From 1c2bf342fcc872068ba49f36411b96ecfcc4ff23 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lars Wirzenius Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2019 15:09:23 +0200 Subject: Add first 8 issues --- linux-news-1 | 215 +++++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-2 | 273 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-3 | 622 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-4 | 216 +++++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-5 | 388 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-6 | 191 ++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-7 | 200 +++++++++++++++++++ linux-news-8 | 218 +++++++++++++++++++++ 8 files changed, 2323 insertions(+) create mode 100644 linux-news-1 create mode 100644 linux-news-2 create mode 100644 linux-news-3 create mode 100644 linux-news-4 create mode 100644 linux-news-5 create mode 100644 linux-news-6 create mode 100644 linux-news-7 create mode 100644 linux-news-8 diff --git a/linux-news-1 b/linux-news-1 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7d26c5 --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-1 @@ -0,0 +1,215 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #1 (October 5-10, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #1, October 5 through 10, 1992 + + + Proudly reporting on Linux since 1992! + + + +**** Editorial + +Linux News is an attempt at a weekly news service about what happens +in the Linux community. Most of the material will probably be +announcements of new programs or versions of programs, but I will also +cover things like new ftp sites, Linux articles in the trade press, +and other things that Linux users should in my opinion be aware of. I +won't summarize individual problems and their solutions, unless they +are severe and widespread. I will also try to restrict announcements +to things that are actually on the ftp sites, and meant for public +use; testing releases will not be included (most people who are +probable beta testers will follow comp.os.linux closely anyway). + +I hope that Linux News will be useful for people who want to follow +what is happening around Linux, but don't have the time or energy to +wade through the high volume of comp.os.linux. Linux News will always +have a subject like that includes "Linux News" in it, so it should be +easy to find it. Also, if there is enough interest, I might create a +channel on the linux-activists mailing list, so that interested +parties could get it via mail. + +The contents of Linux News will be based mainly on postings in +comp.os.linux. I won't include announcements on mailing lists, since +those are usually only intended for the testers who read the lists. +If there is something you want me to include, send it to me via mail. +Feedback via mail is also greatly appreciated, I would especially like +to know whether there are people who appreciate this kind of thing (if +there are none, I will just drop this project). + +Note: This 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 Usnet 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 these things, or to find +pointers to other ftp sites). + +For this first issue, I have picked announcements (mainly based on the +subject lines) from the past few days. I have probably missed +several. + + +**** News items begin here. + + +October 5. David Wexelblat announced Xfree86 version 1.1, the +free X server for 386 Unices, including Linux. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/packages/X11. + (Source: <1992Oct5.125823.16113@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>) + +October 5. H.J. Lu released a bootable rootdisk. This is not the +same rootdisk that Jim Winstead maintains, but Jim and hlu are +considering ways to merge the two disks. + The disk is based on kernel version 0.98. It only contains a few +of the basic binaries. Hlu's announcement gave this partial list: +bash, gnu tar, compress, elvis, doshell, chmod, chown, cp, ls, mv, rm, +ln, mount, umount, swapon, more, ps, free, mkfs, mkswap, fsck, fdisk. +There should be enough software to install Linux on a computer, but +there is little or no documentation. Because of this lack of +documentation, this rootdisk is may not a good idea unless you are an +experienced Linux user/installer. Inexperienced users are encouraged +to try out the MCC and SLS releases. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/rootdisk. + (Source: <1992Oct5.201521.9644@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + +October 5. H.J. Lu released the Linux Base System, a set of three +disk images of floppies with the Minix filesystem that contain a lot +of software. They are intended to be used with hlu's bootable +rootdisk (see above), and require the 4.1 jump table shared libraries, +since these disks don't contain the shared library images (good, +because it saves space, bad because you need to get them from +elsewhere). + Disk 1 contains /bin, /dev and /etc (but ps and friends are on the +bootable root disk, since they are kernel dependent). The software on +this disk includes fileutils 3.3, shellutils 1.7, textutils 1.3, tar +1.10, bash 1.12 (all of these are GNU packages), ldd 1.1, compress +4.2.3, zsh 2.20, doshell, fdisk 0.93, admutil 1.3, poeigl 1.6, LILO +0.5, and setfdprm + Disk 2 contains /usr, including diff 1.15, find 3.7, grep 1.6, +fgrep 1.1, make 3.62, gawk 2.13.2, flex 2.3.7, bison 1.18, patch +2.0.12u7, sed 1.09, elvis 1.6, minicom 1.3.2, rzsz, more, setterm, od, +strings, and uuencode/uudecode. + Disk 3 is a development disk without compiler and library. It has +crt0.o/gcrt0.o, gdb 4.6, as, ar, gprof, ld, nm, objdump, ranlib, size, +and strip. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/basedisk. + (Source: <1992Oct5.201812.9714@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + + + +October 6. H.J. Lu told that gcc 2.3 should be released by Richard +Stallman in a couple of weeks, and that it has Linux support built in. + (Source: <1992Oct6.162001.23488@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + +October 6. Rick Sladkey released a new version of his port of GNU +Emacs for Linux. The new version is 8 bit clean, which is useful for +many Europeans whose alphabet includes letters that are encoded with +the top bit set. It also has XMenu support for the X11 version. It +is compiled with libc-4.1 and lixX11-2.1. + Changes from the early 4.1 jump table release include TCP/IP +support with open-network-stream, larger sharable code segment, +compiled with jump-table library, emacsclient and server work +correctly, full Berkeley /etc/termcap included. + Rick says that if you don't need the new version unless you need +eight bit I/O, or want the X11 version. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu, nic.funet.fi, and sunsite.unc.edu (directory +names not given in announcement, but probably the usual directories +for binaries). Files: emacs-4.1.tar.Z (README and diffs), +emacs-etc-4.1.tar.Z (support programs), emacs-shared-4.1.tar.Z (non-X +version and its DOC file), x11emacs-shared-4.1.tar.Z (X11 version and +its DOC file). + (Source: ) + + + +October 7. After a longish pause of three months, a new version of +the FAQ was released by Marc Corsini. It was both posted to the +newsgroup, and sent to FTP sites. The FAQ maintenance has been +divided among several people, with the hope of making it possible to +release new versions more often. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/doc/FAQ_10_05 + (Source: <1992Oct7.175825.1127@athena.mit.edu>) + +October 7. H.J. Lu released a port of ispell 3.09 for Linux. Ispell +is a spelling checker modelled after the ITS spelling checker. It can +run both interactively, in batch mode (similar to Unix spell), and +under GNU Emacs. Hlu distributes his port as a disk image. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/basedisk/ispell309.Z + (Source: <1992Oct7.165002.11433@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + + + +October 8. Peter MacDonald announced that the new version of the SLS +release (based on the 0.98 kernel) has been uploaded to tsx-11, and +that a proper announcement will be made shortly, after a few people +have tested it. + (Source: <1992Oct8.223711.496@athena.mit.edu>) + + + +October 9. H.J. Lu released gccdisk, a repackaged gcc 2.2.2d7. This +is not a new version: there are no changes to the compiler or +libraries, it is only intended as an easier way to install things. +Gccdisk is meant to be used with the Linux C library disk (see earlier +note), because gccdisk does not include any shared library images that +are necessary to run the programs (they use jump table 4.1). + There are two disk images of Minix filesystem floppies. The first +one includes gcc, cpp, cc1, and crt0.o/gcrt0.o, and some header files +for /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i386-linux/2.2.2d/include. The second disk has +cc1plus. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/gccdisk + (Source: <1992Oct9.040521.7441@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + +October 9. H.J. Lu released a Linux C library disk, with version 4.1 +of the library. Like the gccdisk, this is only a repackage, not a new +version. + Libdisk consists of two disk images of Minix filesystem floppies. +The first disk contains the shared library images and a few libraries, +the second one has the header files and the rest of the libraries. To +get all the required header files, you also need Linux kernel source +(0.97 pl 6 or above), since some of the header files contain kernel +version specific information (so those headers are part of the kernel +sources of the version that they belong to). + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/libdisk + (Source: <1992Oct9.040653.7509@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + +October 9. David Johnson told that he had hacked gnuplot 3.2 for X11 +under Linux, and had sent the source code to tsx-11; he did not +provide binaries due to an old compiler and slow upload connections. + Leon Dent reported that the patches for 3.1 with VGA also worked +for him with 3.2. + (Source: <1992Oct9.053806.29092@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu>) + +October 9. H.J. Lu released a new version of his bootable rootdisk. +This version is based on kernel version 0.98 pl 1, and also updates +compress to 4.2.4. + There were some problems with corrupt versions on tsx-11, but they +should be corrected by now. If you downloaded before this date, and +are having problems, you might want to try downloading again. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/rootdisk + (Sources: <1992Oct9.062632.10646@serval.net.wsu.edu>, +<1992Oct9.184533.18763@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + +October 9. Bruno Haible announced that CLISP, a Common Lisp +implementation, is available for Linux. He says it is mostly CLtL1 +compliant. + The files are packed with LHA, so you need a copy of that to +unpack them. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/packages/lisp, and +ma2s2.mathematik.uni-karlsruhe.de [129.13.115.2]:/pub/lisp/clisp/linux +(this latter one is will always contain the newest version). + (Source: <1992Oct9.230722.27309@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>) + + + +October 10. Bruno Haible announced a port of MAXIMA for Linux. It is +an implementation of Macsyma in Lisp by Bill Schelter, and requires +CLISP (see above). + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/packages/lisp + (Source: <1992Oct10.010541.22905@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>) diff --git a/linux-news-2 b/linux-news-2 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a186b74 --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-2 @@ -0,0 +1,273 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #2 (October 10-17, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #2, October 10 through 17, 1992 + + + "Still going strong!" + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- Linux News available via mail +- SLS 0.98pl1 released, initial problems due to pressure to release early +- New version of H.J. Lu's Linux Base System adds zip, unzip, tput, file +- Mailing list for reporting on systems that work or don't work with Linux +- Program to run multiple sessions over a modem line available +- Linux in the limelight: a listing of magazines that mention Linux + + +**** Editorial + +I had some doubts about the market demand for Linux News, and boy was +I wrong. To date I have received a couple of dozen encouraging mail +messages. Thanks. Because of this, I have committed myself to doing +Linux News for the foreseeable future (at least a few months). +However, don't take that committment too seriously: Linux News is not +a high priority project for me, and if I do not have time to finish an +issue, I will postpone it. If possible, though, I will attempt to +publish an issue some time around every weekend. I am hoping to be +able to allocate some time each Saturday to put together a new issue, +but don't count on it. (If you don't see anything for a couple of +weeks, then ask, but preferably not before.) + +I have created a new channel on the Linux-Activists mailing list. It +is called LINUXNEWS, and I will send each issue to this list as well +as post it to comp.os.linux. If you are not interested in searching +through the newsgroup for the article, you can join the mailing list +channel and get it via mail. In order to do this, send an empty mail +to + + linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi + +This will give you a help text for the mailing list (you do want this, +and you want to save it, in order to be able to get off the list). Then +send another mail with the following mail body to actually join the +Linux News channel: + + X-Mn-Admin: join linuxnews + +You should get a confirmation in reply. + +I plan to start doing a TeX or LaTeX version of Linux News for people +who want nice hardcopies. There was at least one person requesting +that, and even offering to do the conversion himself (thanks for the +offer, and one LaTeXed version). The idea is that in places with +relatively high concentrations of Linux users (universities, computer +clubs, etc), it might be worth it to print out one nicely looking +version, make copies of that, and hand it out to interested parties. +This could even lure new users to Linux. (If you must know, the real +reason for doing a typeset version is an excuse to be able to play +around with TeX/LaTeX, something which I have wanted to do for a long +time, but haven't done, partly because of a lack of a real project.) + +I considered doing a Texinfo version, and played around for with it +for a few hours, but Texinfo doesn't have enough versatility as a +typesetting language to give the look that I want (it is more directed +towards typesetting manuals, not newspapers), nor have I thought of a +good way to break up things for hypertext. So I will only do (La)TeX +and plain ascii versions. Unless there is much opposition, I will +post both to both the newsgroup and the mailing list. + +The Finnish University Network had problems with news flow most of the +week (the central news machine for the network did evil things to its +hard disks). Because of this, I may have missed some announcements. +If you find that something is missing, drop me a note (this applies +always, of course). Also, if you want to be certain that I see an +announcement in the future, send it to me via mail, and include the +words "Linux News" in the subject. + + +**** 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). + + +**** News section + +October 10. H.J. Lu released a new version of the Linux Base System. +The new version includes zip 1.9p1, unzip 5.0, tput 1.0, and the file +command. + The Base System is a set of three Minix filesystem floppies that +contain many packages, all compiled with the latest compiler and +libraries. However, it is neither as complete as the MCC or SLS +distributions, nor as well documented, so it is not as suitable for +inexperienced people. On the other hand, if you want up to date +binaries, try it out. + LBS is intended to be used with H.J. Lu's bootable root disk, since +the former lacks the shared library images. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/GCC/basedisk/ + (Source: <1992Oct10.194038.4413@serval.net.wsu.edu>) + + +October 12. Eugenio Sanchez posted the charter for the CONFIGS +channel on the linux-activists mailing list. From the charter: ``This +channel will be devoted to send submissions of systems that have Linux +already running, AND those that, for any reason, can't get it to work +yet.'' + The intention is to create a place where working and non-working +configurations can be listed. Mr. Sanchez will be collecting +configurations until November 30, when his account expires. + (Source: <6107@mtecv2.mty.itesm.mx>) + + +October 13. Peter Williams announced a recompiled metafont. The new +version has been compiled using the latest X11 libraries (version +2.1), and jump table shared libraries (version 4.1). The only binary +affected is virmf (the only one using X11). + FTP: archsci.arch.su.edu.au (129.78.66.1): +pub/linux/tex-etc/Jump.4.1.version/mf.X2.1.T.Z (the updated binary, +also included in the current texetc.bin.T.Z package, so you need to +get only that if you are getting the files for the first time). + (Source: <1992Oct13.015559.10299@ucc.su.OZ.AU>) + + +October 14. Jonathan Badger reported that his upload of Sail 5.2 +(some kind of game) is now available on sunsite.unc.edu, and will +eventually be available on tsx-11. + Jonathan commented that ``people must really want games!'', and +said that porting BSD games isn't very difficult. Perhaps we can look +forward to a number of new game ports by other people in the future? + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: /pub/Linux/games/sail.tar.Z + (Source: ) + + +October 14. Nicolai Langfeldt announced his uploads of several +programs for X11. Ghostscript 2.5.2, a PostScript interpreter that +can output in a variety of formats, including X11 preview, xcolors, a +program for X11 to show colors on screen, xviewgl, a program to view +GL animation files, and xman-groff, a version of xman that uses groff +(the xman in the Xfree86-1.1 distribution uses nroff). + Nicolai said that all ports were trivial, so no sources or patches +were provided. The packages contain binaries, auxiliary files, and +any included documentation. The programs were compiled with gcc +2.2.2d7 for Xfree86-1.1, and use jump tables. + FTP: nic.funet.fi and tsx-11.mit.edu: gs252.tar.Z, xcolors.Z, +xviewgl.tar.Z, xman-groff.T.Z. (No directories given in annoucement.) + (Source: <1992Oct14.085547.18773@ifi.uio.no>) + + +October 14. Michael O'Reilly said that his program for running +multiple sessions (including file transfer) over a modem line was up +for ftp. He claims it is more efficient than SLIP. His program +features compression and error correction (since his modem doesn't). + FTP: tartarus.uwa.edu.au: /pub/oreillym/term061.tar.Z + (Source: <1bhdgbINNfhp@tartarus.uwa.edu.au>) + + +October 15. The eagerly awaited update of SLS to version 0.98 came +this week. The first versions had problems with file permissions and +similar things, but things should have settled down now and the +current version should be fairly ok. The kernel is version 0.98pl1. + Peter MacDonald, who does the SLS release, reports that most of the +problems were due to doing a release too quickly, and that that was +because of to too many people putting pressure on him to release +quickly, and notes that patience is a major virtue for Linux users. +Hopefully people will be a bit more patient in the future, so that new +releases don't have to be followed by several fixes in a couple of +days. + If you have downloaded some of the earlier versions of 0.98, you +can update using the SLS update mechanism (see SLS documentation), +instead of getting everything again. [ There was a new fix announced +October 16. It fixes an installation problem with soft links. Get +the newest a4/zafixtaz or Perms.fix. ] + SLS is an easily installed Linux distribution package, with all of +the important (and much of the unimportant) software included in a +hopefully coherent whole. SLS and MCC (another similar package) are +the recommended starting places if you are new to Linux. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:pub/linux/SLS/ + (Source: <1992Oct15.140231.24734@athena.mit.edu>) + + +October 15. R. Ramesh announced his upload of a kermit binary to +tsx-11. This is version 5A(183), and is compiled with gcc 222d7 and +jump 4.1. + This is a beta version of kermit. The original source supports +Linux (makefile target linuxgcc2), so porting is not needed. + Ramesh also said that he had uploaded groff 1.05 and utila-1.0 +compiled with gcc 2.2.2d7 and jump table 4.1, but that announcement +had disappeared. Further, he said that the faith_FSF stuff on tsx-11 +should no longer be used, since they have been made obsolete newer +uploads. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu (filename not given in announcement), +watson.cc.columbia.edu: /kermit/sw/ck183.tar.Z (original source) + (Source: <1992Oct15.152945.10690@utdallas.edu>) + + +October 15 and 16. Peter Williams said that he had made a binaries of +version 5.495 of dvips (a TeX .dvi file to PostScript converter) +available. + He said that the compilation is straightforward, but that it +requires the standard Unix line editor ed, which is not very common on +Linux systems. He did point to a version available on tsx-11. + FTP: archsci.arch.su.edu.au (129.78.66.1): +pub/linux/tex-etc/Jump.4.1.version/dvips5495.T.Z (Linux binaries); +labrea.stanford.edu: pub/dvips5495.tar.Z, pub/dvips5493lib.tar.Z +(original sources); tsx-11.mit.edu: pub/linux/apps/ed.c (ed source for +Linux) + (Sources: <1992Oct15.234923.18691@ucc.su.OZ.AU> +<1992Oct16.023526.964@ucc.su.OZ.AU>) + + +**** Xref section + +Linux has been mentioned and is expected to be mentioned in the near +future in various magazines. This is a summary of what has been +discussed on comp.os.linux and sent to me via mail. I have not been +able to verify most of the reports, since I do not have access to most +of these magazines (neither does Linus, btw; he probably doesn't mind +getting a copy, hint, hint). If you know of additional articles (or +books :-), send me a note. + +iX, a small German magazine, had an article in issue ??? about Linux. +(This one I have seen.) + +Computer Shopper, a US publication (I think), has an article in the +September issue that compares Unices for 386's and mentions Linux and +386BSD shortly. + +SuperASCII, a Japanese magazine, has an article in VOL.3 #10 October +1992. This is a comparison of BSD, Mach, Linux, and others. Linux +gets 8 pages, including instructions on how to get and install it. + +UnixWorld and Unix Review, two American magazines, mention Linux in +their October issues (only a line each or so, though). + +Algorithm, a hobbyist magazine, devotes most of its MicroScope column +to Linux in the October-November issue. The column is written by +Claude Morin. + +C'T, a German magazine, has an article on Linux in the November issue +(out October 15). The article is reported to be pretty positive. I +was told that it discusses Linux in general, history, development, +properties, hardware requirements, features, some of the available +software, and how to get it via FTP, but not installation, or newbie +advice. It also discusses the distributed development. + +ComputerTotaal, probably a Dutch magazine, will have an article about +Linux in the December issue, by Hans Oey and Joost Helberg. + +Source posts: +<1992Oct14.181622.16550@fwi.uva.nl> + +<1992Oct15.135102.20986@cs.ucla.edu> +<2950@nlsun1.oracle.nl> + +<1992Oct16.031804.18362@julian.uwo.ca> diff --git a/linux-news-3 b/linux-news-3 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1d22be8 --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-3 @@ -0,0 +1,622 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #3 (October 18-26, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #3, October 18 through 26, 1992 + + + "The nightmare continues" + + + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- Kernel 0.98.pl2 is out, but not very usable due to new error trapping +- ed is here, editor wars are over +- man pages for SLS +- Pirates BBS v1.9 available +- new RaWrite available +- xv 2.21 available +- Newspak available +- Kernel 0.98.pl3 is also out, with NULL pointer fixes +- more magazine articles +- Wizardly interview + + +**** Editorial + +As you may have noticed, it isn't Saturday, which means that this issue +is a bit late. Sorry about that. The reason (but not an aplogoy, I +told you this was going to happen!) is that I decided I'd better keep +deadlines for studies instead. (Incidentally, the same thing happened +to Linus, which caused 0.98.pl3 to be a few days late.) + +Because of the lateness, and because I was somewhat busy and tired +during the weekend (up for 32 hours Sunday to Monday, returned the +report on the school project 5 minutes before deadline), I have probably +not been able to catch many announcements. I have also not been very +motivated today to write extensive summaries, so some of the +announcements are very short (I slept for about 13 hours, but I'm still +sleepy). + +For those waiting for a typeset version of Linux News: you'll have to +wait some more. I have made typeset versions of issues 1 and 2, but the +look is not necessarily what I want: it doesn't particularly look like a +newsletter, nor is it particularly inviting. I will see if I can get +some expert help in designing a better look (if you have experience with +making a layout for newsletters, I'd like to hear from you). + +Issue 2 added an section that lists magazine articles that mention +Linux. This issue adds an interview section. Hopefully this section +will be appearing again, if I can get the energy to do a new interview +(not that this one was particularly tiresome), and can find new victims. + + +**** 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). + + +**** News section + + +October 18. Linus released kernel version 0.98 patchlevel 2. He made +available both the full source and diffs from patchlevel 1. New in +this version: + * The new version contains a new FPU-emulator by Bill Metzenthen. +Bigger than the old one by Linus, but instead of only doing a few of +the most important instructions, it emulates the whole 387 instruction +set. It is also much faster than the old emulator + the soft math +library. The new emulator will make a separate soft-float library +unnecessary, which should simplify GCC distribution a bit. + * Minor memory management fixes. Actually, one of the minor fixes, +the trapping of kernel NULL dereferences, proved to break a lot code. +While this is normally a bad thing, in this case it is very good, +since it made a lot of kernel or driver bugs show up. Unfortunately, +0.98.pl2 is not necessarily usable on many computers, since the kernel +bugs creep up too often. + * SCSI driver changes by Eric Youngdale. Mostly bug-fixes. + * Some TCP/IP patches. TCP/IP is still alpha, has not been +extensively tested, and is probably not up to real use yet. + * Psaux mouse patches by Dean Troyer. + Starting with this version, Linus will no longer be making +bootdisks. That task will be taken over by H.J. Lu and Jim Winstead. + Note: 0.98.pl3 was also announced, see later in this issue. + FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/testing/Linus/ (you need to cd to +it blindly, since testing is unreadable). + (Source: <1992Oct18.144546.28249@klaava.Helsinki.FI>) + + +October 19. Peter Williams announced a debugged version of ed, the +Unix line editor, courtesy of Bill Metzenthen. ed is used mostly by +patch and shell scripts. In the early days of Unix (when paper +teletypes were common) ed was used as the primary editor (these are +referred to as ``the good old times''). Actually, that was the editor +that the Linux News editor used when his modem was 1200 bps and his +terminal program didn't work (these are not referred to as TGOT). + FTP: archsci.arch.su.edu.au (129.78.66.1): pub/linux/apps/ed.tar.Z +(both source and binary). + (Source: <1992Oct19.232055.29209@ucc.su.OZ.AU>) + + +October 20. Peter MacDonald announced an update to SLS. It contains +manual pages that were accidentally removed in a previous release. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: disk b5 (presumably under pub/linux/SLS/) + (Source: <1992Oct20.021600.28568@athena.mit.edu>) + + +October 20. David Black announced Pirates BBS v1.9 for Linux. It is +a multiuser bulletin board system. Working kernel TCP/IP is required, +and 10 MB of disk space is recommended. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/Incoming: pbbs-1.9.tar.Z + (Source: ) + + +October 20. Olaf Erb announced Wampes with Linux support. The +announcement didn't describe what it was. + FTP: ucsd.edu:/hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming/wampes-921019.tar.Z + (Source: <1992Oct20.180014.13048@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>) + + +October 20. Thomas Dunbar announced a port of GNU's free-standing +info file reader. This package allows you to read the GNU on-line +documentation, instead of doing it from within GNU Emacs. Also +included are makeinfo and texindex, used for formatting info files +from texinfo source code. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/packages/TeX/Info.tar.Z (source +code), Info.Z and makeinfo.Z (binaries). + (Source: <8489@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>) + + +October 21. Mark Becker, the author of RaWrite, announced a new +version. The new version is supposed to run on ``nearly everything +claiming to be compatible with the original IBM-PC''. + RaWrite is an MS-DOS utility that is used to write out disk images +(e.g. bootdisks) onto floppies. Under Linux the equivalent command is +``dd if=diskimage of=/dev/fd0'' (if you want to write to the first +floppy). It is not possible to just copy the floppy image file to the +floppy under MS-DOS, since that will require the floppy to have the +DOS filesystem on it, which means that the disk will have extraneous +stuff on it, not just the parts in the image file. + FTP: ftp.ai.mit.edu: pub/mbeck/rawrite3.zip + (Source: <29679@life.ai.mit.edu>) + + +October 21. Larry Butler announced an upload of xv 2.21 binaries. There +was trouble with his first upload (compiled with debugging and hence +very large binaries), but that got fixed quickly. + xv is a program for X that displays pictures in several different +formats. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: /pub/Linux/Incoming/ + (Source: <1992Oct21.045610.5294@cs.tulane.edu>) + + +October 23. Matthew Lewis announced an upload of dclock, an X clock +with alarm. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: /pub/Linux/Incoming/dclock.taz + (Source: <1ca2b1INN1ht@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>) + + +October 25. Toomas Losin announced tvgalib, a graphics library for +Trident 8900C cards. This is based on the vgalib library, which is for +generic VGA. Neither requires or has anything to do with X or other +windowing systems. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu (final pathname not given) + (Source: <16746@mindlink.bc.ca>) + + +October 26. Qi Xia announced a new program cksum, a (mostly) Posix +conforming checksum program (not compatible with Unix sum). + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/Incoming + (Source: <1992Oct26.172852.23913@sol.ctr.columbia.edu>) + + +October 26. Vince Skahan announced an upload of Newspak v1.0. It is a +package of programs related to Usenet news ported to Linux. The +included programs are: C-news (12/22/91), tin (1.1pl4), trn (2.2), smail +(3.1.28). + Newspak uses programs from Mailpak (by Ed Carp), which provided uucp +and mail for Linux. (You don't necessarily need Mailpak, if you have +equivalent programs otherwise, e.g. from SLS.) + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/Incoming/newspak/ (probably moved +elsewhere by the time you read this) + (Source: <1992Oct26.153845.215@victrola.sea.wa.us>) + + +October 26. Thomas Dunbar announced TeX packaged as an SLS package. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/packages/SLS/t[1-5] + (Source: <8748@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>) + + +October 27. Linus Torvalds (a.k.a. the Grand Wizard) announced patches +for kernel 0.98.3. No complete sources as of this writing (should come +up soon). + The new version should correct most of the kernel NULL pointer +reference problems (see earlier announcement). + FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/testing/Linus/linux-0.98.patch3.Z + (Source: <1992Oct27.040101.28497@klaava.Helsinki.FI>) + + +**** Xref section + +Last week I had compiled a list of magazines that mention Linux. I +have since then received a couple of updates, listed below. I will +make a complete list in some future issue. + +If you know of any additional articles, please send me a note that +tells which magazine and issue the article is in. Page numbers would be +nice too. + +I am usually unable to verify the information, since I have access +only to a rather small number of magazines. + + +CVu, the magazine of the C User Group (UK), has had regular articles (or +columns) about Linux for about the last six months. I received an +e-mailed copy of one article, which contained updates about various +parts of and projects around Linux (TCP/IP, distributions, etc). + +The Computer Journal, a small American magazine, has also mentioned +Linux in several issue. The magazine was described to me in a way that +made it sound very much oriented towards hackers: one recent article +described how to build an IDE disk controller for CP/M. (They obviously +cover more than CP/M.) + + +*** Interview + +Why is Linux News better than BYTE, CACM, the National Inquirer, and +sliced bread? We interview Linus! In this first-ever, breathtaking, +revealing interview, the Grand Wizard Linus tells it all! Well, +almost... + + +LN: Tell us a bit of yourself and your background. Age, + education, occupation, family, pets, hobbies, computing + history, etc. + +Linus: Hmm. I'm 22 (as some avid kernel source readers have already + found out: there is a hidden clue in there somewhere...), and am + (slowly) working my way towards a fil.kand (MSc? whatever) in + computer science at the University of Helsinki. I'm currently + in my fourth year (hmm.. fifth, but one was spent in the army) + of studies, and I expect to sit here studying for a long time to + come. + + I still live at home (which is why I can afford to work on Linux + and study at the same time without working too) with my (100% + white) cat (Mithrandir, but it's called everything from "randi" + to "klomppen" depending on my mood) and my sister and mother. + The fun never ends. + + I started with computers (a VIC-20) when I was about 11, first + with BASIC, then learning 6502 machine code (assemblers are for + wimps). I looked on with envy while my friends got their C-64's + (I didn't have any more money then than I have now), but was + eventually able to get a Sinclair QL and get some real + programming done under a multitasking (albeit somewhat weird) + system. + + On the sinclair QL I continued to program in assembly (The QL + BASIC (SuperBasic) was ok, but I wasn't interested), and I wrote + various more-or-less useless programs (ranging from a FORTH + compiler and an editor-assembler system of my own to pac-man to + a msdos compatible floppy disk driver). The QL was a fun + machine, but there weren't very many of them in Finland, and + although I was generally happy to write my own programs (still + am), it did teach me to buy hardware that actually is supported. + +LN: When and why did you start writing Linux? + +Linus: I took this course on UNIX and C at the university in the fall + of 1990, and I got hooked. I had naturally seen some of the + PC-contemptibles running msdos, and I was relatively happy with + my QL, although some of the 386's were a lot faster. But one of + the books we read during the course was "Operating Systems, + Design and Implementation" by Tanenbaum, and that way I learnt + about Minix. I wanted my home machine to have a similar setup + to the suns at the university, and Minix seemed like a good + candidate. + + So when I had scrounged up enough money, I bought myself an + AT-386 compatible machine (well.. I didn't have enough money, + so I'm still paying on it, but it seems I'll get enough money + for Linux to finally pay off the last rates). I had long since + decided that anything less than a 386 wasn't worth it, and with + Minix on it, I thought I'd have a nice enough system. + + As it turned out, Minix wasn't available in Finland (at least I + wasn't able to find it easily), so while I got my machine on + January 5th 1991 (easy date to remember due to the monthly + payments :-), I was forced to run DOS on it for a couple of + months while waiting for the Minix disks. So Jan-Feb was spent + about 70-30 playing "Prince of Persia" and getting aquainted + with the machine. + + When Minix finally arrived, I had solved "PoP", and knew a + smattering of 386 machine code (enough to be able to get the + machine into protected mode and sit there looping). So I + installed Minix (leaving some room for "PoP" on a DOS + partition), and started hacking. + + Getting Minix wasn't altogether a pleasant experience: the + keyboard bindings were wrong, and it didn't exactly act like the + suns I was used to (ugghh. I *hate* the bourne shell for + interactive work). The keyboard was easy to correct (although I + didn't like the Minix keyboard driver code), and applying Bruce + Evans' 386-patches made the system a bit more "real". + + So somewhere around March-91, I had a 386 system running + Minix-386, and I was able to install awb's gcc-1.37.1 port. + After that, I was able to port bash to the resulting mess, and + things looked a bit better. I also spent my time generally + fooling around (porting gcc-1.40 and various other programs), + and kept on learning about the 386 while doing so (writing small + boot-disks that would set up a protected mode environment and + print out various inane messages). + + I had noticed by that time that Minix wasn't enough even with + the 386 patches (various troublesome problems: no job control, + ugly memory management, no fpu support etc). So I slowly + started to try to make something out of my protected mode + trials, and the result is Linux. + +LN: Please give a short summary of the history of Linux. + +Linus: Difficult. "Linux" didn't really exist until about August-91 - + before that what I had was essentially just a very basic + protected mode system that had evolved from a glorified "Hello + world" program into a even more glorified terminal emulator. + Linux stopped for quite a while at the terminal emulator stage: + I played around with Minix, and used my protected mode program + to read news from the univerity machine. No down/upload, but it + did a fair vt100 emulation, and did it by using two tasks which + communicated from keybodard->modem and modem->screen. + + By mid-summer -91, "Linux" was able to read the disk (joyful + moment), and eventually had a small and stupid disk driver and a + simple buffer cache. So I started out trying to make a + filesystem, and used the Minix fs for simple practical reasons: + that way I already had a file layout I could test things on. + After some more programming (talk about glossing things over), I + had a very simple UNIX that had some of the basic + functionalities of the real thing: I could run small + test-programs under it. + + By that time I looked around for some standards texts - I + decided early on that I didn't want to write the user-level + programs, and that in order to easily port things I'd either + have to make the new system compatible with Minix (ugghh) or + follow some other kind of standard. What I wanted was a POSIX + guide, not so much to be 100% posix, but in order not to do + anything really stupid I'd regret later. + + My quest for the posix standards failed, as the posix standard + committee sells the standard to feed itself as I found out, but + I did get a good pointer to the (then very alpha and + unsupported) GNU libc.a, which had an early manual accompanying + it. The manual was of some help, but the biggest help was + actually the contact to the person who pointed it out to me: + arl@sauna.hut.fi. He was/is the organizer of the pub/OS + subdirectory at nic.funet.fi, and was interested in giving Linux + a home at nic. + + Back then, I was only idly thinking about making my system + available (and I had no real time-table), but arl happily + created a pub/OS/Linux subdirectory at nic, and thus also gave + the system it's name. I wasn't really ready for a release yet, + so the directory contained just a README for about a month + ("this directory is for the freely distributable Minix clone" or + something like that). Arl probably thought the project wouldn't + come to anything. + + Anyway, around the end of August-91 or so, I had a system that + actually worked somewhat: I was able to run the Minix shell + (recompiled with new libraries) under it, and some other things + also worked. I released Linux-0.01 in September, telling about + it by mail to those who had shown interest in it when I asked + around on the minix newsgroup. 0.01 was a source-only release, + and I don't think anybody actually compiled it, but it was a + statement of intent, and people could look at the sources if + they wished. I don't think more than about 5-10 people ever + looked at it - I wasn't yet too happy about it, so I didn't + announce it publically anywhere. + + A few weeks later (October 5th by the minix news-archives), I + had gotten my act together sufficiently to release 0.02, along + with a couple of binaries you could run under Linux (bash, gcc, + update and sync, I believe). It still needed minix-386 to + compile the kernel, as the harddisk parameters were hardcoded + into the hd driver, but I know some people had it up and + running: arl even sent me some ftp-statistics about it (which + I've sadly deleted by now). Gcc wasn't reliable under linux + yet: it couldn't compile big files due to various buffer-cache + problems, but you could get small programs going even under + 0.02. + + Not much later, I released 0.03, which actually worked pretty + well - the buffer cache mostly worked, as did most other things. + Heady with my unexpected success, I called the next version + 0.10, and by that time I already got comments from early + beta-testers, as well as actual patches. The linux community + wasn't much: maybe 10-20 minix users who enjoyed hacking a new + kernel. + + After 0.10 came 0.11, and things were pretty much plain sailing. + The system was stable enough to be used for further + developement, and it was "just" a matter of correcting bugs and + extending the system. I added swapping to the system in three + days just before X-mas 91, and was finally able to say that I + was no longer playing catch-up with Minix. The swapping code + was ugly and not very well tested: it actually had bad bugs in + it until I needed it myself when X11 came around, but it was + something of a milestone. The next version (0.12) came out + exactly (?) one year after I bought my computer (Jan 5th -92), + and it was the version that finally got popular: by that time it + was a very much valid alternative to Minix, and people started + getting interested. + + Later versions (0.95 etc) have had a lot of new features, and + quite a few bug-fixes. There have also been major re-writes + (first the fs was slowly changed to have a vfs layer, then the + kernel sleep/wakeup primitives got rewritten, and then the mm + got restructured). In spite of that, I think 0.12 was what + might have been called 1.0 - it had the basic features, and + worked. + +LN: Have you enjoyed the past year and a half? Have you liked some + things especially, have there been things you haven't liked? + +Linus: It's definitely been fun. Things have changed pretty radically: + the early couple of months were solitary hacking runs with 5-10 + reboots a day to check out bugfixes/features - seeing the system + evolve noticeably in a relatively short time. Now, most of my + Linux hacking time goes into design (new features do take some + more thought now) and/or administrative things like keeping up + with linux mails etc - it's seldom a question of 40+ hours a + week of pure hacking. + + Getting mail (within limits) is fun: especially if it's 99% + positive, as it has been. And people have been generally + enthusiastic, sending patches, ideas, requests for features, + etc. There are downsides: before the newsgroup got founded, I + often got more than 70 mails a day. Things have calmed down + significantly: while I still get 20-40 mails per day, many of + them are from the mailing-lists and not to me personally, so + that I can essentially ignore them if they aren't interesting. + + Negative things have been mostly due to driver problems: while + people have been very nice about it, it's still not fun getting + mail about "the system from hell that ate all their files". + Especially if I haven't had a clue about what could be wrong. + Other problems have included just lack of time and different + priorities: some people have gotten impatient when I haven't + included some special feature or other. I usually need some + kick-starting if it's not something I'm especially interested + in. + +LN: Why is Linux copylefted? The copyright was different in the + early versions. Why did it change? Do you support the GNU view + of software in general? What are your feelings about freeware, + shareware, and commercial software? + +Linus: One of the basic principles has always been being that it should + be freely distributable without any money-begging. I generally + dislike shareware: I feel guilty about not paying, so I don't + use it, but on the other hand it is irritating to know that it's + there. Illogical, but that's how I feel. + + Early versions of Linux had a very strict copyright: it + disallowed any payments at all (not even copying costs etc), + while otherwise being similar to the GNU copyleft (ie freely + distributable assuming full source is made available). It was + probably an over-reaction to the dislike I felt against the way + Minix had been set up: I thought (and still do) that Minix would + have been better off had it been freely available by ftp or + similar. + + The copyright got changed with version 0.12, as there were a + couple of mails even back then asking about the possibility of a + copying service or similar. After removing that clause from the + copying conditions, I essentially had the GNU copyleft (without + the legal verbiage), so I decided I might as well use the + copyleft as-is. And as Linux depended (still does) heavily on + copylefted programs, it's only natural that the kernel should be + copylefted as well. + +LN: When are you planning the 1.0 release, and what do you expect it + to include? + +Linus: I've planned the 1.0 release for a long time, and I've always + waited just a bit longer. Right now my final deadline is + "before X-mas", but I hope it would be ready before December. + No major new features: I want some cleanups and to get rid of + bugs, but it's nothing special I'm waiting for right now. + +LN: How do you feel about Minix, 386BSD, and Hurd and their authors? + Are they rivals, or or allies? + +Linus: 386BSD and Hurd are most definitely allies - I'll be happy to + help them any way I can (for 386BSD I was already able to help + with the math-emulator, and I've been in contact with some + others re: vm86 etc). If 386BSD had been available a year + earlier, I would probably never have started on Linux, but as it + is, I'm happy to say that 386BSD didn't automatically mean that + Linux wasn't worth it. Both 386BSD and Linux have their points, + and I naturally think Linux is more fun. + + As to Hurd, I don't know when it will be ready nor what it will + look like. But it will be different enough that I don't think + there is any point in considering it a rival. I doubt Linux + will be here to stay, and maybe Hurd is the wave of the future + (and maybe not), but at the very least it's an interesting + project. + + Minix... Hmm. It's no longer a rival, unless ast does + something really unexpected with it - the niches are simply too + different. Linux won't work on many machines that Minix runs + happily on (x86, x<3, amiga, mac etc), and even on a 386, Minix + is still probably preferable as a teaching tool due to the book. + But for anybody who used Minix to actually get a UNIX + environment at home, I don't see any reason to stay with it, as + both 386BSD and Linux are free and give much better features. + + On the other hand, I have to admit to a very unbecoming (but + understandable, I hope) feeling of glee when I saw that + c.o.linux had finally more readers than c.o.minix. There was a + heated discussion about Linux on the Minix newsgroup back when + c.o.linux (actually, alt.os.linux at that time) had just begun, + and ast tried to ridicule it (one of his comments on c.o.minix + being that I wouldn't have passed his course in OS design with + such a bad system..). Ast and I mailed about it, and it left a + slightly bitter after-taste. + +LN: The Jolitzes suggested a while ago a contest between 386BSD and + Linux, what do you think about it? + +Linus: I don't necessarily think it would be a good idea: I cannot + imagine how it would be "judged" or whatever. The only contact + Linux and 386BSD has had has been only positive (aside from + occasional flame-wars, but it's a religious argument..), and I + don't think there is any need to try to get any kind of rivalry + going. The argument seems to have been that such a contest + would make both systems better, but I frankly doubt that is the + case: both 386BSD and Linux will evolve even without any special + contest held between them, and a contest would just result in + more rivalry and flame-wars. + + Linux and 386BSD have totally different goals - 386BSD wants to + be BSD, while Linux just is whatever we make of it. 386BSD was + helpful in giving me some ideas (I read the Jolitz column in DDJ + with interest), and while it's a bit scary to have a big and + well known UNIX kernel that fills a similar niche as Linux, + there is no reason to choose one over the other on a larger + scale. People will prefer one or the other, and if either shows + itself to be much better/popular, so be it. + +LN: What about the future? Are you planning to support Linux, or do + you intend to retire and let it survive by itself? + +Linus: I'm most certainly going to continue to support it, until it + either dies out or merges with something else. That doesn't + necessarily mean I'll make weekly patches for the rest of my + life, but hopefully they won't be needed as much when things + stabilize. + +LN: Are you going to write a book about Linux? Or a detailed + history, > with all the gory details revelead? + +Linus: I don't like writing documentation, and writing a book is + certainly not planned. There is some pressure for me to write a + history, hope this interview will server at least partly as one. + And there certainly won't be any gory details: if there were, + I've already forgotten them (or flushed them: I have sadly + deleted my correspondence with ast along with all other old + mail. I simply don't have room for it, and I'm too lazy to back + it up.) + +LN: Is Linux your dream operating system? Are there things that you + dislike, or would like to do differently, if you would start + over from scratch? + +Linus: There are things I'd like to change - but then it wouldn't be + UNIX any more. There are good points to a microkernelish design + and distributed systems: I just haven't got the resources to do + anything about it. I'd like to do a more exotic system, with + better support for pending I/O, distribution of processes etc, + but with just one 386 at home, I'm not likely to do anything + about it in the next few years. And maybe I'll have found a new + area of interest by then anyway.. + + But in general, I think Linux does what I was looking for pretty + well. There are details I dislike in the kernel, but the basic + ideas have worked well, and there are no major ugly warts in the + Linux design. So in that way it is kind of a dream system - + just enough problems to keep up the interest, and keep it + evolving. No program is ever perfect, and operating systems are + interesting programs: there are a lot of things you have to keep + track of, and a lot of different ways you can solve the + problems. Linux does it one way: 386BSD has many basic + similarities in design, but some major differences in + implementation. Then there are OS's like Hurd (well, Mach right + now) and Amoeba which have a totally different design strategy, + giving different problems and solutions. There may be one right + way of doing things, but I doubt it: and Linux doesn't do too + badly. diff --git a/linux-news-4 b/linux-news-4 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bef600e --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-4 @@ -0,0 +1,216 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #4 (October 26 - November 6, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #4, October 26 through November 6, 1992 + + + "The rumors our demise are exaggarated" + + + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- comp.os.linux splitting in voting stage +- xsysinfo +- kernel 0.98 pl3 +- LILO version alpha.6 +- Updates to SLS +- tvtwm +- Xview3 libraries and tools +- poeigl 1.7 and admutil 1.4 +- Linus got some money + + +**** Editorial + +This issue is even more late than the previous one. I haven't had +time and energy to do very much about Linux News (and a bunch of other +things), so I missed last week completely, and even now this issue is +rather quickly done. Sorry about that. + +A major thing happening in comp.os.linux right now is the vote for +splitting the group into subgroups. This has been discussed sometimes +quite heatedly for a long time, and I won't say much more about it, +except that I personally hope for at least the creation of +comp.os.linux.announce, if only because it would make it easier for me +to do Linux News (I wouldn't have to hunt for announcements, I could +just pick them from one newsgroup). + + +**** 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). + + +**** News section + + +October 27. Gabor Herr announced xsysinfo, a program for X that +displays information about kernel parameters in a graphical form. The +displayed values are CPU load, CPU idela, memory size, cache size, and +swap size. + The program requires Linux 0.98 (or later), a working ps (0.97.6 or +later), the 4.1 jump libs and XFree 1.1. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: xsysinfo-1.0.tar.Z (in /incoming at time of +announcement, final directory not known); +sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/Incoming/. + (Source: <1992Oct27.111232.35261@news.th-darmstadt.de>) + + +October 27. Linus Torvalds announced version 0.98, patchlevel 3 of +the kernel. Both context diffs and full source are available. + 0.98 pl3 fixes the following things: + * all known NULL-pointer problems (see announcement of 0.98pl2 in +Linux News #3) + * minor 387-emulation problems + * ASK_SVGA, broken by pl2 + There are no new features. + IMPORTANT: There is a major bug in 0.98pl3. The bug will cause the +super-block to not be properly updated when mounting/unmounting +filesystems, which will destroy the filesystem. + FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/testing/Linus/ + (Source: <1992Oct27.194952.14193@klaava.Helsinki.FI> +<1992Oct29.121938.16664@klaava.Helsinki.FI>) + + +October 28. Werner Almesberger announced LILO version alpha.6. LILO +is a generic boot loader Linux, which allows one to boot Linux from +the hard disk. + The new version fixes bugs. Also, it should be better at booting +other operating systems. Problems with bootin MS-DOS 5 should be +fixed. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: pub/Linux/incoming/ and tsx-11.mit.edu: +pub/linux/ALPHA/lilo/, files lilo.6.tar.Z (source and documentation), +lilo.6.ps.Z (documentation in PostScript format). + (Source: <1992Oct28.023703.10271@bernina.ethz.ch>) + + +October 28. Linux News #3 contained an announcement of Wampes for +Linux, but it didn't include a description. Olaf Erb described it +today follows: + ``It is a package for packet-radio. It includes a program like +ka9q-net that allows logging into the unix machine over ax.25, NET/ROM +and telnet. It includes a convers-server, bbs program and some other +utils.'' + FTP: see previous issue. + (Source: <1992Oct28.205832.22507@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>) + + +October 29. Qi Xia announced bug fix version 0.9.1 of cksum. cksum +is a POSIX conforming checksum utility. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: pub/Linux/Incoming/ and tsx-11.mit.edu +(filenames or final directories not given). + (Source: <1992Oct29.162508.6753@sol.ctr.columbia.edu>) + + +November 1. Peter MacDonald announced new fixes for SLS. Check the +HISTORY file and obtain the packages that have been listed as changed, +especially the z?fix.taz packages (which are collections of patches +and fixes). + (Source: <1992Nov1.201314.11156@sol.UVic.CA>) + + +November 4. Peter MacDonald announced a new addition to SLS: the +Interviews programs idraw and iclass. They are in their own series, +in anticipation of the full Interviews environment. + (Source: <1992Nov4.175627.21814@sol.UVic.CA>) + + +November 5. Peter MacDonald announced new fixes for SLS. This should +fix the problems with permission problems in root. Also, ghostscript +with most drivers was added. + (Source: <1992Nov5.204626.314@sol.UVic.CA>) + + +October 30. R. Ramesh announced an upload of tvtwm, a window manager +for X. + All binaries were compiled with jump table 4.1, gcc 2.2.2d7 and +Xv2.1 shared libraries. tvtwm requires m4. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: /pub/Linux/Incoming/, files tvtwm-src.tar.Z, +tvtwm-bin.tar.Z and m4.Z. + (Source: <1992Oct30.161702.6567@utdallas.edu>) + + +November 1. Ed Rodda announced Pari 1.37 for Linux. It is a +sophisticated math solver. + FTP: math.ucla.edu: pub/pari (no binaries, but is reported to +compile easily). + (Source: <921031117@orca.wimsey.bc.ca>) + + +November 2. Kenneth Osterberg announced the Xview3 library and tools +ported for Linux. Xview is a user-interface toolkit for X. It +follows the Open Look GUI specification. + The package contains libxview.a, libolgx.a, olwm, olwmslave, +cmdtool/shelltool, props, textedit, and clock. Headerfiles for xview, +olgx, and pixrect, man pages, and online help files are also included. + This release contains binaries and diffs against xview sources. +Installation requires gcc. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: xview3.tar.Z (directory not yet known), +sunsite.unc.edu: /pub/Linux/incoming/. + (Source: ) + + +November 3. Peter Orbaek announced poeigl 1.7 and admutil 1.4. + Poeigl contains init, getty, login, hostname, mesg, users, who, and +write. + Admutils contains chsh, ctrlaltdel, init, last, newgrp, passwd, +shutdown, reboot, halt, fastboot, fasthalt, su, and an example +/etc/rc. + This is a source code only release. It should be compilable with +Linux 0.97pl4 and gcc 2.2.2. + FTP: nic.funet.fi and tsx-11.mit.edu: poeigl-1.7.tar.Z and +admutil-1.4.tar.Z (directories not known at time of announcement). +ftp.daimi.aau.dk: /pub/Linux-source/ (presumably the same filenames). + (Source: <1992Nov3.090246.29076@daimi.aau.dk>) + + +November 6. Peter Anvin announced the final sum for the USA Linux +fund collection, $785 and $750 after wire transfer charges. + Linus thanks everybody, and reports that his computer has now been +paid in full. He has also received other donations (both money and +things), for which he is also grateful. 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: ) + + +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: ) + + +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_ + MIT Student Information Processing Board + Cygnus Support + +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. diff --git a/linux-news-6 b/linux-news-6 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a11f56 --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-6 @@ -0,0 +1,191 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #6 (November 16 - 22, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #6, November 16 through 25, 1992 + + + + + + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- Back issues on LN via ftp +- New efsprogs +- SLS upgrades +- TeX upgrad in SLS +- 8-bit clean bash and rc +- ImageMagick +- Joe 1.0.5 +- Linux via Trickle +- BSD printer programs +- Sources for several Linux admin programs +- Seyon 1.1 + + +**** Editorial + +Back issues of Linux News are now available via anonymous FTP from +nic.funet.fi, directory /pub/OS/Linux/doc/Linux-News. This is an +archive of the LINUXNEWS channel on the linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi +mailing list. + +I will no longer be sending back issues via mail. + + +**** 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 17. Remy Card announced efsprogs version alpha 10.1. There +was a version alpha 10 announced the day before, but that contained a +bug, which was quickly fixed and now alpha 10.1 is the current +version. + efsprogs consists of mkefs and efsck, i.e. mkfs and fsck for the +extended filesystem. + Changes since version alpha 9 include man pages, and better +checking in efsck. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu, ftp-masi.ibp.fr [132.227.64.26]: +pub/linux/ALPHA/extfs, files efsprogs10.tar.Z (source and binary +programs), efsprogs10.src.tar.Z (source only programs), +efsprogs10.bin.tar.Z (binary only programs), efsprogs.p10.Z (patch to +upgrade from version alpha 9). + (Source: <1992Nov17.100225.13013@jussieu.fr>) + + +November 17. Peter MacDonald announced SLS upgrades. Changes include +upgrading the kernel to 0.98pl5 (with the test TCP/IP included in the +compiled kernel), fixing some configuration and permission problems +(e.g. X11 fonts), replacing some broken binaries. + Kernel 0.98pl5 will break some binaries, since it checks against +writing into the text segment. At least sc is affected. It is a good +idea to keep an older version of the kernel around. + FTP: The usual sites, check the HISTORY file for what files you +need. + (Source: <1992Nov17.182124.3273@sol.UVic.CA>) + + +November 17. Thomas Dunbar announced a slight update to TeX in SLS. +Fixes some problems, including a problem with xdvi. + FTP: the usual sites, t1/texman.taz, t2/texbin.taz. + (Source: <9709@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>) + + +November 18. Janne Himanka announced 8-bit clean versions of the +shells bash and rc. Bash is version 1.10 (since there are no patches +for 1.12). Rc is a clone of Plan 9's rc shell; Janne's version +includes GNU readline. + 8-bit cleanliness is preferred feature for most people who use +non-English languages, since their character sets are usually 8-bit, +instead of 7-bit ASCII. + FTP: nic.funet.fi:/pub/OS/Linux/util/shells/. + (Source: ) + + +November 19. Andrew J. Cosgriff announced binaries of ImageMagick +2.0. These binaries require the jumptable jpeg and tiff libraries by +Rob Hooft. + ImageMagick is a program for displaying images and converting them +between various forms. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu and tsx-11.mit.edu. + (Source: ) + + +November 20. Bruce Cheng announced diffs for ImageMagic 2.1. You +also need the original IM sources and the jump libs for different +image types. + FTP: export.lcs.mit.edu: /contrib/ (original sources), +sunsite.unc.edu: diff-imgik21.Z (diffs for Linux), libjpeg.a.Z (JPEG +lib version 3c), libtiff.a.Z (TIFF lib version 3.2b), liburt.a.Z (URT +lib version 3.1b). + (Source: ) + + +November 21. Joseph H Allen announced Joe version 1.0.5. Joe is a +small and fairly simple editor that has been on at least some versions +of Jim Winstead's rootdisk. There were several announcements for +versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.3 as well, but 1.0.5 seems to be the +current one. The summary of new features is too long to include here. + FTP: world.std.com: src/editors/joe1.0.5.tar.Z. + (Source: ) + + +November 20. Gustaf Neumann announced a Trickle server for Linux. +Trickle is a "caching file redistributor", which distributes files via +mail. + Addresses (all are the same machine, they just are for different +networks): TRICKLE@AWIWUW11.BITNET, TRICKLE@AWIWUW11.EARN, +TRICKLE@AWIWUW11.wu-wien.ac.at. + In order to use this, start by sending a mail to one of the above +addresses with a line containing "/HELP" and you should get a help +file in return mail. + (Source: <7222729118-34228@dec4.wu-wien.ac.at>) + + +November 20. Ross Biro announced a port of BSD's lpr package for +managing printer spools: lpr, lpq, and lprm. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu. + (Source: <1992Nov20.211004.9713@leland.Stanford.EDU>) + + +November 20. Jim Winstead announced a set of sources for +miscellaneous Linux utilities. Utilities included are: doshell, ed, +fdformat, fdisk, frag, fsck, kill, makehole, mkfs, mkswap, more, +pathnames, setfdprm, setroot, setserial, setterm, sync, update. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: system-0.98.tar.Z + (Source: <1992Nov20.213143.26320@muddcs.claremont.edu>) + + +November 21. M. Saggaf announced Seyon 1.1, a communications program +for X11. Version 1.0 was also announced recently. Note that there is +a Seyon channel on the linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi mailing list. + FTP: sipb.mit.edu: pub/seyon/ + (Source: <1992Nov21.080717.5816@athena.mit.edu>) diff --git a/linux-news-7 b/linux-news-7 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0843286 --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-7 @@ -0,0 +1,200 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #7 (November 22 - 28, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #6, November 22 through 28, 1992 + + + + + + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- linux-man and linux-serial are gone +- Rik Faith made new utilities binaries +- XConquer 5.5 +- Ingres +- dvi2pcl +- shadow login suite +- new FAQ +- Linux CD-ROM +- DikuMud +- Joe 1.0.7 +- SLS update +- ACM, a flight simulator +- Seyon 1.3 +- mbase 5.0 +- no new kernels + + +**** Editorial + +Um.., the mind is empty and I'm tired. I guess there won't be an +editorial tonight. + + +**** 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 20. Michael K. Johnson annouced the demise of the linux-man +and linux-serial mailing lists at stolaf.edu. They have been +superseded by the DOC and SERIAL channels on the +linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi mailing list (send an empty mail to +linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi to get a help text). + (Source: <1992Nov20.021027.15187@news.stolaf.edu>) + + +November 23. Rik Faith announced a set of binaries of a number of +utilities. Included are bison 1.19, gawk 2.14, GNU fileutils 1.34, +groff 1.06, make 3.62, GNU's version of patch 2.0.12u8, GNU shellutils +1.8, GNU tar 1.11.1, GNU textutils 1.3, and assorted utilities from +BSD. + Man pages and info documents have been included when available in +the original packages. The programs have been compiled with gcc +2.2.2d and the 4.1 jump libraries. + The files should be in a form suitable for the SLS sysinstall +program and can also be installed by hand. + FTP: ftp.cs.unc.edu:/pub/faith/linux/utils/, tsx-11.mit.edu, +sunsite.unc.edu. Too many files to mention. + (Source: <17828@borg.cs.unc.edu>) + + +November 23. Andrew J. Cosgriff announced his upload of XConquer 5.5 +binaries (presumably some kind of game). It needs the latest XFree +(libX11.so.2.1) and jumptables 4.1. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu, tsx-11.mit.edu; source from +export.lcs.mit.edu: xconq5.5.tar.Z + (Source: ) + + +November 24. Zeyd M. Ben-Halim announced a new version of his port to +Linux of Ingres, the relational database manager. Sources only, no +binaries. + FTP: ingres03.lzh (you need lha to unpack this, and byacc to +compile it). + (Source: <1992Nov24.104348.22837@netcom.com>) + + +November 23. Thomas Dunbar announced dvi2pcl, a TeX dvi file +converter for HP PaintJet XL printers. May also work with a DeskJet. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/packages/TeX/dvi2pcl-bin.tz. + (Source: <9894@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>) + + +November 24. Ed Carp announced a port of John Haugh's shadow login +password suite (version 3.2.2) for Linux. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:/incoming/shadow-3.2.2-linux.tar.Z (full +source), shadow-3.2.2-diffs.Z (patches against base distribution). + (Source: <1992Nov24.072848.2113@unislc.uucp>) + + +November 24. Marc-Michel Corsini uploaded and posted the newest FAQ. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: pub/linux/doc/FAQ. + + +November 24. Monty H. Brekke announced his upload of xv 2.21 +binaries. Xv is a program for viewing pictures; it supports several +image type. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: xv2.21bin.tar.Z + (Source: ) + + +November 25. Adam J. Richter announced a Linux CD-ROM. It contains +full sources, Linux 0.98.1, X, gcc, TeX, among other things. The +format is ISO 9660. The price is $99. No shipment outside of +US/Canada yet. Contact + Yggdrasil Computing, Incorporated + CDROM sales + PO Box 8418 + Berkeley, CA 94707-8418 +for more information. + (Source: <3814@news.cerf.net>) + + +November 25. Byong Pak announced his upload of DikuMud for Linux. It +is a multiplayer text adventure game in D&D style. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: diku-linux.tar.Z + (Source: ) + + +November 26. Joseph Allen announced version 1.0.7 of the editor Joe. +This new version includes shell windows, better support for 8-bit +characters, and bug fixes. + FTP: world.std.com: src/editors/joe1.0.7.tar.Z + (Source: ) + + +November 26. Peter MacDonald updated the version of SLS to the same +version that Softlanding Systems distributes. This should reduce a +few of the problems. As usual, if you want to upgrade, read the +HISTORY file. + (Source: <1992Nov26.210711.7078@sol.UVic.CA>) + + +November 26. John Hendrickson announced his upload of ACM, a flight +simulator for X. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu. + (Source: ) + + + +November 28. M. Saggaf announced Seyon 1.3, a terminal program for X. +The new version contains bug fixes and a few new features. + FTP: sipb.mit.edu: pub/seyon/ + (Source: <1992Nov28.024154.25143@athena.mit.edu>) + + +November 28. Zeyd M. Ben-Halim announced his upload of mbase 5.0. It +is a database. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu:/incoming, sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/Incoming, +file mbase.lzh. + (Source: <1992Nov28.110104.22179@netcom.com>) diff --git a/linux-news-8 b/linux-news-8 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9162d78 --- /dev/null +++ b/linux-news-8 @@ -0,0 +1,218 @@ +From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) +Subject: Linux News #8 (November 28 - December 19, 1992) + + + L i n u x N e w s + + A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community + + Issue #8, November 28 through December 19, 1992 + + + + + + + +**** Highlights in this issue + +- kernel now at 0.99 +- new newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce, comp.windows.x.i386unix +- the end of Linux News? +- mpeg-1.1 +- deliver +- TeX sources for Linux +- Lilo 0.7 +- xgraph +- efsprogs alpha 11 +- xphoon +- Newspak 1.1 +- ckermit +- mawk +- Seyon 1.5 +- Xcomm +- Epoch 4.2 +- SLS updates + + +**** Editorial + +In case you haven't noticed, I'm unusually late with this issue, about +three weeks. Sorry about that. Due to the large number of things +that I had saved for inclusion, and my chronic lack of time, I have +had to keep things very short in this issue, and have also skipped +unusually many things. + +Probably the biggest news at the moment is that "1.0 is coming, are +you ready?". Well, actually there is not that much to be ready about, +since 1.0 will not introduce many changes from the current kernel. +Unless you are dedicated into building your system from scratch, +you'll probably be best of with the SLS release, and if you update +your system to that, you can be fairly certain of having a +well-working system. + +Two other quite important things are two new newsgroups: +comp.os.linux.announce, and comp.windows.x.i386unix. If you don't +have the time to read all of comp.os.linux, but want to stay up to +date with what is happening with Linux (and are disgusted with the +delays with LN :), read that group. Also, if you have something to +announce that is of general interest for the Linux community, do it in +c.o.l.a. (Nice acronym, eh?) C.o.l.a will be gatewayed to a +mailing-list for those without Usenet access sometime in the future. + +The splitting vote for comp.os.linux failed to create the other +proposed groups. There will not be a new vote until at least six +months have passed since the previous one. + +Comp.windows.x.i386unix is intended for discussions about X on 386 +Unices, including Linux. It is a good idea to use it instead of +comp.os.linux for such discussions, since there is quite enough of +traffic in c.o.l as it is. + +Last, and probably least, I'm looking for a volunteer to take over +Linux News. I don't seem to be able to have enough time to do it +often enough and well enough, so I'd like to hand it over to somebody +else. Mail me if you are willing. I'd like somebody who has been +using Linux actively for some time so that she (or he :-) has some +understanding of what is going on and what various things are. +Alternatively, I might change LN into a non-periodic thing and only +publish and issue every few weeks or months, and include more articles +and less news items. (Might have to change the name too, then.) + + +**** 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. + +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 30. Scott A. Laird announced an upload of MPEG-1.1. It is a +program for viewing "movies" in the MPEG compressed format. Needs X. +Scott says he gets about 8 frames per second on a 486DX2/50 with ATI +Graphics Ultra, so it is probably not particularly fast on a 386SX... + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu (binary), toe.cs.berkeley.edu: +/pub/multimedia/mpeg/ (source). + (Source: <1992Nov30.070546.23765@midway.uchicago.edu>) + + +December 8. Matthew Donadio announced binaries for Deliver for Linux. +It is a program which delivers electronic mail once it has arrived at +a given machine. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: deliver.TZ + (Source: <1992Dec8.173324.19957@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 8. Thomas Dunbar announced Linux TeX source upload. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/packages/TeX, files web2c.taz +(essential things) and texweb.taz (misc source). + (Source: <1992Dec8.191750.22643@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 7. Werner Almesberger announced Lilo 0.7. Lilo is the Linux +Loader, the set of programs that allows Linux to boot from a hard disk. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: pub/linux/packages/lilo, files lilo.7.tar.Z +(sources for programs and docs), lilo.7.ps.Z (docs in PostScript +format). + (Source: <1992Dec7.062414.6307@bernina.ethz.ch>) + + +December 7. Isaac Wong announced xgraph for Linux. It is a +two-dimensional plotting program. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: xgraph.taz (source and binary). + (Source: <1992Dec7.193518.21471@netcom.com>) + + +December 9. Remy Card announced version alpha 11 of the extended +filesystem support programs. + FTP: ftp-masi.ibp.fr: /pub/linux/ALPHA/extfs/, tsx-11.mit.edu. + (Source: <1992Dec9.172910.22669@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 10. David Peterson announced binaries for xphoon. It is a + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu and tsx-11.mit.edu: phoonbin.tar.Z. + (Source: <1992Dec10.160753.22094@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 11. Vince Skahan announced Newspak-1.1. It is a set of +programs for setting up a Usenet site. It includes cnews, tin, trn, +and nn. It doesn't include UUCP or other networking, which you need +from elsewhere. + FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: /pub/Linux/System/news/ + (Source: <1992Dec11.170805.22139@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 12. hutchinson@wrair-emh1.army.mil announced ckermit5A(188) +and mawk 1.1.2 binaries upload. ckermit is a terminal / file +transmission program, mawk is an implementation of the AWK language. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: ckermit5A.188.tar.Z, mawk1.1.2bin.tar.Z + (Source: <1992Dec12.053016.6610@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 13. Linus released version 0.99 of the kernel. This +version should have all the functionality of 1.0, and should only be +changed to fix bugs before 1.0, which will hopefully be released +before the end of the year. + There were a couple of problems with 0.99, fixed by small patches +posted by Linus. + FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/PEOPLE/Linus: linux-0.99.tar.Z + (Source: <1992Dec13.193812.6958@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 13. M. Saggaf announced Seyon 1.5. It is a terminal program +for X. + FTP: sipb.mit.edu: /pub/seyon; also export.lcs.mit.edu, +nic.funet.fi, and sunsite.unc.edu. + (Source: <1992Dec13.194528.7230@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 14. Jeff Randall announced Xcomm patchlevel 5. It is a +terminal program. + FTP: xcomm3b-L1.5.src.tar.Z, xcomm3b-L1.5.bin.tar.Z + (Source: <1992Dec14.191822.12572@tc.cornell.edu>) + + +December 14. Thomas Dunbar uploaded a binary of Epoch-4.2. It is an +X version of GNU Emacs. + FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/packages/TeX/epoch42.taz + (Source: <10438@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>) + + +December 18. Ian Jackson announced archives of +comp.os.linux.announce, up to December 17. + FTP: nic.funet.fi, tsx-11.mit.edu, ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de, +sunsite.unc.edu, fgb1.fgb.mw.tu-muenchen.de, ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de, +ftp.win.tue.nl, ftp.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de, ftp.uni-kl.de. + (Source: <1992Dec18.194443.2246@tc.cornell.edu>) + +Lotsa dates. Peter MacDonald has been updating SLS fairly often. +The changes include: nfs and shadow password support, the syslogd +daemon, ghostscript, mailpak, and the 0.99 kernel. + Check the HISTORY file on ftp sites for more information. -- cgit v1.2.1