Bug 157909: Unbootable system, affects many, apparently ignored

[Aaron C. de Bruyn]

I would like some feedback from the community, as I am somewhat a noob in how to handle this.
Bug 157909 (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/+source/linux-source-2.6.22/+bug/157909) deals with a recent change to the kernel config.
A new config switch was added CONFIG_IDE_MAX_HWIFS, and someone decided to give it an arbitrary value of 4.

This variable apparently means the kernel only allocates space for 4 IDE devices.  Assuming a system with a primary and secondary IDE port on the motherboard, this would be fine.

But it also affects the server kernel.
Any my server has to SATA cards it in, along with onboard SATA, and two IDE interfaces.  One of the SATA cards exposes the drives as IDE.
So I have a total of 8 IDE drives in my system.  Because of this seemingly arbitrary value, my system won't boot.  Half the drives are unavailable.

Anyways--there are a few people on the list who are suffering from this issue besides me.
Any everyone 'higher up' has listed fixing this as a 'wishlist' item, an 'invalid' request, or 'fixed' in Hardy.

Maybe I'm wrong, but shouldn't something this serious be fixed in the CURRENT version of ubuntu.  I feel this has a serious impact.


In order to get my system working, I had to figure out how to compile a kernel 'The Ubuntu Way' (http://www.howtoforge.com/kernel_compilation_ubuntu) and install my own kernel.

I'm not sure about anyone else in the bug, it may be beyond them how to get it fixed.

Can anyone provide me with some guidance on how to resolve this issue?  Am I overblowing the issue since I am affected?  Would fixing this violate the SRU (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelUpdates) as someone states in comment 13 (https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/+source/linux-source-2.6.22/+bug/157909/comments/13)?  Should I just use my own kernel until Gutsy comes out?

Thanks for reading.
Merry Christmas.

-Aaron