I don't know if this is the right way to do it, but I'm using hdparm
itself for doing this on non-native SATA disks. I'm talking about the WD
Raptors (36GB), on which hdparm reports:
# hdparm -I /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: WDC WD360GD-00FLA2
Serial Number: WD-WMAKH1009400
Firmware Revision: 31.08F31
...
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
Write cache
On these disks, hdparm -W 0/-W 1 seems to work, based on the hdparm -I output
and on iostat -x output. The motherboard is also a Tyan (Tiger K8W).
Regards,
Iustin Pop
On Thu, Feb 23, 2006 at 11:06:23AM -0800, Christian Rice wrote:
> Perhaps no one else is using XFS as a root filesystem on SATA drives,
> but I've been giving it a go. And I've been lucky to NOT experience a
> power failure in my machine room, I guess.
>
> I've tried blktool and sdparm, both RPMS and compiled locally, but
> nothing can turn off the write cache. I'm using multiple motherboards,
> different drive manufactureres, but no avail.
>
> Has anyone had success with this issue? Am I forced to continue on with
> PATA drives for the foreseeable future?
>
> Any informed responses would be a huge help.
>
>
> Details:
> Tyan mobo, Opteron, 2.6.12-1.1398_FC4smp, x86_64, WDC WD800JD-00LS SATA
> drive
> modules:
> sata_sil 15301 4
> libata 58825 1 sata_sil
> sd_mod 25153 6
> scsi_mod 167417 2 libata,sd_mod
>
>
> nForce4 mobo, Athlon64 X2, 2.6.15-1.1831_FC4smp, x86_64, ST380817AS SATA
> drive
> modules:
> libata 98265 1 sata_nv
> sd_mod 53697 2
> scsi_mod 195321 2 libata,sd_mod
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