>Let me suggest something different/stupid.  Could we let the boot
>program pass in the "name" of the machine.  The kernel would have a
>table that adjusts whatever parameters are necessary for that machine.
>These parameters could be: allowed irqs/allowed ports/whether sb uses
>irq 5 or 7/whether "the media inserted into a floppy" bit is inverted/...

But what happens if your machine isn't in the table?  Suppose we'd
done this for 1.3.2 and then Sony comes out with the VAIO, with a
different mix of reatures from any previously-supported machine.
VAIO owners are still stuck.

Same with new machines with previously-unknown combinations of
features: if we go this route the indivdual features need to be
exposed.  Builtin, named tables of known combinations might help, tho.