Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:06:01 -0700 (MST) From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> To: Carmel <carmel_ny@hotmail.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: 'X' vs. 'Mouse' Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.0912111541320.12245@wonkity.com> In-Reply-To: <BLU0-SMTP2635402DE55FCB76A0BF1D938C0@phx.gbl> References: <BLU0-SMTP2635402DE55FCB76A0BF1D938C0@phx.gbl>
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On Fri, 11 Dec 2009, Carmel wrote: > On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:48:36 -0700 (MST) > Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> replied: >> On Fri, 11 Dec 2009, Carmel wrote: >> >> No, they were trying to upgrade a very old, static system (X11) to >> support their users. One thing that had been lacking was any support >> for hotplugging input devices. To implement that, they used HAL, >> because basically it's the only thing available. > > Correct me if I am wrong; however, I believe I read that 'HAL' is dead. "Maintenance mode", so more like a zombie, but yes. > Further work on it is not going to happen. If that is correct, are we > to expect another fiasco when its replacement comes online. Possibly. It depends on the level of integration and testing done before release. >> The other side of that argument is that Microsoft has supported >> hotplugging input devices for more than a decade. > > I have often wondered what the delay in developing hot-plugging in > non-win32 systems was. Worse, HAL requiring the creation of of XML > files sort of defeats the entire concept of 'plug & play'. Normally, the user shouldn't have to create XML files. The new hal-0.5.13_12 solves some serious problems I had with the earlier version. Maybe problems other people had too, but there haven't been any posts about someone trying HAL again and seeing if it works better now. >>> I question whether they actually tested this product prior to >>> releasing it. I have been following a few forums besides this one >>> and they all report the same problem. I realize that 'HAL' has >>> something to do with this situation also. Perhaps if all the >>> concerned parties would get their acts together this sort of fiasco >>> would not continually happen. >> >> You could go to the xorg mailing lists at freedesktop.org and set them >> straight. They might cheerfully offer to refund your money. > > I think you are being overly glib regarding this problem. I stand by my > original statement that the parties involved should have tested the > final product more thoroughly. I admit I was thinking of Monty Python on "how to rid the world of all known diseases". Point being that "more testing" is easier to say than do. > As a side note, I officiate youth league sport's programs in my spare > time. I don't get paid either. Still, I would never do a crap job just > because I was not being financially compensated for my efforts. Of course not: you do the best you can with what you've got. As the xorg and FreeBSD developers did and continue to do. >> You could also offer to help development or testing, either to the >> FreeBSD developers or xorg. > > I have beta tested applications in the past. I was not aware that Xorg > was releasing beta products aimed at FreeBSD. I was under the > impression that offerings from Xorg were only ported to FreeBSD after > they were released to Linux users. There's always testing going on before the latest xorg is released on FreeBSD. Sometimes requests for testing are announced on freebsd-x11. It's also possible to contact the developers directly and offer to test. That can be particularly helpful if you have hardware the developers don't. -Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA
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