.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
  
  ===================================
  The BusLogic FlashPoint SCSI Driver
  ===================================
  
  The BusLogic FlashPoint SCSI Host Adapters are now fully supported on Linux.
  The upgrade program described below has been officially terminated effective
  31 March 1997 since it is no longer needed.
  
  ::
  
    	  MYLEX INTRODUCES LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORT FOR ITS
    	      BUSLOGIC FLASHPOINT LINE OF SCSI HOST ADAPTERS
  
  
    FREMONT, CA, -- October 8, 1996 -- Mylex Corporation has expanded Linux
    operating system support to its BusLogic brand of FlashPoint Ultra SCSI
    host adapters.  All of BusLogic's other SCSI host adapters, including the
    MultiMaster line, currently support the Linux operating system.  Linux
    drivers and information will be available on October 15th at
    http://sourceforge.net/projects/dandelion/.
  
    "Mylex is committed to supporting the Linux community," says Peter Shambora,
    vice president of marketing for Mylex.  "We have supported Linux driver
    development and provided technical support for our host adapters for several
    years, and are pleased to now make our FlashPoint products available to this
    user base."
  
  The Linux Operating System
  ==========================
  
  Linux is a freely-distributed implementation of UNIX for Intel x86, Sun
  SPARC, SGI MIPS, Motorola 68k, Digital Alpha AXP and Motorola PowerPC
  machines.  It supports a wide range of software, including the X Window
  System, Emacs, and TCP/IP networking.  Further information is available at
  http://www.linux.org and http://www.ssc.com/.
  
  FlashPoint Host Adapters
  ========================
  
  The FlashPoint family of Ultra SCSI host adapters, designed for workstation
  and file server environments, are available in narrow, wide, dual channel,
  and dual channel wide versions.  These adapters feature SeqEngine
  automation technology, which minimizes SCSI command overhead and reduces
  the number of interrupts generated to the CPU.
  
  About Mylex
  ===========
  
  Mylex Corporation (NASDAQ/NM SYMBOL: MYLX), founded in 1983, is a leading
  producer of RAID technology and network management products.  The company
  produces high performance disk array (RAID) controllers, and complementary
  computer products for network servers, mass storage systems, workstations
  and system boards.  Through its wide range of RAID controllers and its
  BusLogic line of Ultra SCSI host adapter products, Mylex provides enabling
  intelligent I/O technologies that increase network management control,
  enhance CPU utilization, optimize I/O performance, and ensure data security
  and availability.  Products are sold globally through a network of OEMs,
  major distributors, VARs, and system integrators.  Mylex Corporation is
  headquartered at 34551 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont, CA.
  
  Contact:
  ========
  
  ::
  
    Peter Shambora
    Vice President of Marketing
    Mylex Corp.
    510/796-6100
    peters@mylex.com
  
  
  ::
  
  			       ANNOUNCEMENT
  	       BusLogic FlashPoint LT/BT-948 Upgrade Program
  			      1 February 1996
  
  			  ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
  	       BusLogic FlashPoint LW/BT-958 Upgrade Program
  			       14 June 1996
  
    Ever since its introduction last October, the BusLogic FlashPoint LT has
    been problematic for members of the Linux community, in that no Linux
    drivers have been available for this new Ultra SCSI product.  Despite its
    officially being positioned as a desktop workstation product, and not being
    particularly well suited for a high performance multitasking operating
    system like Linux, the FlashPoint LT has been touted by computer system
    vendors as the latest thing, and has been sold even on many of their high
    end systems, to the exclusion of the older MultiMaster products.  This has
    caused grief for many people who inadvertently purchased a system expecting
    that all BusLogic SCSI Host Adapters were supported by Linux, only to
    discover that the FlashPoint was not supported and would not be for quite
    some time, if ever.
  
    After this problem was identified, BusLogic contacted its major OEM
    customers to make sure the BT-946C/956C MultiMaster cards would still be
    made available, and that Linux users who mistakenly ordered systems with
    the FlashPoint would be able to upgrade to the BT-946C.  While this helped
    many purchasers of new systems, it was only a partial solution to the
    overall problem of FlashPoint support for Linux users.  It did nothing to
    assist the people who initially purchased a FlashPoint for a supported
    operating system and then later decided to run Linux, or those who had
    ended up with a FlashPoint LT, believing it was supported, and were unable
    to return it.
  
    In the middle of December, I asked to meet with BusLogic's senior
    management to discuss the issues related to Linux and free software support
    for the FlashPoint.  Rumors of varying accuracy had been circulating
    publicly about BusLogic's attitude toward the Linux community, and I felt
    it was best that these issues be addressed directly.  I sent an email
    message after 11pm one evening, and the meeting took place the next
    afternoon.  Unfortunately, corporate wheels sometimes grind slowly,
    especially when a company is being acquired, and so it's taken until now
    before the details were completely determined and a public statement could
    be made.
  
    BusLogic is not prepared at this time to release the information necessary
    for third parties to write drivers for the FlashPoint.  The only existing
    FlashPoint drivers have been written directly by BusLogic Engineering, and
    there is no FlashPoint documentation sufficiently detailed to allow outside
    developers to write a driver without substantial assistance.  While there
    are people at BusLogic who would rather not release the details of the
    FlashPoint architecture at all, that debate has not yet been settled either
    way.  In any event, even if documentation were available today it would
    take quite a while for a usable driver to be written, especially since I'm
    not convinced that the effort required would be worthwhile.
  
    However, BusLogic does remain committed to providing a high performance
    SCSI solution for the Linux community, and does not want to see anyone left
    unable to run Linux because they have a Flashpoint LT.  Therefore, BusLogic
    has put in place a direct upgrade program to allow any Linux user worldwide
    to trade in their FlashPoint LT for the new BT-948 MultiMaster PCI Ultra
    SCSI Host Adapter.  The BT-948 is the Ultra SCSI successor to the BT-946C
    and has all the best features of both the BT-946C and FlashPoint LT,
    including smart termination and a flash PROM for easy firmware updates, and
    is of course compatible with the present Linux driver.  The price for this
    upgrade has been set at US $45 plus shipping and handling, and the upgrade
    program will be administered through BusLogic Technical Support, which can
    be reached by electronic mail at techsup@buslogic.com, by Voice at +1 408
    654-0760, or by FAX at +1 408 492-1542.
  
    As of 14 June 1996, the original BusLogic FlashPoint LT to BT-948 upgrade
    program has now been extended to encompass the FlashPoint LW Wide Ultra
    SCSI Host Adapter.  Any Linux user worldwide may trade in their FlashPoint
    LW (BT-950) for a BT-958 MultiMaster PCI Ultra SCSI Host Adapter.  The
    price for this upgrade has been set at US $65 plus shipping and handling.
  
    I was a beta test site for the BT-948/958, and versions 1.2.1 and 1.3.1 of
    my BusLogic driver already included latent support for the BT-948/958.
    Additional cosmetic support for the Ultra SCSI MultiMaster cards was added
    subsequent releases.  As a result of this cooperative testing process,
    several firmware bugs were found and corrected.  My heavily loaded Linux
    test system provided an ideal environment for testing error recovery
    processes that are much more rarely exercised in production systems, but
    are crucial to overall system stability.  It was especially convenient
    being able to work directly with their firmware engineer in demonstrating
    the problems under control of the firmware debugging environment; things
    sure have come a long way since the last time I worked on firmware for an
    embedded system.  I am presently working on some performance testing and
    expect to have some data to report in the not too distant future.
  
    BusLogic asked me to send this announcement since a large percentage of the
    questions regarding support for the FlashPoint have either been sent to me
    directly via email, or have appeared in the Linux newsgroups in which I
    participate.  To summarize, BusLogic is offering Linux users an upgrade
    from the unsupported FlashPoint LT (BT-930) to the supported BT-948 for US
    $45 plus shipping and handling, or from the unsupported FlashPoint LW
    (BT-950) to the supported BT-958 for $65 plus shipping and handling.
    Contact BusLogic Technical Support at techsup@buslogic.com or +1 408
    654-0760 to take advantage of their offer.
  
    		Leonard N. Zubkoff
    		lnz@dandelion.com