hardware incompatibility list was:watchdog timeout

[Jim Pazarena]

Jim Pazarena wrote:
> on FreeBSD 5.4 I simply never had this problem
> on 6.0, it is continuous.
> 
> A PCMCIA card, 3Com Megahertz  10/100 Lan Cardbus PC Card 
>                                   3CCFE575BT
> 
> xl0: watchdog timeout
> 
> over and over and over
> 
> It has forced me to switch back to 5.4 on my laptop.
> Can anyone offer an explanation why 5.4 wouldn't complain,
> but 6.0 won't _stop_ ?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jim

I have come to dis-trust the Hardware Compatibility list.

The above 3Com model # worked flawlessly in 5.4, *is* present on
the 6.0 compatibility list, but none-the-less doesn't work
without multiple never-ending watchdog timeouts on 6.0.

The same is true with a Specialix SX multiple serial I/O system.
Just plain doesn't work with *5.4* _or_ 6.0. John Baldwin is
helping me with that one.

What I am getting at, is, that the Hardware Compatibility I am feared
is woefully out of date. Old hardware may not work with the newer
kernel (as evidenced by the 3Com failure in 6.0), and new hardware
just plain doesn't work (as evidenced by the brand new Specialix
card not working).

I suggest that someone should attempt to validate all the listed
hardware in the recent releases so that the end user (like myself)
does not get stung spending money on new hardware which isn't
compatible with newer kernel releases.

Perhaps a form can be created for end-users to fill in the blanks
(or pull-down from the list) to enter which hardware (they/we) are
using, which OS version, etc, so a new list can be verified? 

respectfully,
Jim