Linux: LibATA Hotswap

Lukasz Kosewski provided an update on his efforts to create a hotswap infrastructure for libATA, allowing the driver to properly handle hotplug interrupts. He notes that along with the generic infrastructure he plans to include, "a specific implementation of this infrastructure in the Promise SATA150 and SATAII150 line of controllers." He began working on this in late July, noting that at this time drivers for the formentioned hard drives "mostly work", and he has continued to clean up the infrastructure based on suggestions from libATA author Jeff Garzik [story]. Lukasz went on to note, "once the infrastructure is accepted, anyone with a hotswap-unsupported controller and some time on their hands will easily be able to integrate hotswap in; that is the whole goal of an infrastructure." He added that alternatively if provided with a controller and documentation, "I will add the support and test the b'jesus out of it".

Jeff Garzik commented, "once the infrastructure is there, I'll probably add support for several controllers myself." He went on to explain that some controllers don't have an explicit hotplug interrupt, but can still support hotswapping. Alan Cox [interview] was concerned about Parallel ATA (IDE) support, "for PATA we may need to reprogram both drives so please be sure that is allowed for. Also much PATA is 'warm swap' not 'hot swap' as we have to perform actions in software prior to the swap."