cvs commit: src/sys/boot/i386/loader Makefile loader.rc

[Scott Long]

David Xu wrote:
> Scott Long wrote:
> 
>> scottl      2004-11-29 01:32:10 UTC
>>
>>   FreeBSD src repository
>>
>>   Modified files:
>>     sys/boot/i386/loader Makefile   Removed files:
>>     sys/boot/i386/loader loader.rc   Log:
>>   Disable the beastie menu.  It offends some and annoys everyone else, 
>> and I'm
>>   frankly tired of the controversy.  When people ask me why FreeBSD 
>> isn't user-
>>   friendly, I'll tell them that I tried.  RIP.
>>     Revision  Changes    Path
>>   1.77      +1 -1      src/sys/boot/i386/loader/Makefile
>>   1.3       +0 -17     src/sys/boot/i386/loader/loader.rc (dead)
>>
>>
> The main problem is broken ACPI code will cause kernel to crash
> at booting time, my AMD64 machine constantly crashes at the time
> when I am typing. If one day, a broken ACPI code is committed, and
> I forget what exactly words like: hint...acpi.0.disablexxx=1 should
> be set, I will can not boot it until I go to another machine and type
> "man acpi", how about if he is a newbie? :-(
> 
> David
> 
> 
> 

For the past 1+ years I've recieved nothing but complaints from
developers who have told me that the beastie menu was silly,
unprofessional, annoying, and/or confusing.  I originally created it
precisely because ACPI was causing significant problems.  I was also
getting tired of telling people how to get 'bootverbose' set, so I
figured that a nice menu that took care of these problems would be a
good thing to have.  I made it as non-obtrusive as possible; it responds
to the same keys and the same variables as the non-menu prompt, and it
delays the boot for exactly the same period of time.  I liked it and I
had plans to make it more useful by allowing you to control the serial
console settings and have it search out and offer to boot alternate 
kernels, but I have better things to do with my time that defend it and
tell people how to turn it off.

For those who think that ease-of-use is important, please accept my
apologies.

Scott