Date: Sat, 02 Dec 2017 22:16:15 -0800 From: Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@komquats.com> To: Warner Losh <imp@bsdimp.com> Cc: Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@komquats.com>, Eitan Adler <lists@eitanadler.com>, "freebsd-arch@freebsd.org" <arch@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Deprecating / Removing floppy drive support Message-ID: <201712030616.vB36GFEg026146@slippy.cwsent.com> In-Reply-To: Message from Warner Losh <imp@bsdimp.com> of "Sat, 02 Dec 2017 21:47:55 -0700." <CANCZdfrYdQTtjZJ_%2BjSVr25wjAZXd-%2B4atSaeT5ahfprbtXHWw@mail.gmail.com>
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In message <CANCZdfrYdQTtjZJ_+jSVr25wjAZXd-+4atSaeT5ahfprbtXHWw@mail.gmail.c om> , Warner Losh writes: > --001a1144e7002bf7b0055f684ec8 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > On Sat, Dec 2, 2017 at 8:31 PM, Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@komquats.com> > wrote: > > > bms@ has given me USB floppy formatting code which I'd planned to merge > > > into fdformat but considering the underlying devices are so very different > > it would be a difficult marriage. I'd be willing to support a ufdformat > > instead. > > > I'm keen on getting that into the tree. I have a ufd device and a need to > use it from time to time. If nothing else, I can be a reviewer of the code. > Is ufd working for you? It does work. My todo was to merge ufdformat into fdformat but as I said they are different enough that I need to work out how best to merge them. Having said that, now that there's discussion of removing fdc(4) maybe it's best to simply use ufdformat separately from fdformat that when we have the inclination to remove fdc(4), which may be very soon now -- it would be much less messy. I'm open to either option. > > > > > > > > Normally, I'd argue we might want to have a release where it's > > deprecated, > > > but it already was unusable in 11, and barely usable in 10 and has been a > > > shadow of its former self for much longer than that. > > > > The reason to keep some form of floppy support, eder fd or ufd is for the > > purpose of copying (dd) floppy media into image files for use with > > virtualbox or bhyve VMs. -- (One could say the same for CD and DVD drives. > > My new laptop at $JOB has no CD/DVD drive.) I digress. I think the ability > > to copy media to image files for VMs might be a reason to keep some form of > > support fd or ufd. > > > I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here... What I'm saying is that maintaining some form of fdc support whether it be in fdc(4) or a USB floppy the ability to dd floppy images for subsequent use in a VM would be desirable. I'm thinking of one example brought to my attention about a month ago where a person I know needed to copy old floppy disks to images on his hard drive in order to install an old sewing machine application in a virtualbox VM running Windows. Tangentially speaking, we could make the same case for CD and DVD drives not too many years from now... Personally, I don't care much (well maybe just a little) if fdc(4) itself is removed however I think we need some kind of support, which USB fd can supply if or when fdc(4) is removed. Maybe we should deprecate in 12 and remove in 13? -- Cheers, Cy Schubert <Cy.Schubert@cschubert.com> FreeBSD UNIX: <cy@FreeBSD.org> Web: http://www.FreeBSD.org The need of the many outweighs the greed of the few.
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