Linux Kernel's Floppy Disk Code Is Seeing Improvements In 2020

[ssokolow]

Well, if two networks were connected, wouldn't they qualify as a single network? So transferring from network to network implies isolation between networks ;-) And mounting read-only does not stop "evil backdoor software" from remounting read-write. Putting write protection on a floppy was actually safe (Evil memory from my Amiga, that I bought as a showcase "bargain" with viruses from day one :-] ).

But full agree on unreliable zip discs,

It's sad that flash drives with hardware write-protect switches seem to be extinct now.

[fkoehler]

You can mount flash drives as read-only. But even then, you said "transferring data from one network to another". Unless these networks are isolated from each other, why not just use the network to transfer files?

I personally have had data corruption issues with zip drives. Jazz were pretty cool, at least in concept.

Well, if two networks were connected, wouldn't they qualify as a single network? So transferring from network to network implies isolation between networks ;-) And mounting read-only does not stop "evil backdoor software" from remounting read-write. Putting write protection on a floppy was actually safe (Evil memory from my Amiga, that I bought as a showcase "bargain" with viruses from day one :-] ).

But full agree on unreliable zip discs,

[CommunityMember]

I think I still have a 5.25in 360k floppy somewhere...

I still occasionally run across an 8in floppy at the bottom of some old storage box that I am cleaning (throwing) out.

[gukin]

USB floppies work pretty well, I have one on top of my USB DVD burner and just under my USB dial up modem. All that sitting on my ITX case.

Sadly, there aren't any 5.25 USB drives anywhere.

Be sure and use Michael's link to Newegg when you order your USB floppy drive.

[eydee]

My computer has a floppy drive in it. My motherboard has no connector. It's just sitting there, all day long, disconnected. Poor floppy drive.

[stormcrow]

I have 2 systems with working 3.5" floppy drives along with 3 working spares. There's another 5 1/4" drive in storage, 'just in case'. I did have occasion to use them last year to check to be sure stored floppies had nothing of value on them after the owner died early last year.

I'm happy to see work on old hardware drivers like that that were once widespread. It'll keep Linux relevant in the forensics and data recovery world.

Eventually these drives will die, though. Anything with capacitors eventually will. Whether or not replacement capacitors exist will become as important to old IBM style floppy drives as they are to refurbishing antique radios, antiquated early microcomputers, etc.

[MadeUpName]

As long as it still supports 8" it's all good. :-) Out of curiosity if your device still has a floppy hasn't support for most of the components in it already been removed? Sounds like it is time for people to ether upgrade or virtualize some hardware. The first time I installed Linux I had to feed it some thing like 50 floppies. One for the kernel one for the initrd and the rest to make it actually do some thing. I can't imagine how many it would take to do an install these days. systemd would likely be 50 floppies on it's own.

[NotMine999]

I think I still have a 5.25in 360k floppy somewhere...

I still have those floppies and the hardware to read them ... somewhere.

[NotMine999]

Zip drives and Jazz drives were the bomb!

I'll see your Zip and Jazz drives and raise you a Bernoulli Box

[chriswyatt]

Even though not many of us have floppy disk drives now, I still feel like this could be useful for virtualisation purposes. I'm struggling to think of a specific use case though, as I can't remember the last time I mounted a floppy disk in a VM. I've not even done that in a very long time.