Linux kernel annoyance (geekfilter)

[substitute]

My old server, which is actually a Gateway desktop machine from 1997, has an old SCSI card in it. It's an Advansys. The Linux driver for this card hasn't been updated in forever. There are apparently problems with the driver, although I have had none.

Therefore when I configure my kernel build, I have to check a box marked "Use broken things" or I can't check the box for my SCSI driver.

Lately, the "use broken things" box has disappeared. On investigation I find out that the kernel tree ships with that configuration unavailable. I have to edit init/KConfig and add in a description for the "broken things" option, and then the box becomes available.

I understand that I should probably just get a new SCSI card, or actually a newer computer, but this is annoying. Do the kernel maintainers not trust the people building the kernel to know when to check the "Broken" box? If I'm building a kernel then I can always fuck myself by leaving out my filesystem or my network card, it's not like I can't destroy everything anyway.

Grr.

Comments

[substitute.livejournal.com]

advansys.c, the advansys scsi driver

the driver itself works fine for me. it just can't be included in the build unless you set CONFIG_BROKEN, and you can't set that without manually editing init/Kconfig

i thought the point of a menu with a "use broken things" option was that you could, you know, USE the MENU instead of the cumbersome manual method.