Re: Floppy Support

On Saturday 03 May 2003 08:16 am, Duraid Madina wrote:
> Why should we make using a recent version of
> FreeBSD convenient for someone with a machine so old that it can't boot
> from CDROM (if memory serves, it was in 1995 that this feature became
> widespread)

The P200MMX I'm trying to install on was originally a P133, built in 1996.  It 
does not boot from CD.

That particular system uses an Intel 430HX mobo; this chipset accepts up to a 
P200MMX and 128MB RAM -- perfectly adequate hardware for a server at home, 
albeit, it doesn't boot from CD...

I don't think the ability to boot from CD became very common until about 
1997/1998 or so, but I could be wrong there also.

-term


On Saturday 03 May 2003 08:16 am, Duraid Madina wrote:
> Peter Schultz wrote:
>  > Is floppy support a bad crutch for FreeBSD?
>
> Yes, it is. Given that CDRs are generally cheaper than floppy disks, and
> that CDR drives are cheaper than some floppy disk drives, there's really
> no point to using floppies. As early as 1997, Intel declared their
> intention to deprecate the floppy, and they've basically done it (anyone
> bought a laptop lately?).
>
> Anyone who wants to use floppies to install/repair FreeBSD will probably
> be more than happy to use 4.8, or 5.0. Indeed, the only machine I have
> with a floppy disk drive (a Compaq deskpro XE 560) can't even boot
> FreeBSD 4.x, let alone 5.x (due to a broken BIOS).
>
> On the other hand, I am unable to easily install FreeBSD on my modern (6
> month old) run-of-the-mill PC, because support for my hard drive
> controller was only checked in a couple of days ago, but thanks to
> floppy-related brokenness, I haven't been able to download a snapshot
> ISO image.
>
> Can anyone give a *good* reason why floppies should still be supported
> from this point onwards? Why should we make using a recent version of
> FreeBSD convenient for someone with a machine so old that it can't boot
> from CDROM (if memory serves, it was in 1995 that this feature became
> widespread) or with some other aversion to CDROM hardware, while making
> it more difficult for someone with recent hardware? This does appear to
> be what FreeBSD is doing. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!)
>
> 	Puzzled,
>
> 	Duraid
>
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