Comment 22 for bug 200337

all_generic_ide worked for me and I think I know why. It is DMA/66 80 pin tape issue. Without all_generic_ide option, on my PC, kernel uses pata_via driver. My recorder can work in UDMA/66 mode and pata_via driver sets this mode for it. But my dvdrecorder is connected to mainbord by old 40 pin tape and it leads to transmission errors between mainboard and recorder. all_generic_ide kernel option turns on ata_generic driver and this driver set UDMA/33 mode for recoder which is best possible one because of tape limitation. I suspect that it is possible to discover tape kind (40 or 80 pin) on driver level and ata_generic driver makes it better then pata_via driver.

This is part of dmesg log without all_generic_ide kernel option:
[ 34.026040] scsi0 : pata_via
[ 34.027306] scsi1 : pata_via
[ 34.029150] ata1: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x1f0 ctl 0x3f6 bmdma 0xfc00 irq 14
[ 34.029154] ata2: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 bmdma 0xfc08 irq 15
[ 34.200604] ata1.00: ATA-7: Maxtor 6B160P0, BAH41B70, max UDMA/133
[ 34.200610] ata1.00: 320173056 sectors, multi 16: LBA48
[ 34.210922] ata1.01: HPA unlocked: 156250000 -> 156301488, native 156301488
[ 34.210932] ata1.01: ATA-5: WDC WD800BB-75CAA0, 16.06V16, max UDMA/100
[ 34.210936] ata1.01: 156301488 sectors, multi 16: LBA
[ 34.228375] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 34.243861] ata1.01: configured for UDMA/100
[ 34.562591] ata2.00: ATAPI: Optiarc DVD RW AD-7173A, 1-01, max UDMA/66
[ 34.734281] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/66 <--------------

and this is the same part of dmes log with all_generic_ide option

[ 26.430082] scsi0 : ata_generic
[ 26.430171] scsi1 : ata_generic
[ 26.432019] ata1: PATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0x1f0 ctl 0x3f6 bmdma 0xfc00 irq 14
[ 26.432023] ata2: PATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 bmdma 0xfc08 irq 15
[ 26.605110] ata1.00: ATA-7: Maxtor 6B160P0, BAH41B70, max UDMA/133
[ 26.605115] ata1.00: 320173056 sectors, multi 16: LBA48
[ 26.615511] ata1.01: HPA unlocked: 156250000 -> 156301488, native 156301488
[ 26.615516] ata1.01: ATA-5: WDC WD800BB-75CAA0, 16.06V16, max UDMA/100
[ 26.615520] ata1.01: 156301488 sectors, multi 16: LBA
[ 26.615534] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 26.615536] ata1.01: configured for UDMA/100
[ 26.935225] ata2.00: ATAPI: Optiarc DVD RW AD-7173A, 1-01, max UDMA/66
[ 26.935238] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/33 <--------------

The best workaround for this issue would to be to force somehow pata_via driver to set UDMA/33 mode for recorder or just to buy new 80 pin tape :)