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Date:      Thu, 11 Jul 1996 09:22:10 -0700
From:      "M.R.Murphy" <mrm@MARMOT.Mole.ORG>
To:        jkh@time.cdrom.com, michaelv@HeadCandy.com
Cc:        davidg@root.com, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, jgreco@brasil.moneng.mei.com
Subject:   Re: Some recent changes to GENERIC
Message-ID:  <199607111622.JAA04570@meerkat.mole.org>

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>
> >> That's a plausible argument but I remind you that we've been through several
> >> releases with sio3 enabled.
>
> >Actually no, it's been disabled for awhile because it was causing people
> >big problems in all the release when we DID have it enabled - having
> >it enabled turned out to be a big mistake! :-)
>
> I might point out that NetBSD has had com4 disabled in GENERIC for
> some time now, for the same reason: it makes it impossible to install
> on some systems with S3 or ATI MachXX cards, because the probe causes
> the video card to freak out.
>
> Can you seriously give me *any* scenario where you need four com ports
> to get boot-strapped?
>

No is the answer to your question. However, I think that folks are
missing the difference between a GENERIC (this is the whole enchilada,
including the kitchen sink, configurable with -c at boot time so
conflicts can be resolved) system, and a MINIMAL (this is what you need
to get installed) system. Maybe they aren't, but it seems so.

That MINIMAL and GENERIC have to be similar in support for the
myriad disk controller, cdrom controller, ethernet combinations is
a consequence of the PC marketplace. GENERIC could be the one with
two of each ethernet, multiple disk controlers of each type, ...

I'd suggest MINIMAL on the boot floppy, and GENERIC in the distribution
with a convenient way of getting GENERIC to be the booted-from-disk.

This discussion is generating more heat than light. Folks that
would normally be polite to each other are snappish. What we need
is more stress so they actually start screaming, eh?

--
Mike Murphy  mrm@Mole.ORG  +1 619 598 5874
Better is the enemy of Good



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