ACPI: update DSDT override documentation

Signed-off-by: Len Brown <len.brown@intel.com>
This commit is contained in:
Len Brown 2008-02-06 19:28:02 -05:00
parent 9cbc796028
commit d89e9d6b49
4 changed files with 66 additions and 111 deletions

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@ -1,99 +0,0 @@
ACPI Custom DSDT read from initramfs
2003 by Markus Gaugusch < dsdt at gaugusch dot at >
Special thanks go to Thomas Renninger from SuSE, who updated the patch for
2.6.0 and later modified it to read inside initramfs
2004 - 2008 maintained by Eric Piel < eric dot piel at tremplin-utc dot net >
This option is intended for people who would like to hack their DSDT and don't
want to recompile their kernel after every change. It can also be useful to
distros which offers pre-compiled kernels and want to allow their users to use
a modified DSDT. In the Kernel config, enable the initial RAM filesystem
support (in General Setup) and enable ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_INITRD at the ACPI
options (General Setup|ACPI Support|Read Custom DSDT from initramfs).
A custom DSDT (Differentiated System Description Table) is useful when your
computer uses ACPI but problems occur due to broken implementation. Typically,
your computer works but there are some troubles with the hardware detection or
the power management. You can check that troubles come from errors in the DSDT by
activating the ACPI debug option and reading the logs. This table is provided
by the BIOS, therefore it might be a good idea to check for BIOS update on your
vendor website before going any further. Errors are often caused by vendors
testing their hardware only with Windows or because there is code which is
executed only on a specific OS with a specific version and Linux hasn't been
considered during the development.
Before you run away from customising your DSDT, you should note that already
corrected tables are available for a fair amount of computers on this web-page:
http://acpi.sf.net/dsdt . Be careful though, to work correctly a DSDT has to
match closely the hardware, including the amount of RAM, the frequency of the
processor and the PCI cards present! If you are part of the unluckies who
cannot find their hardware in this database, you can modify your DSDT by
yourself. This process is less painful than it sounds. Download the Intel ASL
compiler/decompiler at http://www.intel.com/technology/IAPC/acpi/downloads.htm .
As root, you then have to dump your DSDT and decompile it. By using the
compiler messages as well as the kernel ACPI debug messages and the reference
book (available at the Intel website and also at http://www.acpi.info), it is
quite easy to obtain a fully working table.
Once your new DSDT is ready you'll have to add it to an initramfs so that the
kernel can read the table at the very beginning of the boot. As the file has to
be accessed very early during the boot process the initramfs has to be an
initramfs. The file is contained into the initramfs under the name /DSDT.aml .
To obtain such an initramfs, you might have to modify your initramfs script or
you can add it later to the initramfs with the script appended to this
document. The command will look like:
initramfs-add-dsdt initramfs.img my-dsdt.aml
In case you don't use any initramfs, the possibilities you have are to either
start using one (try mkinitrd or yaird), or use the "Include Custom DSDT"
configure option to directly include your DSDT inside the kernel.
The message "Looking for DSDT in initramfs..." will tell you if the DSDT was
found or not. If you need to update your DSDT, generate a new initramfs and
perform the steps above. Don't forget that with Lilo, you'll have to re-run it.
====================== Here starts initramfs-add-dsdt ==========================
#!/bin/bash
# Adds a DSDT file to the initrd (if it's an initramfs)
# first argument is the name of archive
# second argument is the name of the file to add
# The file will be copied as /DSDT.aml
# 20060126: fix "Premature end of file" with some old cpio (Roland Robic)
# 20060205: this time it should really work
# check the arguments
if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
program_name=$(basename $0)
echo "\
$program_name: too few arguments
Usage: $program_name initrd-name.img DSDT-to-add.aml
Adds a DSDT file to an initrd (in initramfs format)
initrd-name.img: filename of the initrd in initramfs format
DSDT-to-add.aml: filename of the DSDT file to add
" 1>&2
exit 1
fi
# we should check it's an initramfs
tempcpio=$(mktemp -d)
# cleanup on exit, hangup, interrupt, quit, termination
trap 'rm -rf $tempcpio' 0 1 2 3 15
# extract the archive
gunzip -c "$1" > "$tempcpio"/initramfs.cpio || exit 1
# copy the DSDT file at the root of the directory so that we can call it "/DSDT.aml"
cp -f "$2" "$tempcpio"/DSDT.aml
# add the file
cd "$tempcpio"
(echo DSDT.aml | cpio --quiet -H newc -o -A -O "$tempcpio"/initramfs.cpio) || exit 1
cd "$OLDPWD"
# re-compress the archive
gzip -c "$tempcpio"/initramfs.cpio > "$1"

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@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
Linux supports two methods of overriding the BIOS DSDT:
CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT builds the image into the kernel.
CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_INITRD adds the image to the initrd.
When to use these methods is described in detail on the
Linux/ACPI home page:
http://www.lesswatts.org/projects/acpi/overridingDSDT.php
Note that if both options are used, the DSDT supplied
by the INITRD method takes precedence.
Documentation/initramfs-add-dsdt.sh is provided for convenience
for use with the CONFIG_ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_INITRD method.

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@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
#!/bin/bash
# Adds a DSDT file to the initrd (if it's an initramfs)
# first argument is the name of archive
# second argument is the name of the file to add
# The file will be copied as /DSDT.aml
# 20060126: fix "Premature end of file" with some old cpio (Roland Robic)
# 20060205: this time it should really work
# check the arguments
if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
program_name=$(basename $0)
echo "\
$program_name: too few arguments
Usage: $program_name initrd-name.img DSDT-to-add.aml
Adds a DSDT file to an initrd (in initramfs format)
initrd-name.img: filename of the initrd in initramfs format
DSDT-to-add.aml: filename of the DSDT file to add
" 1>&2
exit 1
fi
# we should check it's an initramfs
tempcpio=$(mktemp -d)
# cleanup on exit, hangup, interrupt, quit, termination
trap 'rm -rf $tempcpio' 0 1 2 3 15
# extract the archive
gunzip -c "$1" > "$tempcpio"/initramfs.cpio || exit 1
# copy the DSDT file at the root of the directory so that we can call it "/DSDT.aml"
cp -f "$2" "$tempcpio"/DSDT.aml
# add the file
cd "$tempcpio"
(echo DSDT.aml | cpio --quiet -H newc -o -A -O "$tempcpio"/initramfs.cpio) || exit 1
cd "$OLDPWD"
# re-compress the archive
gzip -c "$tempcpio"/initramfs.cpio > "$1"

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@ -263,8 +263,10 @@ config ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT
depends on !STANDALONE
default n
help
This option is to load a custom ACPI DSDT
If you don't know what that is, say N.
This option supports a custom DSDT by linking it into the kernel.
See Documentation/acpi/dsdt-override.txt
If unsure, say N.
config ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_FILE
string "Custom DSDT Table file to include"
@ -279,17 +281,11 @@ config ACPI_CUSTOM_DSDT_INITRD
depends on BLK_DEV_INITRD
default n
help
The DSDT (Differentiated System Description Table) often needs to be
overridden because of broken BIOS implementations. If this feature is
activated you will be able to provide a customized DSDT by adding it
to your initramfs. If your mkinitrd tool does not support this feature
a script is provided in the documentation. For more details see
<file:Documentation/dsdt-initrd.txt> or <http://gaugusch.at/kernel.shtml>.
If there is no table found, it will fall-back to the custom DSDT
in-kernel (if activated) or to the DSDT from the BIOS.
This option supports a custom DSDT by optionally loading it from initrd.
See Documentation/acpi/dsdt-override.txt
Even if you do not need a new one at the moment, you may want to use a
better DSDT later. It is safe to say Y here.
If you are not using this feature now, but may use it later,
it is safe to say Y here.
config ACPI_BLACKLIST_YEAR
int "Disable ACPI for systems before Jan 1st this year" if X86_32