On Mon, 2 Mar 2009, Hans Verkuil wrote:
<snip>
[...] The one argument I've seen that I thought had merit
was with regards to netbooks, and the Asus eeePC in particular. Apparently
that distro uses 2.6.21 and whether that will be upgraded to a newer kernel
in the future is dubious.
But in the end it is really the same story: where do you put the line? If
the eeePC will never receive an update, does that mean we have to keep
maintaining support for 2.6.21 for many years to come? That's ridiculous
IMHO.
Hans,
Just one comment. IIRC, I was the one who mentioned the eeePC, having
recently bought one. I mentioned it, not because I disagree with anything
else you write here, but because, in fact, I agree. Frankly, I think the
use of the 2.6.21 kernel in the eeePC is somewhat perverse and just a
little bit weird.
Essentially, the eeePC and the other Intel-based netbooks are not some
kind of exotic hardware platforms, which might provide an explanation or
excuse for using some "specially crafted" but old kernel. No. In fact, the
eeePC and almost all the other current netbooks are just a new (and
attractive) combination of some fairly standard types of hardware.
Practically every hardware component in them is better supported in more
recent kernels, with the possible exception of a wireless device which may
not yet be supported in any kernel, new or old. Therefore, instead of
worrying about whether to support and provide indulgence for apparently
inexplicable behavior, let us hope that a decision of this nature will
serve as a needed message.
Theodore Kilgore
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