How to install much newer mpt2sas driver version in debian squeeze?

Question

Linux debian squeeze 6.0.6 (2.6.32-5-amd64) is supplied with quite an old 02.100.03.00 version of the mpt2sas driver.

I do wish to install a much newer mpt2sas driver version. In know there are backported kernel versions available, like bpo.3 and bpo.4. Those backports both contain version 10 of the mpt2sas driver.

The mpt2sas.ko module is already blacklisted from being loaded during boot, with:

$ echo 'blacklist mpt2sas' >> /etc/modprobe.d/mpt2sas.conf; depmod; update-initramfs -u -k $(uname -r)

For this mpt2sas driver are precompiled binaries available in rpm format for RHEL5 and SLES10, and there is source code available.

How can a newer much mpt2sas driver be installed in debian?

Solution

Use the newer Linux driver version 15.00.00.00 from LSI. This 700 MB download also contains precompiled binaries for Debian 6.0.5.

Installation instruction for amd64 architecture - adapted from the included readme - are:

# cd debian\rpms-03
# dpkg -i mpt2sas-15.00.00.00-3_Debian6.0.5.amd64.deb

And the output is:

Selecting previously deselected package mpt2sas.
(Reading database ... 28905 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking mpt2sas (from mpt2sas-15.00.00.00-3_Debian6.0.5.amd64.deb) ...
pre 15.00.00.00
Setting up mpt2sas (15.00.00.00-3) ...
post 15.00.00.00
The mpt driver for kernel 2.6.32-5-amd64 is now version 15.00.00.00
Working files in /tmp/mkinitramfs_PvDVif and overlay in /tmp/mkinitramfs-OL_Ko3jrS
post Install Done.

The result is that the old driver is renamed from:

/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/kernel/drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpt2sas.ko

to:

/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/kernel/drivers/scsi/mpt2sas/mpt2sas.ko.orig

and the new driver is installed at:

/lib/modules/2.6.32-5-amd64/weak-updates/mpt2sas/mpt2sas.ko

Comments

[Pro Backup]

The issue after installing mpt2sas driver v15 is that the system freezes 3541 seconds after boot. Some keywords at the console: try_to_wake_up, autoremove_wake_function, page_fault, native_apic_mem_write, __wake_up_common, mpt2sas_port_enable_done, _base_interrupt, __rcu_process_callbacks, handle_IRQ_event, handle_irq, do_IRQ, ret_from_intr, acpi_idle_enter_bm, cpuidle_idle_call, cpu_idle, early_idt_handler, start_kernel, x86_64_start_kernel.

[Pro Backup]

Flashing the LSI SAS2008 adapter its firmware to the IT instead of IR firmware did solve the system freezes with driver version 15.00.00.00.