Re: Issue with /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/stand/lib/gatea20.c

[Marcin Jessa <lists%yazzy.org@localhost>]

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 18:25:28 +0100
David Laight <david%l8s.co.uk@localhost> wrote:

> On Tue, Jun 21, 2005 at 06:49:04PM +0200, Marcin Jessa wrote:
> > Hi.
> > 
> > On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:11:17 +0200
> > Jukka Salmi <j+nbsd%2005.salmi.ch@localhost> wrote:
> > 
> > > Marcin Jessa --> current-users (2005-06-21 15:50:37 +0200):
> > > > Hi.
> > > > 
> > > > I have WRAP boards which do not have a keyboard controller. 
> > > > The system stops up when booting those boards becouse of that.
> > > > It seems like the /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/stand/lib/gatea20.c file is the
> > > > one responsible for that. 
> > > > Would someone knowledgable take a look at the file and maybe fix that 
> > > > part?
> > > 
> > > Have you already tried this patch:
> > > 
> > > http://mail-index.netbsd.org/netbsd-users/2005/06/20/0028.html
> > 
> > No I have not but I will now. Thanks Jukka.
> > But if it works, why the heck isn't it commited?
> 
> Because the code that is there was added for a reason - probably to
> make some other motherboard work properly.  Unless and until you
> understand the full ramifications of such a change, you are likely
> to break the boot code on some other platform.
> The A20 gate is a horrid hack, and it is probably difficult to find any
> reasonable amount of documentation about it.

I agree, it must be. 
On FreeBSD it's enough to remove keyboard support from the kernel to be able to 
boot devices that do not have it.
I thought we had Linux for horrid hacks...
The patch from http://mail-index.netbsd.org/netbsd-users/2005/06/20/0028.html 
works on Soekris and Wrap boards.


Marcin