problem fully removing graphics adapter

[jesseroscoe]

Hello,
I am having trouble removing a graphics adapter from my P5, AIX5.3 machine. I have removed all entries from the different ODM classes, removed the driver from /etc/drivers, removed the configuration from /etc/methods, performed a rmdev -dl "device_name". I have read the script that installs the driver files and have manually deleted all associated files. I have also verified that the device no longer exists in /dev.
However, when I reboot the machine, the device definition reappears when I run an lsdev, and the entries are also placed back into the ODM in CuDv and CuAt. At this point, it won't let me rmdev the device because there are no matching entries for the device in PdAt or PdDv. I have to add these back just to try again.

Can anyone tell me where else to look for the file or files that are still holding onto this device definition?

Thanks

 

[unixfreak]

Nothing is holding onto it, it's being configured at boot time. Here's a tip, instead of deleting files (kinda too late since you've broken the system now), remove the adapter and do rmdev and that's it!

 

[jesseroscoe]

I understand that it's being configured at boot, but where is it getting the configuration from if the configuration method and the driver have been removed? And can you elaborate when you say "since you've broken the system now"? I can get the system back to where it was before the device was removed. I can also remove the device and do as you said with no problem. The problem is that the system redefines the device as soon as the card is put back in. Where is it getting any of the information for the card without those files or entries in the ODM database?

 

[DukeSSD]

When config manager runs during boot it will recognise the device whether the drivers / filesets are loaded / installed or not.

What are you trying to do?

 

[jesseroscoe]

I'm trying to figure out where AIX is getting any of the information from that it keeps reloading at boot. The graphics card keeps coming up as "defined" and entries reappear in the ODM database. But there were no cfg files for the device in /etc/methods, no driver loaded, and there were no predefined or customized attributes or devices in ODM when I took the machine down. It's as if something is cached somewhere that I can't seem to find. My goal is to be able to boot the machine without it trying to define hardware that it shouldn't have any information about. This is not off-the-shelf hardware that AIX would natively be aware of.

 

[p5wizard]

It comes up as "Defined", because AIX's cfgmgr can identify it by reading the its VPD (vital product data). If you would have the drivers installed, the system would be able to configure it into the "Available" state.

If you want AIX to come up without the device, you have to physically remove the card.


HTH,

p5wizard

 

[jesseroscoe]

Don't think that's it. If I put the same card into a P6 machine, also running AIX5.3, the device doesn't get automatically defined, and nothing is added to the ODM database. There has to be something installed or cached on the other machine (P5) that is still picking up the card. Does anyone know where else I could look?

Thanks

 

[DukeSSD]

Still not sure what you are trying to do.

Seems cfgmgr -f during boot is reading the card vpd either directly from firmware or from a pci probe and the kernel thinks it is a valid device so the definition is created.

In subsequent cfgmgr runs the driver is not available so the device remains defined.

As p5wizard said, remove it if you do not want it to appear.

If the p6 machine does not configure a device for it then the firmware and or kernel does not recognise it as a valid device.

Have you tried a clean minimal install without the device and then connected it to see if the kernel can be built without the definition?

 

[p5wizard]

Another reason the p6 machine isn't picking up the card is maybe you've put it in a slot that isn't allocated to the LPAR you're testing on?

Or it is an unsupported and hence unrecognized device for p6?


HTH,

p5wizard