Re: Linux 2.6.20-rc1

[Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>]

Alan wrote:
> On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 11:50:14 -0500
> Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com> wrote:
>   
>> Did I miss an alternate method of handling ftape devices, or are these 
>> old beasts now unsupported? I occasionally have to be able to handle 
>> that media, since the industrial device using ftape for control updates 
>> cost more than a small house.
>>     
>
> Do you have hardware and the time to at least test cleanups ?
>
>   
>> I can obviously keep an old slow machine to do the job, but I'd like to 
>> know if I need to.
>>     
>
> The assumption was that since in 2.6 it was so ancient and unloved that
> nobody had even seen an ftape device this century. If it is still being
> used and you can test cleanups then the removal should be reverted

As much as I have in the past supported keeping useful features in the 
kernel, this one can go from 2.6 as far as I'm concerned. I would hate 
to see anyone spend any time maintaining something which is so little 
used. I can easily move the hardware to a 2.4 machine, or something 
running an early 2.6.

I think "ancient and unloved" is an apt description.

-- 
bill davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>
  CTO TMR Associates, Inc
  Doing interesting things with small computers since 1979