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Retrotechtacular: The Floppy Disk Orphaned By Linux
About a week ago, Linus Torvalds made a software commit which has an air about it of the end of an era. The code in question contains a few patches to the driver for native floppy disc controllers. What makes it worthy of note is that he remarks that the floppy driver is now orphaned. Its maintainer no longer has working floppy hardware upon which to test the software, and Linus remarks that "I think the driver can be considered pretty much dead from an actual hardware standpoint", though he does point out that active support remains for USB floppy drives.
It's a very reasonable view to have arrived at because outside the realm of retrocomputing the physical rather than virtual floppy disk has all but disappeared. It's well over a decade since they ceased to be fitted to desktop and laptop computers, and where once they were a staple of any office they now exist only in the "save" icon on your wordprocessor. The floppy is dead, and has been for a long time.
Still, Linus' quiet announcement comes as a minor jolt to anyone of A Certain Age for whom the floppy disk and the computer were once inseparable.
Next thing, someone will be removing punched card and paper tape reader support. Where does it end?
(Score: 3, Funny) by RS3 on Saturday July 27 2019, @05:39AM (11 children)
Did you have to add "It sucks" to that?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 27 2019, @05:43AM (10 children)
Sometimes it helps to make it less floppy. But not always.
(Score: 3, Funny) by RS3 on Saturday July 27 2019, @06:29AM (9 children)
> But not always.
Ahh. The blue pill crowd.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Sunday July 28 2019, @01:56AM (8 children)
Cialis is a yellow pill.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Sunday July 28 2019, @05:16AM (7 children)
I wouldn't know, Danny Boy. I know, you've seen them in the ads, right? Your friends use them. Yeah, that's it.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday July 29 2019, @02:07PM
No. I use them. So I know what color they are. They're great.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday July 29 2019, @04:53PM (5 children)
Another thing I remembered that is useful. I had posted this previously some months back in an SN thread that went off topic about boner drugs.
Unlike those blue pills, the yellow pill is good for 36 hours. Take it Friday night, it's still good Sunday morning.
If you're over a certain age, you can probably get the prescription from your regular doctor just by asking.
They are not magic. They just make things work better.
Another thing that the yellow pill makes work better is your urine stream. It will come out like you were a 20 year old spring chicken again.
Everyone gets old. If you're lucky. It will happen to you too. You won't be twenty forever. Yes, really. And I promise you this: you'll get old much faster than you think. You won't believe how fast it will happen.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday July 30 2019, @03:41AM (4 children)
I was giving you an opening to make a crack something like: "well, at least I have a reason to use them" or some such... :-}
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday July 30 2019, @01:48PM (3 children)
You don't need much of a reason to obtain or use them. They're great even if you don't need them. But, the older you get, the less inhibited you get about using them.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday July 30 2019, @02:42PM (2 children)
Very interesting re: urine stream. I hadn't heard that. My dad takes a med. for urine stream, but it's also causing him incontinence (he's pretty elderly). I wonder if the Cialis is cheaper, fewer side effects, etc. His urologist is suggesting a "uro-lift", and if he gets otherwise stable, it'll be the next step. Thanks!
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday July 30 2019, @05:55PM (1 child)
I have a friend (really) who takes it for that purpose. I take it for its intended purpose. I don't know of any bad side effects, but see below. It is unlikely to be cheaper. I'm lucky that insurance covers it. My doctor was surprised at that.
If you take Cialis (or the generic, which recently became available), and if you coincidentally (unrelated to the drug) have any chest pains, be sure to let the doctors know. (The prescribing doctor is supposed to mention this.) One common immediate treatment for chest pains might be nitrates (I think) which do not go well with Cialis. They would need to use a different treatment.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday July 30 2019, @06:25PM
I'll ask my dad's urologist. He's on Flowmax now, but again, the urologist (top top doc) recommends the uro-lift. I don't want to think about such things until I _must_. Ugh.