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List:       linux-kernel
Subject:    Re: obsolete code must die
From:       Nils Holland <nils () nightcastleproductions ! org>
Date:       2001-06-14 13:05:43
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On Thursday 14 June 2001 12:22, Heusden, Folkert van wrote:
> Yeah, and while you're at it: make it closed source and ask big time $$
> for every single line of update.
> If your stupid idea will be followed, a lot of african people will not
> be happy. (me neither. proud owner of a 486 (at home))

Well, although I am not involved in developement of the kernel, I'm pretty 
much about this "cleaning up" idea. While I'm not one of those folks who are 
actually working on the code, I don't see a reason for limiting the range of 
hardware that Linux suppurts, which is what this clean-up would do.

Some ideas that have been presented here are not of much relevance to me, but 
I think dropping support for the serial and parallel ports is an insane idea. 
Why not also stop supporting other devices that are in use by probably 70% of 
the users?

Besides the fact that Linux is free, stable and fast, I have always liked the 
fact that I could put it on almost any machine I got my hands on. That holds 
true to my fastest Athlon with 512 MB of RAM, as well as for a 486SX with 16 
MB of RAM.  With Linux, even such old machines could be put to good use. And 
now, after this suggested clean-up, I wouldn't even be able to use my non-USB 
supporting Pentium machines anymore. I wonder what that would be good for.

I really cannot imagine that the older features in the kernel are big 
problems of any kind that make it impossible (or harder) for the developers 
to focus on supporting new features. The only thing a clean-up would do is 
probably making a whole lot of users unhappy.

Greetings
Nils

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------
Nils Holland - nils@nightcastleproductions.org
NightCastle Productions - Linux in Tiddische, Germany
http://www.nightcastleproductions.org
"They asked me where this earthquake would begin,
 I offered to let them feel my pulse."
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