Removing NET_NEEDS_GIANT: first patch

[Robert Watson]

On Thu, 26 Jul 2007, Kris Kennaway wrote:

>> I've used and still use debug_mpsafenet to get rid of watchdog timeout 
>> problems on a lot of HP Proliant servers, particularly with the bge driver:
>>
>> Dec 21 06:42:51 videovm1 kernel: bge0: watchdog timeout -- resetting
>> Dec 21 06:42:51 videovm1 kernel: bge0: link state changed to DOWN
>> Dec 21 06:42:54 videovm1 kernel: bge0: link state changed to UP
>>
>> This problem goes away with debug.mpsafenet="0", for me.
>>
>> I can try to turn off this setting, and see how it goes. I remember there 
>> was something one could do, to get more information about the watchdog 
>> error, but can't remember what.
>
> Please do.  There is no sense in crippling your network for the sake of an 
> unre{solved,ported} driver bug.

I agree with what Kris said, only more so. :-)  By masking the bug using 
debug.mpsafenet, whatever bug is the root of the problem isn't getting fixed, 
and instead keeps going out in releases.  This sounds like it's most likely a 
driver bug, although I wouldn't rule out some sort of interrupt problem.  It 
looks like jkim might be someone to talk to about this (CC'd).

Robert N M Watson
Computer Laboratory
University of Cambridge