Linux 7.0 Retires The IBM Mwave ACP Modem Driver Used By Some 1990s ThinkPads (www.phoronix.com)

submitted 1 month ago by cm0002@toast.ooo to c/linux@programming.dev

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Long past due for retirement, the Linux 7.0 kernel has removed the obsolete Mwave driver for the 3780i ACP Modem found in some Pentium II era IBM ThinkPads from the 1990s.

The Mwave Linux driver was for the 3780i ACP Modem found in some ThinkPads. Found on the likes of the IBM ThinkPad 600E, 600, and 770 these modems allowed 56K connectivity. IBM wrote the Mwave kernel driver and the associated user-space software for it back in the 1990s.

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[-] cm0002@toast.ooo 36 points 1 month ago

Somebody somewhere is going to be devastated lol

[-] a14o@feddit.org 31 points 1 month ago

On the contrary, whoever is running current software on a 90s ThinkPad will be over the moon to have an excuse to patch the kernel

[-] Ooops@feddit.org 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I would assume people running a modern kernel on an orignal 32-bit first generation Pentium machine don't need such an excuse as they have to do it constantly already...

I'm pretty sure the unmodified/-optimized kernel doesn't even fit the RAM of 1990's Thinkpads.

[-] a14o@feddit.org 10 points 1 month ago

Yes, should have said "to have another excuse"

[-] fonix232@fedia.io 5 points 1 month ago

More like to have another patch...

[-] Sammy@infosec.pub 8 points 1 month ago

I'm absolutely devastated. Thinky won't be the same :'(

this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026

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