From owner-freebsd-bugs  Wed Apr 12 15:42:55 1995
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To: gwk@cray.com
cc: bde@zeta.org.au, bugs@FreeBSD.org, nate@sneezy.sri.com,
        smace@metal-mail.neosoft.com, phk@FreeBSD.org
Subject: Re: 80387 hangs system at divide by zero 
In-reply-to: Your message of "12 Apr 95 12:55:20 +0200."
             <9504121055.AA08106@racer.dkrz.de> 
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 15:42:47 -0700
Message-ID: <28907.797726567@freefall.cdrom.com>
From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@freefall.cdrom.com>
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> Hi Bruce,
> 
> thanks for explaining in long what's wrong with my '387 setup.  Also
> thanks to the others telling me ULSI '387s are broke (especially to
> Nate who is from Montana...  :) .

This is just one of a number of examples that have been cited lately
where Linux/DOS runs on hardware that FreeBSD won't touch with a pole.
DOS running I can live with since we all know it doesn't use the
machine anywhere nearly comprehensively enough to trigger problems,
but when Linux copes and we don't, that stings.  People don't care WHY
Linux works, or that their hardware is evil and braindead and should
be replaced, not papered over, so when this situation is encountered
we get a:

	"Why does Linux work with my computer when FreeBSD just dies?"

In the newsgroups and it makes us look bad.  I would be much happier
if one of the core people who actually know about this kind of stuff
(and there are a few of you who do - no use trying to hide! ;) were to
take it on as a personal mission to bring Linux's compatability hacks
to FreeBSD, perhaps placing them in a lead-lined directory in our
kernel source tree with a sign saying "EVIL WORK-AROUND HACKS!  DON'T
LOOK!" placed in a prominent position.  I'm not talking about hacking
our core technology to support evilness, that would just come back to
bite us later, but can we somehow segregate it under the COMPAT_HACK
label and pull even with Linux on these silly boxes again?

Thanks!

					Jordan