The Linux OS Firewire Maintainer is looking for help from testers who are still using the ancient hardware. Takashi Sakamoto has made it his quest to keep Firewire (IEEE 1394) support going on Linux systems until 2029. However, with such hardware increasingly rare, he is looking for more input from the user base, reports Phoronix.
User testing is all the more vital for bug-free Firewire support in Linux 6.12 as there is a significant change to the underlying code this time around. According to the source, the processing context for isochronous packets has been reworked, and thus Sakamoto is hopeful that “many developers will test it before the official release.” The developer points out some benefits to making the change including the potential for a smoother-running sound subsystem. Firewire was popular in professional audio and video production circles so users might appreciate refinements, even this late in the game for IEEE 1394.
