Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:42:22 -0600 From: Scott Long <scottl@samsco.org> To: Ed Schouten <ed@fxq.nl> Cc: FreeBSD Current <freebsd-current@freebsd.org>, Nikolas Britton <nikolas.britton@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Do we need this junk? Message-ID: <46166A5E.3090009@samsco.org> In-Reply-To: <20070406153500.GE6950@hoeg.nl> References: <ef10de9a0704050258l4ea754b3n99a1239a81b844a0@mail.gmail.com> <20070405103708.GC842@turion.vk2pj.dyndns.org> <ef10de9a0704050839g7b873dabw5a5e211140781781@mail.gmail.com> <20070405.140109.39240822.imp@bsdimp.com> <ef10de9a0704060715s6b5957daq2fe8a465362e3446@mail.gmail.com> <20070406142326.GC6950@hoeg.nl> <ef10de9a0704060731l71186e1duea689617af407f4b@mail.gmail.com> <20070406153500.GE6950@hoeg.nl>
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Ed Schouten wrote: > * Nikolas Britton <nikolas.britton@gmail.com> wrote: >> On 4/6/07, Ed Schouten <ed@fxq.nl> wrote: >>> * Nikolas Britton <nikolas.britton@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> Well based on the stats I've posted maybe it's time to split FreeBSD >>>> i386 into two platforms, one for embedded/legacy systems and one for >>>> modern systems? The needs for each type of system are diametrically >>>> opposed, and the modern ones make up the majority of deployed systems. >>>> Perhaps FreeBSD i786 or IA32, with the minimum target being a >>>> Willamette based Pentium 4, aka SSE2? >>> So what's the practical advantage of that? That would only break stuff. >>> Compiling a kernel without these options practically does the same >>> thing. >>> >> Break what? > > Renaming a platform is the root of all evil. Think about the big amount > of ports and source code that just check for $arch == "i386". That's the > reason the i386 port is still named i386, though it doesn't even support > i386 at all (got removed in 6.x). > >> The primary reason for doing this is optimization and simplification >> of support / development. > > Indeed. You'll simplify development, because half of the developers is > unable to run the bloody thing. Just run FreeBSD/amd64 if the legacy > bits upset you. > Better yet, there are plenty of hobby OS's like DragonFlyBSD that have taken deliberate steps to remove "useless bits". I suggest Nikolas dictate development practices to them instead of us. Scott
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