On Wednesday 29 October 2003 10:05 am, Bryan Phinney wrote: >>> snip
> The reason that standards exist is to eliminate the need for developers to > buy one of each different type of drive and test it. That is really the > only way to insure compatibility. On the other hand, it would have been > trivial for LG to test each of their drives on Linux to insure > compatibility and if they did not do so, it is up to the user who chooses > to install Linux on his hardware to test and insure that it is okay before > they commit to it. At the very least, you should purchase a drive that > either others have used before, or that is built to published (and > compatible) standards and then hold the manufacturer culpable if those > standards are not correct. Actually, whether or not LG tested against Linux is probably immaterial, since there could be a question as to which came first: The addition of packet writing to Linux, or LG's release of the defective drives. >>> snip > Actually, I disagree. The fault is with a manufacturer that deviated from > known and published standards, and then failed to notify their customers > that they had done so, and in doing so, created the potential for disaster. > I really don't get the point back to Linux kernel developers. How could > they have ever expected any hardware manufacturer to do something as stupid > as match up a firmware upgrade command to something as common as a clear > buffer command? That's the crux of the matter. LG's behavior isn't substantially different than that of a manufacturer of electical generators who decides to use a standard 115v three prong socket to supply 440v, or a car manufacturer who incorporates a steering system that requires that the steering wheel be turned clockwise to make the vehicle go to the left. The only difference here is that the losses per incident aren't much, no one got electrocuted, nor did anyone run into a bus full of nuns and orphans. That's what standards are about, folks. Conform, or be ready to pay. For whatever reason, LG elected not to comply, and now they should pay the price. They are wrong, dead wrong, and they know it. Hint: This problem does not exist in the newer versions of their BIOS. Sorry, but I have to get back to writing a super worm that will destroy every LG CD-ROM in the universe. Just joking. -- cmg
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