> >>>>> "Chris" == Chris G Demetriou <Chris_G_Demetriou@UX2.SP.CS.CMU.EDU> writes:
> [my pleas for reaonable com support deleted]
> 
> Chris> While i'd like to say, "I hope that problem is fixed before the
> Chris> driver is committed," it's much more serious than that...  If
> Chris> the problem isn't fixed before it's committed, then a whole
> Chris> class of users will more or less lose the use of their serial
> Chris> ports.  And, to go back to the original point, about it being
> Chris> integrated now, for 1.2: changes which can seriously break
> Chris> system operation shouldn't be committed after feature freezes.
> 
> 	While I can respect your point, it's not like this has been a
> sudden surprise to all of you.

Nope, not a surprise at all.

Believe it or not, in my opinion that's a point in favor of the
argument that it _should not_ be integrated.

Serial port problems have been around on the i386 port for a long
time.  Given that, if the problem were considered 'important' by the
people who maintain the i386 port, it should have been fixed a while
ago, no?  Why take the chance that things will break even further --
for the i386 and other ports -- by rushing something in right before a
release, if it's been broken for so long?

It's not like people are saying: "gee, they're thinking about pushing
out a new release, i bet they'll find a magical fix for the serial
driver right before they do."


_My_ concern, as the Alpha port maintainer, is for _my_ users.  I
don't want _my_ users to be screwed by hasty last-minute changes to
fix a long-standing and, apparently from the amount of work that's
historically been done on it, low-priority bug in another port.


cgd