Floppy Driver Update Ready For Linux 6.2 - Still Being Maintained In 2023

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Floppy Driver Update Ready For Linux 6.2 - Still Being Maintained In 2023

As we get ready to enter 2023, the Linux kernel's floppy disk driver is still being maintained...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.2-Floppy

[Nuc!eoN]

Finally. It could very well be the issue I was hitting on my experimental 3,5 floppy raid rack

[Eirikr1848]

Some industries still use those old 3.5” floppy Sony Mavica cameras because they are compliant with regulations about privacy.

Glad to see this niche use case getting attention from Linux

[Developer12]

Every time the floppy drivers come up people keep asking why a modern kernel should care.

The answer is that any old, large equipment that *has* to use floppy drives at some point has to interact with your modern IT. That means some mid 2000's box somewhere with a floppy drive, subject to the same IT policies as everything else and thus running a modern well-supported OS. Nobody wants to play chain of fools through three different computers just to get an SVG that came in over email from a client loaded into the ancient plasma cutter.

[V1tol]

I have some AM3 motherboards with floppy controllers. I heard that on Intel side some 1156 mobos also have floppy. Old software will be perfectly happy on that, especially combined with some "beast" like Phenom II X4 or even X6.

[ssokolow]

Every time the floppy drivers come up people keep asking why a modern kernel should care.

The answer is that any old, large equipment that \*has\* to use floppy drives at some point has to interact with your modern IT. That means some mid 2000's box somewhere with a floppy drive, subject to the same IT policies as everything else and thus running a modern well-supported OS. Nobody wants to play chain of fools through three different computers just to get an SVG that came in over email from a client loaded into the ancient plasma cutter.

Of course, I'm sure some such devices have been switched to floppy drive emulators so you can go straight to a USB stick. Probably depends on how each business views the risk vs. reward trade-offs.

[zexelon]

Of course, I'm sure some such devices have been switched to floppy drive emulators so you can go straight to a USB stick. Probably depends on how each business views the risk vs. reward trade-offs.

This is often not the case sadly. Machinery like plasma cutting tables and old CNC machines typically dont have options to install emulators or the like. Heck in my house I have an electric piano that has a floppy drive in it for midi files and there is no way to get that changed out or switched over to USB.

[bug77]

I have some AM3 motherboards with floppy controllers. I heard that on Intel side some 1156 mobos also have floppy. Old software will be perfectly happy on that, especially combined with some "beast" like Phenom II X4 or even X6.

I was actually trying to remember when was the last time I saw floppy support on a motherboard, thanks for the refresher.
As always, very nice to see the lengths Linux support will go to.

[TNZfr]

I still have floppy drive & disks !
Good news

[kpedersen]

I remember when my colleague told me whilst I was shovelling floppies into my CP/M Z80 that I was out of date compared to his super shiny i386 PC compatible.

Turns out he was only half right. The floppy disk will outlive us all.