# Help with: eSATA HotPlug?

## slicktux

Does my SATA Controller support HotPlug? Maybe you can help me? Maybe I'm missing something? or maybe I'm in denial?  :Smile: 

If my SATA Controller does support HotPlug, how do I configure my system to recognize a HotPlug?

HDD is detected only when connected to eSATA port before booting into system. afterwards running 'tail -f /var/log/messages' and unplugging 'detected' HDD does not result on a output from 'tail -f /var/log/messages' as well as when the HDD is 'un-Detected'.

SATA Port: eSATA-Laptop

BIOS SATA: AHCI

SATA Controller

```
lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 02)

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)

00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller (rev 06)

00:16.3 Serial controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset KT Controller (rev 06)

00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82577LM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 05)

00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 05)

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio (rev 05)

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 05)

00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev 05)

00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev 05)

00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev 05)

00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 05)

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev a5)

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller (rev 05)

00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 05)

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller (rev 05)

00:1f.6 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem (rev 05)

02:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 (rev 35)

03:00.0 SD Host controller: Ricoh Co Ltd MMC/SD Host Controller (rev 01)

3f:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers (rev 02)

3f:00.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder (rev 02)

3f:02.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 (rev 02)

3f:02.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 1st Generation Core Processor QPI Physical 0 (rev 02)

3f:02.2 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 1st Generation Core Processor Reserved (rev 02)

3f:02.3 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 1st Generation Core Processor Reserved (rev 02)
```

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## Pearlseattle

I had similar issues (had great plans involving eSATA & RAID5).

I ended up buying 4 cheap cards for eSATA (different brands) and every card had different kinds of problems (one of them being the one you mentioned, others not recognizing the correct HDD size, etc...).

None was 100% reliable, so in the end I gave up eSATA.

Sad story...   :Wink: 

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## NeddySeagoon

slicktux,

```
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 05) 
```

should worh as long as the BIOS is not running your SATA in legacy/IDE/compatability mode. Then the eSATA port may not work at all.

Hot plug support has been in the SATA specification from the outset. Some first generation hardware was broken by design an a few drivers took a while to catch up.

Neither of those things affect you.

You may need either or both of 

```
[ ]   SATA Port Multiplier support

< >   Platform AHCI SATA support
```

set in your kernel.

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