Re: [herbert@gondor.apana.org.au: Re: Bug#161931: kernel-image-2.4.19-k7: VESA driver for console]
On Fri, Oct 25, 2002 at 07:49:56PM +0100, Ian Jackson wrote:
> So let me see if I can summarise what the pros and cons are, that have
> been mentioned so far:
>
> Pro:
>
> * Some laptop users and certain others who wish to use the console
> in better video modes have an easier life, as they can do so with
> the stock Debian kernel. How many people would benefit seems to be
> disputed, but it does seem clear from the BTS logs that the VESA fb
> is popular.
I would dispute the last part. It could well be that users of VESA fb
tend to file such bugs more readily. At least two of those bug submitters
seem to be happy with simply getting the kernel to not switch to VESA
video mode if the support is absent.
> Con:
>
> * A small increase in kernel size. This has not been quantified.
> Allegedly, including all drivers which are in roughly the same
> situation as VESA fb would increase the kernel size significantly.
>
> Do we have a list of other examples ? Herbert suggests
> arpd, sch_atm, lp_console, nfs_root
> I think it's clear that most of those are not really in the same
> position as VESA fb, because they are much more of a minority
> interest. nfs_root may be a good example (but there the boot disk
> argument Herbert's making is weakened, because there are good
> reasons why nfs_root might be useful on a rescue disk).
Who is supposed to make these decisions about how many people are
interested? Should I ask you every time this comes up?
BTW, nfs_root can be done in an initrd so that is why it will not be
essential for debian-installer at least.
> The inclusion of quota support in the default kernel seems to make
> this a difficult argument to sustain, if the quota support is
> significantly bigger than VESA fb as Eduard Bloch maintains.
I contend that quota support is of a more general interest, and more
importantly, it has no alternatives unlike VESA fb where there is
at least one existing driver, VGA16 which will work in most places
that VESA fb does.
To sum up I'm rather worried if the basis of your decision is purely
on the fact that you are satisfied that enough people are interested
in VESA fb.
--
Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 is out! ( http://www.debian.org/ )
Email: Herbert Xu ~{PmV>HI~} <herbert@gondor.apana.org.au>
Home Page: http://gondor.apana.org.au/~herbert/
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