Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 18:54:26 -0700 From: "Lawrence Cotnam Jr." <larry@pkunk.net> To: "Josh Paetzel" <jpaetzel@hutchtel.net>, <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>, <freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org> Subject: Legacy Device Support (Was RE: No help...) Message-ID: <MKEOLDIJFGDJKDLHGFEGKEFMCBAA.larry@pkunk.net> In-Reply-To: <001701bff378$da4b5b60$3b440ace@hacker>
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I think a medium between maintaining support for legacy hardware, and developing support for the latest and greatest would be beneficial, to everyone, whom intends to use this system. I certainly agree, more effort should be applied toward writing code and support for the new devices out there, but at the same time, I think a strong commitment to maintaining legacy code for older devices, especially when such devices had code in the system before wouldn't be very difficult. As far as what I choose to run my server on, the choice isn't exactly much of a choice. I have what I have, I can't afford to go out a purchase a nicer system, or sacrifice my workstation to the task of being a server. It's not a matter of choice, its a matter of.. this is what I have available to me, for my server. What will run on it, most efficiently, most reliably is what I intend to use. FreeBSD, one of the most excellent options out there, has failed in this respect. It's just.. sad.. I miss having it. But I don't miss the troubles of coaxing it to work with this machine. For what it's worth, my Debian box supports what I have well enough, but the kernel has no where near the extensive device support that FreeBSD does. But there's, admittedly, some very nice things in here, that differ from FreeBSD, which I like, and a lot I don't like. But, as I've said, I want a reliable box. It's a tool, not a toy. I need it to work, all the time. I guess this is just all a big pain because that hardware I've managed to acquire isn't the best stuff around, its all I have, and the support for it isn't there. It's basically my own problem for not having better hardware. If I had the resources to go out and get a better system to run my server, with FreeBSD, I'd do it. Immediately. Lawrence Cotnam Jr. (775) 337-2536 email: larry@pkunk.net | -----Original Message----- | From: Josh Paetzel [mailto:jpaetzel@hutchtel.net] | Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 6:05 PM | To: Lawrence Cotnam Jr.; freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG; | freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG | Subject: Re: No help... | | | | ----- Original Message ----- | From: "Lawrence Cotnam Jr." <larry@pkunk.net> | To: <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>; <freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG> | Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2000 11:58 PM | Subject: No help... | | | > I'm most disappointed. I've been running FreeBSD since version | 2, and in | > all this time I've never experience the total lack of any | assistance from | > the userbase. In the past, I've received good advice and help regarding | > FreeBSD-small for embedded systems, which my company has used for our | > embedded server product. But now... In the past 3 months, I've | posted two | > very serious issues I've experienced and the first issue, regarding Bus | > Mastering SiS 5591 PCI IDE controller going into UDMA mode | receive *ZERO* | > replies. Nothing. And now... my troubles with a 3COM 3C509 NIC has | > received one (rather useless, but thank you Julian. I appreciate your | > input, even if it had nothing to do with the problem) reply. | This is just | > so disappointing. I've been using this operating system for | about 5 years | > and I used to love it. The support used to be wonderful. The hardware | > support used to be wonderful. Now... its not. I can't get any of you | folks | > to so much as offer any suggestions (excepting Julian) to my questions, | even | > when I supply ample information regarding the problem, and attempted | > solutions. I've jumped ship. | > | > After 10 hours of hard work, I successfully migrated my entire server to | > Debian Linux, which I must say, the legacy hardware support is there. | Like | > FreeBSD used to be. I wish you all well, but I won't be back | with FreeBSD | > any time soon. Not only has the eroding legacy hardware support been a | > great disappointment, the lack of any userbase input regarding | my troubles | > with such legacy hardware has been even more disappointing. I | sorrows me | to | > have to file away 5 years of know how and experience with this what used | to | > be wonderful operating system, but the support is gone, the | legacy drivers | > are flaky at best. | > | > Lawrence Cotnam Jr. | > (775) 337-2536 | > email: larry@pkunk.net | > | > | | If I read this correctly, you are saying that past versions of FreeBSD | supported hardware that new versions don't. Why not stick with | those? I've | got a machine that I run 2.1.5 on just because it still supports my Future | Domain 850 8bit SCSI controller. (3.x dropped support for this | "wonderful" | piece of hardware) I know I could spend about $40 and get a new SCSI | controller that is better in every way, but this one does what I | need it to | do. To be honest with you, though, I would rather see some | support for new | stuff added then to see effort wasted on an obsolete piece of | junk that has | no business being used in anything, let alone a server. | | Out with the old, in with the new. | | Josh | aka "Legacy Man" | | | To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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