From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Sun, 12 Aug 2001 01:19:27 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Sun, 12 Aug 2001 01:19:18 -0400 Received: from neon-gw.transmeta.com ([63.209.4.196]:63503 "EHLO neon-gw.transmeta.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Sun, 12 Aug 2001 01:19:11 -0400 To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org From: "H. Peter Anvin" Subject: Re: Booting from USB floppy? Date: 11 Aug 2001 22:19:05 -0700 Organization: Transmeta Corporation, Santa Clara CA Message-ID: <9l53k9$b4q$1@cesium.transmeta.com> In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Disclaimer: Not speaking for Transmeta in any way, shape, or form. Copyright: Copyright 2001 H. Peter Anvin - All Rights Reserved Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Followup to: By author: Chris Hanson In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel > > I have been trying to build Debian 2.2 boot/root floppies for the HP > OmniBook 500 laptop, which (in some configurations) has only a USB > floppy drive. I've been unable to get the kernel to load the root > floppy. These tests were done using Linux 2.4.6. > > At this point, I think this isn't possible without some real work in > the kernel. I'd like to get some feedback about whether this is a > correct deduction. To that end, here is my analysis. > Basically, this is yet another reason why THE FLOPPY DRIVE MAGIC STUFF IN THE KERNEL IS OBSOLETE AND BROKEN. There is absolutely no sane reason to keep that crap around; the only sane way is to have an initrd or similar thing (like viro's initramfs) set up a ramfs initialized from whatever; the floppy stuff in the kernel should just be nuked. -hpa -- at work, in private! "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." http://www.zytor.com/~hpa/puzzle.txt