Re: Linux 2.6.16-rc3

Sanjoy Mahajan
2006-02-13T07:43:31Z

> systems newer than 6 years old.

According to the sticker on the bottom, this model was made in
04/2000, so the 6 years is right.

> We're talking here about a system from 1999 where Windows 98 refuses
> to run in ACPI mode and instead runs in APM mode.

I haven't tried Windows 98 on this machine, but Windows 98SE would run
in ACPI mode if it weren't for a cheap hack by IBM. The latest BIOS
(1.11), which I'm using, claims to be from 1999. However, that date
is almost surely wrong. The readme/changelog with the BIOS update
diskette is dated Sept 20, 2001 and contains this note about the 1.01
update:

- (Fix) If Windows 98 Second Edition is installed as APM mode and
an updated BIOS is installed with a BIOS date 12/02/99 or
later, Windows 98SE will change the mode from APM to ACPI
whenever a New hardware profile is created. So this BIOS
set the date to 11-30-99.

Probably IBM marked all the BIOS dates as 11-30-99 in order to work
around this W98SE misfeature. My guess is that BIOS 1.11 is really
from Sept 2001, or 4.5 years ago. Old, but not octagenerian!

> I consider that it works in ACPI mode at all as "miraculous":-)

Amen to that. I was very pleased when the combination of newer ACPI
releases plus my modifying the DSDT made S3 work.

> I do think the issue merits investigation ...

Although I have little idea of what sections of code to modify,
especially since the commit in question merges two well travelled
branches, I'm happy to test patches.

-Sanjoy

`Never underestimate the evil of which men of power are capable.'
--Bertrand Russell, _War Crimes in Vietnam_, chapter 1.