sil3124 sata controller panics kernel

[Warren Block]

On Tue, 29 Jul 2014, Dieter BSD wrote:

>> The Silicon Image web site does have updated firmware for them (from
>> 6/23/2010, yet many cards have older versions), including both RAID and
>> non-RAID.  I use the non-RAID.
>>
>> Go to http://www.siliconimage.com/support/ and choose the Sil3124 from
>> the dropdown menu.
>
> Thanks.  I don't suppose you have the URL that choosing 3124 is supposed
> to send you to?  I tried 3 different browsers and their "fine" menu
> does a big fat nothing on any of them.  One browser found 29 problems
> with the page.  I guess their web site is the same "fine" quality as
> their firmware.  (Skimming through the support page will tell you that
> their firmware leaves something to be desired.)

In fairness to them, it is now traditional to have web pages that 
glowingly yet vaguely describe all the great things the company does, 
while making it difficult to actually do any of them.

Firefox says this is the link from the button to version 6.6.00:

http://www.siliconimage.com/docs/SiI3124__6600.zip

> My boards have firmware 6.3.18 (c) 1997-2006 and a "RAID" sticker.
> I plan to try the latest non-raid firmware, assuming I can find it,
> and can find a way to install it.  I tried siliconimage's search,
> and google, no joy.

That file has RAID, non-RAID, and "system" images (for 
motherboard-integrated versions).

> Does siis(4) need the board's firmware?  If not, is there some way
> to have the kernel shut it off?  I hunted through the mainboard's
> "fine" firmware yet again, but cannot find any way to avoid the
> firmware on expansion boards, nor any way to avoid an expansion card
> being in the list of bootable devices.

A driver could talk directly to the controller on the card so no 
firmware would be needed, but I don't know if that's how these cards 
work.