Ok here is the low down: Machine 1: PII 450 Compaq, with an Intel USB controller, this is the same dog machine I just replaced in the previous thread Kernel: 2.6.9-22.0.1.EL 512 Megs RAM Don't know what the usb controller was but its Intel, and its USB 1 Speed: 1000K/sec consistent Machine 2: Intel 440GX+ in an SC5000 chassis 2 x PIII 1GHz CPU 00:12.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01) 1024 Megs RAM Kernel: 2.6.9-22.0.1.ELsmp Speed: 1000K/sec consistent Machine 3: VIA C3 600MHz EPIA Kernel : 2.6.9-22.0.1.EL 00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) 00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) 00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 80) 00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82) 512Megs RAM Speed: 4.95M/sec consistent from a remote putty shell (via SSH) Erratic when hdparm run from the text console.... I know these machines aren't bleeding edge but the VIA C3 box is the intended target, its silent and fanless and smaller than the yellow pages book by a fair margin. It also has two nics onboard making it ideal for a home firewall (its current use). USB ports are arranged in two pairs, and I tried one socket in each, from the LSPCI looks like only one of these is USB2 - cooments invited /proc/CPUinfo shows the cpu at 400MHz not sure if this is accurate I will check the BIOS as its supposed to be 600MHz. If you're telling me 4.95Megs/sec is about tops then I might be able to by that... Ideas welcome.... Pete If you reckon Bryan J. Smith wrote: >Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com> wrote: > > >>What Linux kernel versions have you used with firewire? >> >> > >Late 2.4.2x, as well as 2.6.x -- basically RHL9/FC1/RHEL3 and >FC3/RHEL4. I do have to rebuild for FireWire support in >RHEL4, yes. > > > >>The last 2 fedora FC4 updates broke disk access completely. >> >> > > >I ain't touching FC4. ;-> > > > >>FC3 sort-of works, but when I leave a RAID1 mirror running >>with an IDE partition and a firewire partition mirrored, >>within a few hours of activity either the machine will >> >> >crash > > >>or the firewire partition will be kicked out of the RAID. >> >> > >Repeat after me ... ;-> >"USB and FireWire should _not_ be used as 24x7 on-line >storage" > >Despite Apple's prior claims, it has become more apparent >than ever that FireWire is _not_ a 24x7 on-line storage >solution. Do not use it as such, use it as a temporary, >near-line storage solution that you plug-in and use just when >you need it. I've learned that hard lesson even on Apple's >own XServe platforms. > > > >>I haven't tried Centos because you need the unsupported >>kernel and I didn't have much hope for that being better >>than any of the fedoras. >> >> > >I've had no problem with my disks, Digital8 and DV cams, >etc... They all work great! But I don't leave the disks or >camera connected for a day at a time, I plug-in, use and then >I unplug when finished. > >Regardless of OS -- Linux, MacOS X or Windows -- FireWire and >USB are nothing but trouble when it comes to leaving them >connected. They are a "temporary plug and unplug" solution >AFAIAC. > >If you want reliable, external storage, consider SCSI or ... >better yet ... Serial Attached SCSI (SAS). > > > >