Cargo Cult sysadmining

[jdow]

On 2012/08/07 12:09, Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
>
> On 08/07/2012 01:19 PM, jdow wrote:
>> On 2012/08/07 04:29, Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
>>>
>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>> Hash: SHA1
>>>
>>> On 08/06/2012 11:29 PM, jdow wrote:
>>>> On 2012/08/06 19:17, Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Disabling it because the system you are compiling the kernel for
>>>>> will not support the hardware. No need for SATA, PCI, or cardbus
>>>>> stuff on a system that only has PCMCIA slots for expansion. You do
>>>>> not need the USB drivers because it does not have, USB
> hardware, and
>>>>> you can not find PCMCIA USB cards. (I have a cardbus USB card, but
>>>>> that does not help.) But this is not something most people run
> into.
>>>>>
>>>>> Compiling a kernel for a laptop will let you eliminate a lot of
>>>>> drivers because you only have limited hardware changes...
>>>>>
>>>>> A server that is not going to get hardware changes.
>>>>>
>>>>> ...
>>>>>
>>>>> Mikkel
>>>>
>>>> Mikkel, I have done this once or twice in antediluvian days gone by.
>>>> Then I discovered a property of Windows. If your motherboard goes
>>>> bad and you can't replace it with an exact replacement the
> system and
>>>> all other software installed on that disk are suddenly useless.
> (Yes,
>>>> you can at least recover the files. But you cannot recover the
>>> installs.)
>>>>
>>>> It is far better to keep the OS flexible so that on boot it
> adapts to
>>>> the system you are running. The better the OS as installed on
> the disk
>>>> does this the easier the effort to get up and running becomes.
>>>>
>>>> I may recompile the kernel these days; but, the intent of the
>>> recompile
>>>> is to ADD features compiled out rather than the other way around.
>>>>
>>>> {^_^}
>>>
>>> The only problem with that argument is that if the hardware has
>>> changed enough that you can not boot with your custom kernel, then
>>> you will need a new initrd to boot with a generic kernel. So you
>>> have to boot from some type of recovery media in any case.
>>>
>>> It can actually be easier to fix with a custom kernel - boot from
>>> recovery media, do a chroot, and install the latest generic kernel
>>> RPM. Let the post install script build the new initrd.
>>>
>>> Mikkel
>>
>> That is why adding things is better than subtracting them. Adding, for
>> example, a seldom used filesystem can survive a transplant to a whole
>> new computer and still work, modulo connecting a disk that uses that
>> filesystem. Um, dongles that take PATA and convert it to USB are
> REALLY
>> nice to keep around for this reason.
>>
>> Removing PATA "because I'll never use it" leads to you discovering
>> "never" is often not that far away. (PATA seems to still persist on
>> certain classes of motherboard, I note. IMAO this is a good thing
>> to keep old media readable. I also don't throw away old disks that
>> still spin up and contain data. Well, OK, I'm a packrat. I don't
>> throw ANY disks away. I have been known to convert their platters
>> to ersatz wind chimes, though.)
>>
>> {^_-}
> I have a couple of those. One only does PATA, and the second does
> both PATA and SATA. Then I also have a SATA doc that will work a
> eSATA or USB. I even have a couple of PATA to SATA and SATA to PATA
> converters in my junk box for the few times I need them.
>
> You are not the only packrat when it comes to old disks. I still
> have a couple of 8" floppies yet, as well as some paper tape. I
> think I still have an 8" drive around here somewhere, and a
> controller to hook it to. But I don't know if I still have the
> optical paper tape reader. If I do, I am not sure I have anything to
> interface it to. I do still have DOS program and game disks. I
> should see if they run in dosemu...
>
> What I really should clean out is the old tape backups. I think I
> still have a drive that will read (but not write) them. I am not
> sure there is any usable information on them. Some are even DOS
> backups, as well as some OLD Linux backups. I don't even remember
> the backup program used to make them.
>
> My desktop does use a generic kernel. I could probably get some
> performance if I compiled a kernel for the AMD Phenom processor, but
> it isn't worth it. But that is not the answer for all my hardware.
> Why not build in the drivers you need to boot the system if you have
> to compile your own kernel anyway?
>
> Mikkel

Boy, ah say, Boy! (Phoo - I do a LOUSY foghorn leghorn imitation. {^_-})

I still have some 8" ST-506 CPM disks around. I also have an 8" SASI
disk. (All three may still work if heat has not killed them where they
are currently stored.) I also have at least one 8" double sided floppy,
disks that MAY still work, and of course a controller in the old S-100
machine. Um, I also have lots of Amiga disks - and Amigas themselves.
Now THAT was a nice little OS for its day once it was tamed and developers
learned how to debug properly. It wrung a whole lot of performance out of
primitive CPUs by today's standards. THAT is SERIOUS packrateism. (I bet
my hypertrophied A-1000 still works, too.)

{^_-}