diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'linux-news-5')
| -rw-r--r-- | linux-news-5 | 388 |
1 files changed, 388 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/linux-news-5 b/linux-news-5 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9a7dceb --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-5 @@ -0,0 +1,388 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #5 (November 6 - 16, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #5, November 6 through 16, 1992 + + + + + + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- spreadsheets for calculating numbers for X display modes +- new version of extended fs programs +- "shell-init" bug fixed in SLS +- new Xenix fs +- kernel version 0.98.4 and 0.98.5 +- fig2dev binaries available +- tvgalib and joe sources on tsx-11 +- Linux User Group in Albany, NY +- GNU Emacs 18.59 +- Seyon 0.8, communications program for X11 +- color xterm, system call tracer, SCM scheme on tsx-11 +- EtherNet FAQ posted +- afio 2.3 available +- comparison between Linux and 386BSD + + +**** Editorial + +I'm late again. But then you're probably getting used to that. :-) +It is possible that I may in the future change LN to a bi-weekly +publication, if it seems that doing it weekly will be too much work +and that I won't be able to do one issue per week. + +Don't forget the on-going vote for the comp.os.linux split into +several groups! Let's get this decided one way or another. Vote now, +or you might regret it afterwards if the vote doesn't go like you +want. + +In the last issue, I included my address and asked for post cards. +I've received several and one letter, thanks. I don't mind getting +more, of course (oh yes, I'm very much like a little boy who wants +attention :-). + + +**** Legalese + +Linux News can be copied, re-published, printed, hung on walls, used +as toilet paper, and used in any other way you wish. If you +distribute LN outside comp.os.linux and the LINUXNEWS channel, please +tell me: the more people I know are reading LN, the more eager I am to +put energy into it. + +In fact, if you read Linux News, and think that it is a Good Thing, +and you want to make me happier, send me a post card to the following +address: + + Lars Wirzenius + Ohratie 16 C 198 + SF-01370 VANTAA + Finland + +(Letter bombs, as long as they are marked as such, can go to the same +address. :-) + +I take no responsibility whatsoever for any information in Linux News, +or any problems due lack of information. If you get killed due to +Linux News, mail me, and I'll feel sorry for you, but that's just +about all I can do. + + +**** Notices + +Linux News is only a summary, if you want more information about a +given subject, please see the source that is referenced at the end of +each note (for Usenet articles, the reference is the Message-ID of the +article). I try to include all the relevant information, including +ftp sites and filenames, as given in the announcements (I probably +won't have the time or energy to check filenames, or to find pointers +to other ftp sites). If possible, I will try to indicate directories +with a trailing /, e.g. ``pub/linux/SLS/''. + +I won't include announcements on mailing lists or testing releases, +only things that are meant to be used generally (I admit that the line +can be somewhat difficult to draw, since the whole system is +pre-release). There will be exceptions. + + +**** News section + + +November 4. Mike Jagdis announced modegen.taz, two spreadsheets for +the `sc' spreadsheet program for calculating numbers for X display +modes. + FTP: nic.funet.fi, tsx-11.mit.edu: modegen.taz. + (Source: <43.2AF5C5E8@purplet.demon.co.uk>) + + +November 6. Remy Card announced version alpha 9 of his programs for +manipulating the extended filesystem. + The new version will hopefully fix the problems with bad directory +entries. There are also other, more minor changes. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu, ftp-masi.ibp.fr: /pub/linux/ALPHA/extfs/, +files efsprogs9.tar.Z (full source and binaries), efsprogs9.src.tar.Z +(sources only), efsprogs9.bin.tar.Z (binaries only), and efsprogs.p9.Z +(patch from version alpha 8 to 9). + (Source: <1992Nov6.120622.836@jussieu.fr>) + + +November 7. Peter MacDonald announced a small update for SLS. This +update should fix the "shell-init" bug, which causes trouble at +logins. + FTP: b5/zbfix.taz (ftp site not given, but should be on all sites +that carry SLS, in the normal places). + (Source: <1992Nov7.041759.8096@sol.UVic.CA>) + + +November 7. Doug Evans announced a new version of his Xenix +Filesystem for Linux. This version should work with 0.98.pl3. + You need to patch and recompile your kernel for this, of course. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/patches/xenixfs.tar.Z + (Source: <1992Nov07.064311.2087@sspiff.cygnus.com> + + +November 9. Linus announced kernel version 0.98 patchlevel 4. + The most important changes are: + * The inode caching bug (resulting in bad filesystem info when +mounting/umounting devices) should be gone for good. + * Bug fix of a race-condition in the filesystem (which may have +caused people to get occasional fsck errors). + * Math emulator fixes (mainly for the re-entrancy problem) + * NR_OPEN was changed from 32 to 256 (this will break GNU Emacs, +the term program, and possibly other programs; a recompilation should +fix things). + * the process kernel stack is now on a separate page (needed due to + * Changes in kernel data structures (these require a new ps) + * System call tracing + * Changes to networking (tcp/ip, some nfs) + FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/PEOPLE/Linus/ (presumably on other +sites too, by now), files linux-0.98.4.tar.Z (complete source), +linux-0.98.patch4.Z (patches against pl3). Also ps-diff.Z, patches by +Linus to ps-0.98 that should fix ps to work with 0.98.4. + (Source: <1992Nov9.112201.14250@klaava.Helsinki.FI>) + + + +November 9. Marcus Wunderlich announced a binary of fig2dev +(announcement didn't explain what it is). + FTP: ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de: pub/linux/wunder/ + (Source: <1992Nov9.123327.29197@dfv.rwth-aachen.de>) + + +November 10. Michael K Johnson announced the availability of tvgalib +and joe sources on tsx-11. tvgalib is a graphics library for Trident +SVGA that does not use X. It is compatible with vgalib, which works +with generic VGA cards. joe is a small but useful editor that is +included on at least some versions of the rootdisk. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/sources/libs/, files +tvgalib-1.0.tar.Z and tvgalib-1.0.README; +/pub/linux/sources/usr.bin/joe.tar.Z. + (Source: <1992Nov10.202359.23502@athena.mit.edu>) + + +November 11. Daniel Russel (russed@rpi.edu) announced an informal +Linux User Group in the Albany, NY area and a mailing list. Contact +him for more information. + (Source: <j-q1l5=@rpi.edu>) + + +November 12. Rick Sladkey announced his port of GNU Emacs 18.59 for +Linux. This version works under Linux 0.98 patchlevel 4 (which breaks +the earlier version because of changes in select and NR_OPEN), but not +on earlier versions. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: the incoming directory. Files +emacs-18.59a.tar.Z (README, patches, and Linux support files), +emacs-etc-18.59a.tar.Z (GNU Emacs support binaries and files) +emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z (text-based GNU Emacs binary and its DOC file) +x11emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z (X11-based GNU Emacs binary and its DOC +file). + (Source: <JRS.92Nov12013048@lepton.world.std.com>) + + +November 13. M. Saggaf announce Seyon 0.8. It is a communications +package for X11. + FTP: sipb.mit.edu: pub/seyon/ (home site of Seyon) + (Source: <1992Nov13.035855.17713@athena.mit.edu>) + + +November 14. Michael K Johnson announced new files on tsx-11: A color +xterm, the new Emacs, a system call tracer, and SCM scheme. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/sources/usr.bin.X11/cxterm.tar.Z +(color xterm), /pub/linux/packages/emacs-18.59/, files +emacs-18.59a.tar.Z, emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z, emacs-etc-18.59a.tar.Z, +x11emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z (see the GNU Emacs announcement above) +/pub/linux/sources/sbin/strace.tar.Z (system call tracer), +/pub/linux/sources/usr.bin/scm4a12.tar.Z, +/pub/linux/binaries/usr.bin/scm4a12.bin.tar.Z (scheme). + (Source: <1992Nov14.201956.21550@athena.mit.edu>) + + +November 15. Linus announced kernel version 0.98 patchevel 5. + This version fixes a swap-partition bug in pl4. The symptoms where +incorrect swapping with a partition, e.g. xterm could dump core when +swapping was enabled and you typed at the keyboard. + This version also checks against writing to the text segment (i.e. +program code). This will break some binaries, especially some very, +very old ones that were compiled using the estdio library (this +library is no longer used in Linux). If previously well-working +programs suddenly start to dump core, this might be the reason. + There are also some other changes. + See also 0.98.4 announcement above. + FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/PEOPLE/Linus/. + (Source: <1992Nov15.220138.5434@klaava.Helsinki.FI>) + + +November 16. Phil (Copeland?) posted an EtherNet FAQ. Future +versions will be posted every one or two weeks to the NET channel on +the linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi mailing list. + (Source: <1992Nov16.011245.18336@csd.uwe.ac.uk>) + + +November 16. Dave Gymer announced afio 2.3 for Linux. afio is a +cpio-style archiver which can create multiple volume archives on +floppies, compressing individual files if required, and is able to +recover from partially damaged archives. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu. + (Source: <1992Nov16.095102.13125@cs.nott.ac.uk>) + + +**** Linux vs 386BSD + +One often asked question is "which is better, Linux or 386BSD?". I +won't state my obvious bias, but I will include an article posted by +Mark W. Eichin to comp.unix.bsd which has a pretty good comparison. +Thanks Mark for allowing me to repost this. I have removed a few +lines from the beginning which were only relevant as part of the +discussion in which Mark's posting appeared, reformatted the text, and +also fixed a typo or two. + +(The rest of this section comes from Mark.) + +I got a 486 machine in January, immediately put Linux 0.10 up on it, +hacked with that for a while, then 386BSD 0.0 came out, so I blew +everything away and put that up instead. When 0.1 came out, I took the +kernel sources (since there hadn't really been major changes to +anything else, and the install program didn't impress me...) and +worked with those for a while... and then I needed (for work reasons) +to get a DOS partition again, to run djgcc/go32, so I put linux (SLS +0.98) up and started hacking on the networking code. + +There are various ways to compare the two systems. It would be +impolite to treat them as being in competition; I'll merely try to +list things that "make a difference" between the two. + +1) Networking. + +386BSD has had TCP/IP support (Ethernet and SLIP) in kernel since 0.0 +(after all, the socket interface was originally developed as part of +BSD.) Just about everything you or your sysadmin knows about +configuring unix networking will apply, which makes the setup seem +fairly easy. + +Linux has had TCP support in the form of the KA9Q networking package, +though I seem to recall this is only "free" for educational or ham +radio use, since the early days; the 0.98 release actually has in +kernel TCP, which is still a bit rough, but serves a useful purpose as +an independent implementation. Great if you want to hack (like I do) +but not quite up for heavy use; this is changing rapidly. + +2) File Systems. + +386BSD has the Berkeley Fast File System; you can read research papers +on the implementation and design. It is quite robust, and fsck can fix +most problems due to sudden shutdown. There is a VFS layer, but not +many alternate disk-based file systems as of yet (NFS for both TCP and +UDP are included, though, and mostly work as of 0.1.) + +Linux started with the Minix filesystem, but now has a VFS layer and +several additional filesystem types, most popularly the Extended +Filesystem (just stretch the Minix entries by a factor of two, but it +does work...) and the MSDOS filesystem type (a *major* win - none of +the inconvenience of mtools, just mount the floppy or hard drive and +use cp/mv/emacs and it just works.) There is also a /proc filesystem +(at least I think it is done as a filesystem type, haven't looked at +the code). + +3) Utilities. + +386BSD has the various Berkeley utilities included, as well as groff, +gcc (based on 1.39); it is easy to get most of the GNU utilities up +(and for some things it is necessary -- /bin/sh is a crippled shell +that doesn't handle quoting well enough to run Configure, so you'll +probably replace it with BASH right away.) + +Linux comes with mostly GNU utilities, and what it doesn't come with +usually configures and builds cleanly. The "standard" gcc (at the +moment) is gcc 2.2.2d (lots of patches from 2.2.2) and I expect 2.3.1 +to work with little effort. + +4) Shared Libraries + +Linux has them; 386BSD doesn't. This means that Linux can be installed +rather completely on a much smaller system (I've done kernel builds on +an AST 386sx/20MHz/2Mram/40Mdisk from inside of emacs, with everything +important installed... no X, no TeX, but there was room left for at +least one of those). + +5) Hardware support + +Linux seems to have more support for "low budget" hardware, +contributed by people who have it. There is a good deal of +cross-breeding here, however, with some people working on drivers on +both sides (since, after all, the *hard* part is actually talking to +the hardware, not talking to the O/S.) My personal experience has been +that Linux boots from scratch on more machines than 386BSD does. + +6) Development "Life Cycle" + +Bill and Lynne Jolitz manage the entire release very closely; this +results in reasonable quality control, but a long cycle between +releases (if I recall correctly, 0.0 came out in March, 0.1 over the +summer, and submissions for 0.2 are solicited now though no date is +even hinted at for a release.) It is also reported that the Jolitz' +have not been able to keep up with NetNews since Septmber 1. + +Linus Torvalds keeps a very close eye on the kernel -- in fact, he +rewrites many submissions (though not all) to meet his coding +standards, improving them in the process. Other people handle the +release of installable systems, moving at various paces. Linus also +participates very actively in discussions on both comp.os.linux and +comp.unix.bsd. Improvements to the kernel come out at a rapid pace; I +was recently off at a conference for a week, and am about two +revisions behind on the kernel, to give you some idea of the pace -- +the changes mostly involve the networking code, which is in active +flux right now, so this is a feature for developers who want it (and +those who don't simply stay with older versions.) + +7) License and Politics + +Linux is released under the GNU Copyleft; this means that if you sell +it to someone, you have to include sources with it. (I think this is a +great idea :-) + +BSD is released under the various Berkeley copyrights which say that +you can do what you want as long as you don't hold the Regents liable; +also, the Jolitz' have asked for donations to some charity (their +"CareWare" program) if you wish to make them. They have also said that +BSD is simply not *ready* for commercial use, and advise against +making commercial use of it, simply for technical reasons. + +There is also a pending lawsuit (AT&T vs. BSDI and UCB) which may +affect the ownership of the 4.3net2 release which 386BSD is based on. +However, no actual action has been taken by a court in this matter, +although UCB and CMU have apparently reacted to it anyway (UCB by no +longer shipping tapes of 4.3net2, and CMU by no longer releasing the +BNR2SS single-server for Mach.) + +8) Availability + +Linux and 386BSD are both available for anonymous ftp from numerous +sites; Austin Codeworks apparently resells both in source form; FTP +Software Inc was giving away a CDrom at Interop Fall 92 with 386BSD +source and binaries (as well as X11R5, the Crynwr Packet Drivers, and +the RFC's and IEN's) as a promotion. Linux has been uploaded to a +number of BBS'es around the world. I'm sure other forms are available, +essentially if you want it you can probably get it. + + +In summary, there are numerous differences between Linux and 386BSD; +it is entirely up to you whether they "make a difference" in your +situation. + + _Mark_ <eichin@athena.mit.edu> + MIT Student Information Processing Board + Cygnus Support <eichin@cygnus.com> + +ps. This posting ignores other 386 Operating Systems since, after all, +we're only discussing Free ones here. Also, I'm sure it is clear to +you that these are my opinions from my experience, and not meant to +represent those of MIT or Cygnus Support (although some of them +certainly coincide) particularly regarding any lawsuits in progress. |