From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Oct 5 19:08:30 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4D6A116A47B for ; Thu, 5 Oct 2006 19:08:30 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jdc@koitsu.dyndns.org) Received: from sccrmhc12.comcast.net (sccrmhc12.comcast.net [204.127.200.82]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DB13B43D4C for ; Thu, 5 Oct 2006 19:08:29 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jdc@koitsu.dyndns.org) Received: from icarus.home.lan (c-67-174-220-97.hsd1.ca.comcast.net[67.174.220.97]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc12) with ESMTP id <20061005190828012002ei37e>; Thu, 5 Oct 2006 19:08:29 +0000 Received: by icarus.home.lan (Postfix, from userid 1000) id CA6A81FA037; Thu, 5 Oct 2006 12:08:22 -0700 (PDT) Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2006 12:08:22 -0700 From: Jeremy Chadwick To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20061005190822.GA15547@icarus.home.lan> Mail-Followup-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org References: <20061005151925.GA1156@FS.denninger.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20061005151925.GA1156@FS.denninger.net> X-PGP-Key: http://jdc.parodius.com/pubkey.asc User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.13 (2006-08-11) Subject: Re: Recommendations for a serial port card you can actually BUY? X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2006 19:08:30 -0000 On Thu, Oct 05, 2006 at 10:19:25AM -0500, Karl Denninger wrote: > Hi folks; > > Ok, one of my pet peeves is coming around to bite me again. > > {snip} > > I know serial I/O is passe for many, but some of us have applications that > actually require it, and can't rationally be moved to anything else due > to external hardware considerations. This is in no way flame-bait, nor does it have any negative implications -- as a fellow SA I'm just curious. What exactly are you using serial cards for in this day and age? A serial console server (a la Cyclades TS)? Or is there something that's more mission-critical (for lack-of better term). I guess my question is: what are you using these cards for, and can whatever the goal is be accomplished by some alternate hardware (serial-via-USB adaptors/hubs, serial-over-IP, etc.)? BTW -- I completely agree with you about the cost of these cards, especially so in 2006. There is absolutely no justified explanation for such a card costing US$1500, or even US$500. These are ICs and basic PCBs that at most cost US$20 per device -- the profit mark-up is appalling. -- | Jeremy Chadwick jdc at parodius.com | | Parodius Networking http://www.parodius.com/ | | UNIX Systems Administrator Mountain View, CA, USA | | Making life hard for others since 1977. PGP: 4BD6C0CB |