Date: Sat, 3 May 2003 18:17:15 -0500 From: bsdterm@HotPOP.com To: Duraid Madina <duraid@octopus.com.au>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Floppy Support Message-ID: <200305031817.16068.bsdterm@HotPOP.com> In-Reply-To: <3EB3C118.6020203@octopus.com.au> References: <3EB3C118.6020203@octopus.com.au>
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On Saturday 03 May 2003 08:16 am, Duraid Madina wrote: > Why should we make using a recent version of > FreeBSD convenient for someone with a machine so old that it can't boot > from CDROM (if memory serves, it was in 1995 that this feature became > widespread) The P200MMX I'm trying to install on was originally a P133, built in 1996. It does not boot from CD. That particular system uses an Intel 430HX mobo; this chipset accepts up to a P200MMX and 128MB RAM -- perfectly adequate hardware for a server at home, albeit, it doesn't boot from CD... I don't think the ability to boot from CD became very common until about 1997/1998 or so, but I could be wrong there also. -term On Saturday 03 May 2003 08:16 am, Duraid Madina wrote: > Peter Schultz wrote: > > Is floppy support a bad crutch for FreeBSD? > > Yes, it is. Given that CDRs are generally cheaper than floppy disks, and > that CDR drives are cheaper than some floppy disk drives, there's really > no point to using floppies. As early as 1997, Intel declared their > intention to deprecate the floppy, and they've basically done it (anyone > bought a laptop lately?). > > Anyone who wants to use floppies to install/repair FreeBSD will probably > be more than happy to use 4.8, or 5.0. Indeed, the only machine I have > with a floppy disk drive (a Compaq deskpro XE 560) can't even boot > FreeBSD 4.x, let alone 5.x (due to a broken BIOS). > > On the other hand, I am unable to easily install FreeBSD on my modern (6 > month old) run-of-the-mill PC, because support for my hard drive > controller was only checked in a couple of days ago, but thanks to > floppy-related brokenness, I haven't been able to download a snapshot > ISO image. > > Can anyone give a *good* reason why floppies should still be supported > from this point onwards? Why should we make using a recent version of > FreeBSD convenient for someone with a machine so old that it can't boot > from CDROM (if memory serves, it was in 1995 that this feature became > widespread) or with some other aversion to CDROM hardware, while making > it more difficult for someone with recent hardware? This does appear to > be what FreeBSD is doing. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) > > Puzzled, > > Duraid > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"
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