In 2018, Linux Is Still Receiving Fixes For The Apple PowerBook 100 Series

[phoronix]

Phoronix: In 2018, Linux Is Still Receiving Fixes For The Apple PowerBook 100 Series

The PowerBook 100 sub-notebook launched in 1991 with a 16MHz Motorola 68000 processor and up to 8MB of memory. In 2018, the Linux kernel is still receiving fixes/improvements for the PowerBook 100 series...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-4.17-m68k-Powerbook

[tildearrow]

Typo:

PDMA in this context is pseduo DMA support in the SCSI code.

[TemplarGR]

Why? This is just a waste of developer resources... Why waste time reviewing this patch?

[agd5f]

Why? This is just a waste of developer resources... Why waste time reviewing this patch?

People can work on what they are interested in.

[M@GOid]

Why? This is just a waste of developer resources... Why waste time reviewing this patch?

Well, Linux started as a hobbyist project, and a lot of today's development is still from people doing their pet projects. If they are willing to get their hands dirty maintaining the code, why not?

I personally would love to see what they can accomplish running a strip down kernel on that hardware. If they manage manage to get a desktop running well, even better.

[schmidtbag]

People can work on what they are interested in.

I'm a little inclined to agree with TemplarGR here. It's one thing if a developer wants to work on what they're interested in; nothing wrong with that. But this is isn't just 1 developer doing their own thing here. This involves the Linux kernel - the maintainers have better things to do than to waste time reviewing fixes on a niche device that's a quarter century old. Of the people who own this device, I'm sure practically none of them are running a Linux kernel, let alone a modern one.

[agd5f]

I'm a little inclined to agree with TemplarGR here. It's one thing if a developer wants to work on what they're interested in; nothing wrong with that. But this is isn't just 1 developer doing their own thing here. This involves the Linux kernel - the maintainers have better things to do than to waste time reviewing fixes on a niche device that's a quarter century old. Of the people who own this device, I'm sure practically none of them are running a Linux kernel, let alone a modern one.

It's up to the relevant maintainers and developers. Just because something is not a priority for you does not need others are not interested in it.

[OneTimeShot]

This involves the Linux kernel - the maintainers have better things to do than to waste time reviewing fixes on a niche device that's a quarter century old.

The 68k is still massively used in embedded industrial equipment. The old Macbook probably is just in maintenance. If the 68k maintainer has better things to do than review patches for the 68k folders, then I guess patches simply wouldn't get pulled?

[dungeon]

No problemo until year 2038.

Not everbody uses Windows 10, that is just about nearly 700 milion, rest to probably 2 billion uses something else Windows version You see even new Windows version needs 4-5 years to became majorty

That said 20 years is really nothing, kind of from RHEL Alpha to not say some Fedora... up to the last seconds of extended support

[torsionbar28]

Why? This is just a waste of developer resources... Why waste time reviewing this patch?

When someone spends the time to maintain the code, presumably because the code is actively used (even if by a small number of folks) calling the review a "waste" is awfully arrogant and condescending. Did you "waste" any time reviewing this code? No? Ok, then STFU and let the adults work.