ali_lock_sectors(9)

💖 ali_lock_sectors(9) — Kernel API Manual 🦋

🌟 NAME

ali_lock_sectors — Keep older devices to 255 sector mode 🎀

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🎀 SYNOPSIS

void ali_lock_sectors (struct ata_device *adev );

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🫶 ARGUMENTS

• adev — the device, bestie 💅. That's the struct ata_device * you're passing in.

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✨ DESCRIPTION

Okay so picture this: this function gets called during the bus probe for each device that is found. 👀 We use this call to lock the sector count of the device to 255 or less on older ALi controllers. That's the whole point, no cap.

If we didn't do this, then large I/O's would require LBA48 commands — and the older ALi controllers require those, which means they get issued by slower PIO methods 😭. So yeah, this tiny call is out here keeping older devices in their 255-sector lane, and honestly? Iconic behavior. 💅✨

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🌈 SEE ALSO

Kernel file ./drivers/ata/pata_ali.c — plus the whole friend group 💖:

• ali_c2_cable_detect(9)
• ali_20_filter(9)
• ali_fifo_control(9)
• ali_program_modes(9)
• ali_set_piomode(9)
• ali_set_dmamode(9)
• ali_warn_atapi_dma(9)
• ali_check_atapi_dma(9)
• ali_init_chipset(9)
• ali_init_one(9)

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Source/version: ./drivers/ata · date: October 2026 · page: ali_lock_sectors(9) — byeee bestie, go keep those older ALi devices at 255 sectors or less 💅✨🎀