Driver Disk Installation Guide for ARC-11XX/ARC12XX/ARC16XX/18XX RAID Controller 
on Ubuntu 24.04 x86_64(kernel 6.8.0-31)
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Linux SCSI driver technical support 
Mail address: support@areca.com.tw
Web site: www.areca.com.tw
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1. Contents
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readme.txt	- the installation guide of ARC-11XX/12XX/16XX/18XX driver for Ubuntu
arcmsr-ubuntu-24.04.zip	- Areca RAID driver disk for system installation
arcmsr-1.51.0X.16-ubuntu24.04-k6.8.0-31-generic.x86_64.deb  - driver for Ubuntu kernel 6.8.0-31
arcmsr-1.51.00.16-source-only.dkms.tar.gz - DKMS enabled driver source code
arcmsr-1.51.0X.16-20231226.zip	- driver source code

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2. New System Installation
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   Ubuntu 24.04 kernel built-in arcmsr driver has supported all Areca Raid controllers.
   So just following the Ubuntu installation guide to install system to on-board hard drive or Areca Raid volume.
   In case of installation to Areca Raid volume, you should first create a Raid volume by refer to
   Areca Raid controllers user's manual.

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3. Installing raid driver on an installed System	
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   If your Linux system can use Areca Raid volume normally, you need not to install driver package.

	Depends on your current kernel version.
	# sudo dpkg -i arcmsr-1.51.0X.16-ubuntu24.04-k6.8.0-31-generic.x86_64.deb
	# sudo cd /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/updates/arcmsr
	# sudo zstd --rm arcmsr.ko
	# sudo echo 'arcmsr' >> /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
	# sudo depmod -a
	# sudo update-initramfs -u

	Reboot your system to make arcmsr driver take effect.

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4. To compile arcmsr driver on an installed System.
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   If your Linux system can use Areca Raid volume normally, you need not to compile driver for it.
   If areca pre-build driver(kmod-arcmsr...) can not fit for your kernel, then you need compile
   driver for it by yourself.

	Before build driver, you must have make and gcc was installed.
	# sudo apt-get install gcc make

        if your target kernel version is not (uname -r), then replace following
        $(uname -r) by target kernel version

	To compile arcmsr driver, extract driver source code to a new directory.
	# sudo make KDIR=/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build
	# sudo zstd --rm arcmsr.ko
	# sudo rm -f /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/scsi/arcmsr/arcmsr.ko
	# sudo cp -f arcmsr.ko.zst /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/scsi/arcmsr/
	# sudo depmod -a $(uname -r)
	# sudo update-initramfs -u -k $(uname -r)

	Reboot your system to make arcmsr driver take effect.

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5. To install DKMS enabled tarball of arcmsr driver on an installed System.
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	In case of updating software packages, the kernel's version could be change.
	If the new kernel built-in driver can not support your Raid controller, then install dkms package
	and install areca dkms-able driver source tarball is a good solution.
	Once kernel was updated, it compiles and installs driver for new kernel automatically.

	Before using DKMS, you must install DKMS package. You can install dkms as following.
	# sudo apt-get install dkms

	Copy arcmsr DKMS enabled tarball to home directory.
	In order to load tarball into the DKMS tree, you must use the following command:

	# sudo dkms ldtarball --archive=./arcmsr-<module version>-source-only.dkms.tar.gz
	where <module version> could be, e.g., 1.51.00.16
	arcmsr source code will be added to DKMS tree.
	
	To build arcmsr driver module
	# sudo dkms build -m arcmsr -v <module version>
	
	To install arcmsr driver module
	# sudo dkms install -m arcmsr -v <module version>


	If you are upgrading linux kernel, then you have to install the corresponding linux-headers-<kernelver> before
	reboot your system. New kernel image can be find in /boot, corresponding new linux header can be find in /usr/src.
	If you can not find new linux header in /usr/src, you can install it as following.
	# sudo apt-get install linux-headers-<kernelver>
	where <kernelver> could be, e.g., 6.8.0-31-generic.
	
	After installed linux header files, DKMS service will build and install arcmsr driver for new kernel automatically.

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6. To support Areca thunderbolt device and cable hotplug
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Ubuntu Desktop:
===============
	Ubuntu 24.04 has native support Areca thunderbolt 2 & 3 devices, ARC-8050T2/T3 series.
	But it needs root user to authorised permission after connect the thunderbolt cable.

	The first time of connection thunderbolt device to system, it may need to authorize the device to system.
	From GNOME Settings->Privacy->Thunderbolt, click the 'connected' but not yet authorized device,
	confirm the 'authorize and connect' to make it 'authorized'.

Ubuntu Server:
==============
	Ubuntu 24.04 Server also has native support Areca thunderbolt 2 & 3 devices, ARC-8050T2/T3 series.
	But it needs root user to authorise permission after connect the thunderbolt devices.

	1. Find the thunderbolt deivce's UUID.
	   # boltctl list

	2. Give an authorised permission to thunderbolt devices
	   # boltctl authorize UUID
	   	where UUID is thunderbolt device's UUID, like 00000000-0000-0008-0015-5f0b2012a051
	   Now detecting devices start, just a moment you will can access thunderbolt devices.

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7. To set driver parameters value
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    arcmsr provided driver parameters setting since v1.30.0X.25.
    Multiple Driver parameters can be set at a time.
    e.g. # insmod arcmsr.ko host_can_queue=72 cmd_per_lun=16

    Setting parameter value out of range will be ignored, parameter remain default value.

    a. To list what driver parameter can be set, parameter default value and value range.
       # modinfo arcmsr

    b. To set driver parameter when you manually install driver.
       (This method will be infeasible if your system was boot from areca Raid volume.)
       e.g. to set parameter host_can_queue value to 64
       # sudo rmmod arcmsr
       # sudo insmod /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/scsi/arcmsr/arcmsr.ko host_can_queue=64

    c. To set driver parameter during booting from grub menu.
       When grub menu display, use UP and DOWN arrow key to move cursor to booting target.
       Type e to edit, move cursor to end of line that include "linux   /boot/vmlinuz-x.xx.xx ....."
       Append driver parameter to there.(e.g. to set parameter host_can_queue value to 64)

       linux   /boot/vmlinuz-6.8.0-31..... ... ...  arcmsr.host_can_queue=64

    d. To set driver parameter for every boot up.
       e.g. to set parameter host_can_queue value to 64
       # sudo gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg
       Append driver parameter setting to end of line that include "linux   /boot/vmlinuz-x.xx.xx ....."

       linux   /boot/vmlinuz-6.8.0-31..... ... ...  arcmsr.host_can_queue=64

    e. To verify parameter setting is correct.
       1. To locate adapter parameter directory
          Find Areca host number:
          # dmesg | grep 'scsi host'
          # cat /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/proc_name
                where hostX could be host0, host1, ...
          The correct output should be arcmsr. If output is (null), check host_fw_model and host_driver_version.
          # cat /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/host_fw_model
          # cat /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/host_driver_version

       2. List host_can_queue value
          #  cat /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/can_queue

       3. List cmd_per_lun value
          #  cat /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/cmd_per_lun

       4. List cmd_timeout value
          #  cat /sys/block/sdX/device/cmd_timeout
             where sdX could be sda, sdb, ...
