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-rw-r--r--Documentation/IPMI.txt65
1 files changed, 3 insertions, 62 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/IPMI.txt b/Documentation/IPMI.txt
index b2bea15137d2..16eb4c9e9233 100644
--- a/Documentation/IPMI.txt
+++ b/Documentation/IPMI.txt
@@ -42,13 +42,7 @@ The driver interface depends on your hardware. If your system
42properly provides the SMBIOS info for IPMI, the driver will detect it 42properly provides the SMBIOS info for IPMI, the driver will detect it
43and just work. If you have a board with a standard interface (These 43and just work. If you have a board with a standard interface (These
44will generally be either "KCS", "SMIC", or "BT", consult your hardware 44will generally be either "KCS", "SMIC", or "BT", consult your hardware
45manual), choose the 'IPMI SI handler' option. A driver also exists 45manual), choose the 'IPMI SI handler' option.
46for direct I2C access to the IPMI management controller. Some boards
47support this, but it is unknown if it will work on every board. For
48this, choose 'IPMI SMBus handler', but be ready to try to do some
49figuring to see if it will work on your system if the SMBIOS/APCI
50information is wrong or not present. It is fairly safe to have both
51these enabled and let the drivers auto-detect what is present.
52 46
53You should generally enable ACPI on your system, as systems with IPMI 47You should generally enable ACPI on your system, as systems with IPMI
54can have ACPI tables describing them. 48can have ACPI tables describing them.
@@ -58,8 +52,7 @@ their job correctly, the IPMI controller should be automatically
58detected (via ACPI or SMBIOS tables) and should just work. Sadly, 52detected (via ACPI or SMBIOS tables) and should just work. Sadly,
59many boards do not have this information. The driver attempts 53many boards do not have this information. The driver attempts
60standard defaults, but they may not work. If you fall into this 54standard defaults, but they may not work. If you fall into this
61situation, you need to read the section below named 'The SI Driver' or 55situation, you need to read the section below named 'The SI Driver'.
62"The SMBus Driver" on how to hand-configure your system.
63 56
64IPMI defines a standard watchdog timer. You can enable this with the 57IPMI defines a standard watchdog timer. You can enable this with the
65'IPMI Watchdog Timer' config option. If you compile the driver into 58'IPMI Watchdog Timer' config option. If you compile the driver into
@@ -104,12 +97,7 @@ driver, each open file for this device ties in to the message handler
104as an IPMI user. 97as an IPMI user.
105 98
106ipmi_si - A driver for various system interfaces. This supports KCS, 99ipmi_si - A driver for various system interfaces. This supports KCS,
107SMIC, and BT interfaces. Unless you have an SMBus interface or your 100SMIC, and BT interfaces.
108own custom interface, you probably need to use this.
109
110ipmi_smb - A driver for accessing BMCs on the SMBus. It uses the
111I2C kernel driver's SMBus interfaces to send and receive IPMI messages
112over the SMBus.
113 101
114ipmi_watchdog - IPMI requires systems to have a very capable watchdog 102ipmi_watchdog - IPMI requires systems to have a very capable watchdog
115timer. This driver implements the standard Linux watchdog timer 103timer. This driver implements the standard Linux watchdog timer
@@ -482,53 +470,6 @@ for specifying an interface. Note that when removing an interface,
482only the first three parameters (si type, address type, and address) 470only the first three parameters (si type, address type, and address)
483are used for the comparison. Any options are ignored for removing. 471are used for the comparison. Any options are ignored for removing.
484 472
485The SMBus Driver
486----------------
487
488The SMBus driver allows up to 4 SMBus devices to be configured in the
489system. By default, the driver will register any SMBus interfaces it finds
490in the I2C address range of 0x20 to 0x4f on any adapter. You can change this
491at module load time (for a module) with:
492
493 modprobe ipmi_smb.o
494 addr=<adapter1>,<i2caddr1>[,<adapter2>,<i2caddr2>[,...]]
495 dbg=<flags1>,<flags2>...
496 [defaultprobe=1] [dbg_probe=1]
497
498The addresses are specified in pairs, the first is the adapter ID and the
499second is the I2C address on that adapter.
500
501The debug flags are bit flags for each BMC found, they are:
502IPMI messages: 1, driver state: 2, timing: 4, I2C probe: 8
503
504Setting smb_defaultprobe to zero disabled the default probing of SMBus
505interfaces at address range 0x20 to 0x4f. This means that only the
506BMCs specified on the smb_addr line will be detected.
507
508Setting smb_dbg_probe to 1 will enable debugging of the probing and
509detection process for BMCs on the SMBusses.
510
511Discovering the IPMI compliant BMC on the SMBus can cause devices
512on the I2C bus to fail. The SMBus driver writes a "Get Device ID" IPMI
513message as a block write to the I2C bus and waits for a response.
514This action can be detrimental to some I2C devices. It is highly recommended
515that the known I2c address be given to the SMBus driver in the smb_addr
516parameter. The default address range will not be used when a smb_addr
517parameter is provided.
518
519When compiled into the kernel, the addresses can be specified on the
520kernel command line as:
521
522 ipmb_smb.addr=<adapter1>,<i2caddr1>[,<adapter2>,<i2caddr2>[,...]]
523 ipmi_smb.dbg=<flags1>,<flags2>...
524 ipmi_smb.defaultprobe=0 ipmi_smb.dbg_probe=1
525
526These are the same options as on the module command line.
527
528Note that you might need some I2C changes if CONFIG_IPMI_PANIC_EVENT
529is enabled along with this, so the I2C driver knows to run to
530completion during sending a panic event.
531
532 473
533Other Pieces 474Other Pieces
534------------ 475------------