linux-kernel - Re: arch/i386/boot rewrite, and all the hard-coded video cards

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Message-ID: <20070501015115.GJ26601@redhat.com>
Date:	Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:51:15 -0400
From:	Dave Jones <davej@...hat.com>
To:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"Eric W. Biederman" <ebiederm@...ssion.com>,
	Andi Kleen <ak@...e.de>, Jeff Garzik <jeff@...zik.org>,
	Jeremy Fitzhardinge <jeremy@...p.org>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...l.org>
Subject: Re: arch/i386/boot rewrite, and all the hard-coded video cards

On Mon, Apr 30, 2007 at 06:33:09PM -0700, H. Peter Anvin wrote:
 > Hi all,
 > 
 > I'm rewriting the i386 setup code in C, instead of assembly, and before
 > I spend a very large amount of time translating all the various
 > card-specific probes, I want to ask the following question...
 > 
 > Does *anyone* care about these anymore?
 > 
 > All of these are specific to cards from a very long time ago.  I am
 > currently planning to retain the VESA-related code, and the standard
 > video modes, but I'd like to avoid the card-specific stuff, especially
 > since I have absolutely zero ability to test any of testing them (with
 > the possible sole exception of the cirrus5 code, which is emulated by qemu.)
 > 
 > Please holler if you care...

I don't really care, but I wonder what the point is of rewriting something
that hardly ever gets notably changed, and is rarely (if ever?) a source
of bugs.  It might be crufty old assembly, but it's worked well for years.

	Dave

-- 
http://www.codemonkey.org.uk
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