[kde-linux] stop empty floppy drive announcement

[Felix Miata]

On 2013-11-13 20:28 (GMT) Duncan composed:

>> How is it that ancient DOS manages? It/they originated "plug & play".

> IIRC (and I remember my MS DOS 6 tech reasonably well, along with the
> upgrade to MS Windows 95), it wasn't DOS that originated plug-n-play, but
> W95.  DOS as such did have some support, but it was pretty basic, while
> the /real/ usage was in W95.

> And in both cases, they basically don't do auto-media-detect/change-
> detect in any form for floppies.

How old are you? Did you never use DOS 2.11 (first relatively bug free 
version with HD support) or 3.2 (initial 720kb 3.5" floppy support version)? 
Have you really never heard of a changed-diskette line?

http://support.microsoft.com/KB/75131

> my guess is that it's unlikely there'll every be a fix for this in kde4.
> Tho it may well be that a simple "ignore floppies" checkbox might still
> make it into kde4,

Could be that there is one imminent: 
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-kde/2013-11/msg00051.html

> Rather than relying on the "hack" of an inserted floppy to prevent the
> system from booting all the way, when I need to, I either change the BIOS
> boot option (either one-time using the appropriate BIOS hotkey, or change
> the BIOS default), or hit a key in grub to stop its automatically booting
> the default, or change the grub default to something other than boot my
> main gentoo install.

If the PC has only Windows, it's nearly impossible to thwart it from starting 
up via keyboard unless you plan ahead specifically to do so, and even then 
it's still not easy.

Popping in a floppy can be way easier than suffering through even part of 
POST to provide the right response at the right time, assuming the problem 
isn't that the keyboard has a PS/2 connector and was not connected at 
power-up, in which case popping the floppy is magnitudes more efficacious.

Lest you think USB keyboards avoid that issue, they don't, because good 
affordable keyboards haven't been manufactured in over two decades[1], and 
only with 5 pin or 6 pin DIN plugs when they were. None I've tried work via 
USB adapters. Just because a physical adapter exists doesn't mean it's usable.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Omnikey102p3248.jpg
features missing all or part from keyboards made since:
reliable clicky keys like IBM brand keyboards
CAPS key where it belongs left of space bar
function keys on left for easy single hand ctrl+alt+shift+Fn combinations
standard inverted T
large return
large BS

>> Compared to OM drives, floppy drives have proven themselves far more
>> reliable on average long-term.

> Absolutely contrawise experience here, and this one's probably the thing
> that really killed floppies for me.

I wrote drives, not media. Most OM drives made in the past decade or more 
seem to be junk.

>> Floppies, unlike common multifunction diagnostic media, having only one
>> utility installed, can be booted into to do their thing without working
>> keyboard or mouse. e.g. memtest

> THAT is a valid point.

> Of course, it's quite possible to burn a single utility CD

Which is fragile and needs special protection.

> or copy only one utility to your USB stick too

Not enough room to write enough legibly on it to ID its content, not to 
mention not cheap per piece/utility.

> DOS lacks the concept of mounting/ umounting at all, and without media-change detection

Again?

> And the fact that blocking physical eject on a floppy simply isn't
> possible, has I'm sure resulted in quite a few corrupted floppies over
> the decades, until the users involved learn the hard way not to do that.

Some people are bright enough not to push the button while the light is on. 
Plus, there are more than just physical costs associated with attempts at 
idiot-proofing. If it's my property, I should be allowed to destroy it 
however I see fit, even as simply as pushing a button. :-D
-- 
"The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)

  Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/