So ... I popped the installation DVD in and entered libata=pata_dma=1 as a boot option. This made no difference whatsoever to the absolute age it took to get to the initial installation screen. So I then rebooted and entered brokenmodules=pata_ali as an option. This time it was considerably quicker, loading alim15x3 instead of pata_ali and it didn't hang at loading natsemi.
Great, I thought. Let's add brokenmodules=pata_ali to menu.lst, which I did. Rebooted and instead of Xubuntu's Grub appearing, I saw the SUSE screen. Um, looks like when I entered the option to YaST's Optional Kernel Command Line Parameter, somehow SUSE also moved its bootloader from its root partition to the MBR. (Is it supposed to do that without asking?

) Anyway, no problem I thought, I'll just boot Xubuntu from SUSE's Grub. But no go, all I got was an error. Was it 13, or 21 maybe, can't remember now.
I then spent about an hour trying to get back into Xubuntu and restoring its Grub to the MBR.
That done, I returned to SUSE which still took at least 3 minutes to boot, which surely is completely unacceptable.
Here are some results from hdparm:
- Code: Select all
lothian:/home/marrea # hdparm -i /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
Model=IC25N020ATCS04-0 , FwRev=CA2OA71A, SerialNo= CSH204DMJ155PF
Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=4
BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=1768kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=?16?
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=39070080
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:240,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
AdvancedPM=yes: mode=0x80 (128) WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 3: ATA/ATAPI-2,3,4,5
* signifies the current active mode
lothian:/home/marrea # hdparm -i /dev/sr0
/dev/sr0:
Model=DW-224E-A , FwRev=A.2D , SerialNo=
Config={ Fixed Removeable DTR<=5Mbs DTR>10Mbs nonMagnetic }
RawCHS=0/0/0, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=0
BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=0kB, MaxMultSect=0
(maybe): CurCHS=0/0/0, CurSects=0, LBA=yes, LBAsects=0
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: sdma0 sdma1 sdma2 mdma0 *mdma1 mdma2
AdvancedPM=no
Drive conforms to: Unspecified: ATA/ATAPI-2,3,4,5
* signifies the current active mode
lothian:/home/marrea # hdparm -d /dev/sda
/dev/sda:
HDIO_GET_DMA failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device
lothian:/home/marrea # hdparm -d /dev/sr0
/dev/sr0:
HDIO_GET_DMA failed: Inappropriate ioctl for device
I've no idea what all this means.
