shipping and handling.
0150
0151 I was a beta test site for the BT-948/958, and versions 1.2.1 and 1.3.1 of
0152 my BusLogic driver already included latent support for the BT-948/958.
0153 Additional cosmetic support for the Ultra SCSI MultiMaster cards was added
0154 subsequent releases. As a result of this cooperative testing process,
0155 several firmware bugs were found and corrected. My heavily loaded Linux
0156 test system provided an ideal environment for testing error recovery
0157 processes that are much more rarely exercised in production systems, but
0158 are crucial to overall system stability. It was especially convenient
0159 being able to work directly with their firmware engineer in demonstrating
0160 the problems under control of the firmware debugging environment; things
0161 sure have come a long way since the last time I worked on firmware for an
0162 embedded system. I am presently working on some performance testing and
0163 expect to have some data to report in the not too distant future.
0164
0165 BusLogic asked me to send this announcement since a large percentage of the
0166 questions regarding support for the FlashPoint have either been sent to me
0167 directly via email, or have appeared in the Linux newsgroups in which I
0168 participate. To summarize, BusLogic is offering Linux users an upgrade
0169 from the unsupported FlashPoint LT (BT-930) to the supported BT-948 for US
0170 $45 plus shipping and handling, or from the unsupported FlashPoint LW
0171 (BT-950) to the supported BT-958 for $65 plus shipping and handling.
0172 Contact BusLogic Technical Support at techsup@buslogic.com or +1 408
0173 654-0760 to take advantage of their offer.
0174
0175 Leonard N. Zubkoff
0176 lnz@dandelion.com
