From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jun 12 20:58:32 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: mobile@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C27FC16A46B for ; Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:58:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jhs@berklix.org) Received: from thin.berklix.org (thin.berklix.org [194.246.123.68]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3400813C457 for ; Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:58:31 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jhs@berklix.org) Received: from js.berklix.org (p549A51E2.dip.t-dialin.net [84.154.81.226]) (authenticated bits=128) by thin.berklix.org (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id l5CKTSti067566; Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:29:29 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from jhs@berklix.org) Received: from fire.jhs.private (fire.jhs.private [192.168.91.41]) by js.berklix.org (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id l5CKTOqX072095; Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:29:24 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from jhs@berklix.org) Received: from fire.jhs.private (localhost.jhs.private [127.0.0.1]) by fire.jhs.private (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id l5CKTQ3n071855; Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:29:26 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from jhs@fire.jhs.private) Message-Id: <200706122029.l5CKTQ3n071855@fire.jhs.private> To: mobile@freebsd.org In-reply-to: <200706091602.l59G2psm042173@fire.jhs.private> References: <200706091602.l59G2psm042173@fire.jhs.private> Comments: In-reply-to "Julian Stacey" message dated "Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:02:51 +0200." Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:29:26 +0200 From: "Julian H. Stacey" Cc: ghozzy Subject: FreeBSD-6 fails to install on too many old laptops. X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:58:32 -0000 FreeBSD has progressively broken support for 5 of my older laptops. One needs massive time reading manuals etc, only then to fail anyway, getting beyond 4.11. (Only 1 modern here takes 6.2). 4.11 is nominally dead, yet on many older laptops is all that Works. Newcomers may give up after 6.2 & dump FreeBSD, not knowing to use 4.11 with working { ATA access, Geom / FDISK, PCMCIA (ether & cdrom), PLIP }. Developers may use newer laptops or towers, but support for older laptops should not be So damaged as now, many older laptop are still fine as office X terminals, UPS/PBX status monitors etc. Suggestion: A collosal slow_and_safe option in loader.conf (like a BIOS has), so at least one can install, then until it's turned off, a grep at boot to mail root reporting machine was deliberately slowed to ensure install. Then installer can disable slow_and_safe and debug- edit on a working platform, not repetitively do 5 floppy installs typing screeds of "set" magic hopefully to loader. I'm analysing broken-ness since 4.11, & doc'ing it here: http://berklix.org/~jhs/hardware/laptops/ Inc. URL to PLIP failure (where I hope to later try back porting 4.11 PLIP src to 6.2). Julian - -- Julian Stacey. Munich Computer Consultant, BSD Unix C Linux. http://berklix.com HTML mail unseen. Ihr Rauch=mein allergischer Kopfschmerz. Dump cigs 4 snuff. ------- End of Forwarded Message