Adam Di Carlo wrote:
Can you please test and see? If we're in deep dookey because we don't support USB machines (with the legacy support turn on), then I want to know about it, and I want to know ASAP. If it's a syslinux problem solved in a version of syslinux newer than what is in Woody right now, then a Critical bug needs to be opened on syslinux. If we simply don't support some machines that don't have legacy keyboard support, then we'll need to look at how many they are, and whether we can add this support to the compact and idepci flavors. The vanilla i386 kernel simply doesn't have any more room.
I think most of the low-end new PCs will be legacy-free real soon as PC 2001 defines it. So I'm very afraid many new users will be unable to install Debian on their machine if we leave the issue as it is. I asked Herbert if he can add USB keyboard support into the "compact" and "idepci" flavors, but I've got no reply yet.
Well, please test and see. If not, then we need to get the bugs filed and fixed. If you don't help us test, then we'll never know. Or someone can send me one of those machines! :)
Sorry that I cannot test it myself now, but if I got such a machine, I would surely do test it ASAP.
I dunno, it requires testing. Or is this just a paper spec which no one has actually implemented anyhow?
The PC 2001 Design Guide was made by Intel and Microsoft, possibly for Windows Me and 2000. It must has been implemented already.
Oh, I was going to forget to write one important thing. Legacy-free systems don't have normal floppy interfaces. They would have no floppy drives or ATAPI/USB ones. So most of the potential testers who have legacy-free machines must be just waiting for bootable woody CDs!
-- "Free software is not for free." Kaz Sasayama <Kaz.Sasayama@HyperLinuxJP.com>; Screen Name: kazssym Hyper Linux Systems (Hypercore Software Design, Ltd.) <URL:http://www.hypercore.co.jp/>