Re: Linux 2.6.16-rc3

[Sanjoy Mahajan <sanjoy@mrao.cam.ac.uk>]

> systems newer than 6 years old.

According to the sticker on the bottom, this model was made in
04/2000, so the 6 years is right.

> We're talking here about a system from 1999 where Windows 98 refuses
> to run in ACPI mode and instead runs in APM mode.

I haven't tried Windows 98 on this machine, but Windows 98SE would run
in ACPI mode if it weren't for a cheap hack by IBM.  The latest BIOS
(1.11), which I'm using, claims to be from 1999.  However, that date
is almost surely wrong.  The readme/changelog with the BIOS update
diskette is dated Sept 20, 2001 and contains this note about the 1.01
update:

 - (Fix) If Windows 98 Second Edition is installed as APM mode and
         an updated BIOS is installed with a BIOS date 12/02/99 or 
         later, Windows 98SE will change the mode from APM to ACPI 
         whenever a New hardware profile is created.  So this BIOS 
         set the date to 11-30-99. 

Probably IBM marked all the BIOS dates as 11-30-99 in order to work
around this W98SE misfeature.  My guess is that BIOS 1.11 is really
from Sept 2001, or 4.5 years ago.  Old, but not octagenerian!

> I consider that it works in ACPI mode at all as "miraculous":-)

Amen to that.  I was very pleased when the combination of newer ACPI
releases plus my modifying the DSDT made S3 work.

> I do think the issue merits investigation ...

Although I have little idea of what sections of code to modify,
especially since the commit in question merges two well travelled
branches, I'm happy to test patches.

-Sanjoy

`Never underestimate the evil of which men of power are capable.'
         --Bertrand Russell, _War Crimes in Vietnam_, chapter 1.
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