HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dje@sspiff.ampr.ab.ca (Doug Evans)
Subject: Re: Logging as root....bad idea?
Organization: Edmonton, Alberta
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 14:53:32 GMT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

unixsys@ssg.com (Rick Emerson) writes:
>c3460344@fsu1.cc.fsu.edu (C3460344) writes:
>
>> 
>> I use Linux on my PC at home.  It is in no way connected to any other 
>> machines, and I am the sole user of it.  Is there anything wrong with 
>> loggin in as root all the time?  Someone mentioned that it was a bad idea 
>> because you can delete/modify ANY file.  Well, what else would someone want 
>> but total controll over their system?  I have access to all of my DOS 
>> files...what's the big deal?
>> 
>
>Root has god-like powers.  When you sign on as a mere mortal and do
>something silly, there's a chance the system will simply smite you for your
>folly.  Do it under root and... oopsie!  Do yourself a favor and be mortal
>where possible.  <grin>
>
>Rick

I second this. Stay out of root except when you absolutely have to!

EG: shutdown, editing /etc/passwd, and other maintenance stuff.

DOS gets away with this partly because one can undelete a file
if one discovers one's mistake in time. With Unix(incl. Linux) that
ain't so easy. Some people have versions of rm that work like the
Macintosh trash can: the deleted files get moved to a temporary place
so they can be recovered if the deletion was in error.
But "rm" as shipped doesn't work like that.

You're only human and you *will* delete a file or make some other
silly mistake. Use the protection features of the o/s to protect
you from yourself.
-- 
Doug Evans               | "You're just supposed to sit here?"
dje@sspiff.ampr.ab.ca    |               - Worf in a mud bath.
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: chbarry@athena.mit.edu (Charles H. Barry)
Subject: Need help installing linux
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 14:25:51 GMT


I tried installing Linux last night to no avail.  I made it through
efdisk, mkfs, and pboot only to be greeted by a "kernal panic" error
when I tried to boot using my HD as root.

Linux Binaries:

Bootimage v0.96c
Rootimage v0.96
pboot (whichever version in on tsx-11.mit.edu)

System Configuration:

Gateway 386/33
4 MB RAM
Ultrastor ESDI controller  <- if this is the problem then you
                              probably don't have to read the
                              rest of my problem description 8^).

I followed the install directions and everything seemed to go o.k.

1) I used efdisk to change my 2nd partition (/dev/hda2) to a linux
   partition.
2) Rebooted my machine.
3) The boot disk reported:
        /dev/hda1 96373 DOS Large Volume ...
        /dev/hda2 51561 unknown type -127 ...
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                        I don't know why it doesn't recognize this
                        as a Linux part.  When I ran efdisk again
                        it, efdisk, did correctly identify this as
                        a Linux part.
4) I then ran 'mkfs -c /dev/hda2 51561'.  I got several error messages,
   but they seemed to be related to bad blocks.  The process ran
   through completion.
5) Install copied all of the executables and other files to the HD
   without a hitch.  Well, at least it didn't report any problems.
6) Got the message about modifying the boot disk to use the HD as root.
7) Since I don't have Norton's disk editor, I used pboot to change
   my bootimage.  Then I used rawrite to create a new boot disk.
8) Reset my computer with the new boot disk in AND....

After sok_init is finished get these messages:

Detected 0 disks 0 tapes total.
Drive 0:
  part 1 .....
  part 2 .....
Partition table ok.
ll_rw_block: Trying to read nonexisting block device.
bread failed
kernal panic: Unable to mount root.

I really want to get Linux running on my machine, so I would appreciate
and help or suggestions.

Thanks,

Chad Barry
chbarry@athena.mit.edu
From: duperval@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Duperval Laurent)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Uptime found.  Thanks to all
Date: 30 Jul 92 21:11:32 GMT
Organization: Universite de Montreal

Thank you for answering my previous post about uptime.  Fo anyone who may not
see my post (I cancelled it as soon as I got a response), I was looking for
uptime.  It can be found in the ps-0.96b.tar.Z file (or something that looks
quite like it) at your friendly neighborhood ftp site.

We now return you to your regurlarly scheduled newsfeed.

P.S.  BTW, noone answered yet:  when is Linux's birthday?  Let's have a
party!
-- 
Laurent Duperval
duperval@ere.umontreal.ca
duperval@jsp.umontreal.ca
"If you gotta go, you might as well go happy... or suprised"   -Me
From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Termios question: Semantics of VMIN/VTIME on Linux/SunOS ?
Date: 19 Jul 92 20:16:01 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki

In article <arumble.711530378@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> arumble@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (Anthony Rumble) writes:
>michael@gandalf.moria (Michael Haardt) writes:
>
>>  buff.c_cc[VMIN]=5;
>>  buff.c_cc[VTIME]=1;
>>  tcsetattr(file,TCSANOW,&buff);
>
>>I am no termios expert, but this code is intended to let a
>
>>  read(file,buffer,sizeof(buffer));
>>  
>>read as much characters as available, max sizeof(buffer) and return
>>after a short timeout if there are none.  Ok?

The way linux does this is (a) wait for at least one character (VMIN > 0
and VTIME > 0), (b) read as many characters as possible, with a timeout
of max 0.10 seconds between any of the first 5 characters.  Thus the
read can return:

-1:
	EINTR - a signal happened (but you usually don't see this: the
	        read is mostly re-tried after the signal is handled)

1-5:
	linux got one character, followed by four characters within the
	inter-character timeout given (VTIME = 1 -> 0.1 sec).

6-sizeof(buffer):
	after the fifth character there was actually more data
	available, without any timeout.

>I was under the impression that this should actually return on
>either 5 characters recieved, or sizeof(buffer), or timeout..

The only thing that I have that explains this all is the SunOS manpage,
so I cannot actually guarantee the above behaviour by linux is correct. 
Could somebody with the POSIX standard available actually check it out?

		Linus
From: djansa@shorty.cs.wisc.edu (Dean Jansa)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: X386 - Help please!
Date: 22 Jul 92 02:31:56 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Dept.


I am using mcc-interim 0.96c+ kernel, and the X11 that is supplied
with that release.  I cannot get X to run, I have tried eveything
short of standing on my head and running startx.
I get the error Server error: No Screens found.
Any ideas on that one, what should I have set that I don't??
Any Help would be great...

Thanks
Dean
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: erc@unislc.uucp (Ed Carp)
Subject: Re: Problems with mailpak
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:13:35 GMT

sweh@spuddy.uucp (Stephen Harris) writes:

: Got mailpak12 (12a I think!)
: 
: Tried to compile elm, and the program blows up in date.c
: It moans about the structure of timezone in line 70.
: 
: I'm running mcc-0.96c, with a 096cpl2+dosfs6 kernel.
: Also added /bin/echo script.
: 
: Any ideas?

<sigh>  You didn't read the instructions. :(

Redo "sh Configure".  When it asks you to edi tconfig.sh, do it.  Go down
to the bottom.  There is a line that looks like "define=bsd", or something
like that.  Undefine it.

Please read the complete README.elm before trying to compile elm.  The
latest mailpak might not have the changes installed - that's why they're in the
README :)
-- 
Ed Carp, N7EKG		erc@apple.com	<-- preferred email address!
"In wildness is the preservation of the world."  - Henry David Thoreau
** Member, Linux port team - uucp division ** :)   801/269-8125
From: davidsen@ariel.crd.GE.COM (william E Davidsen)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: FLT_DIG, tabs, FPU, yacc
Date: 22 Jul 92 15:40:10 GMT
Reply-To: davidsen@crd.ge.com (bill davidsen)
Organization: GE Corporate R&D Center, Schenectady NY

In article <1992Jul22.082501.20615@athena.mit.edu>, J.Jagger@sheffield-city-poly.ac.uk writes:

| Couple of other queries.
| 1. I hate a tab size of 8 in vi. I much prefer 4. How can I change
| this. Is there a port of tabs* anywhere?

  Real vi uses set tabstop=4, I don't have a linux system on the next to
look at elvis and see if it includes that.

| 2. I'm running tests to try and break C library code. How do I
| instruct gcc to link in the maths stuff? E.g. I've got a call to
| sqrt(-1.0) and include <float.h> and <math.h> but it doesn't resolve.

  Did you use -lm?

-- 
bill davidsen, GE Corp. R&D Center; Box 8; Schenectady NY 12345
	It never ceases to amaze me that otherwise rational people, able to
	understand calculus, compound interest, and the income tax form, can
	continue to believe that poker is a game of chance.
From: olpi@sbustd.rz.uni-sb.de (Oliver Pischke)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: LINUX 0.96 on my notebook
Date: 30 Jul 92 14:29:32 GMT
Organization: Studenten-Mail, Rechenzentrum Universitaet des Saarlandes

I am having troble installing LINUX 0.96 on my notebook. 
386SX25 60 mb IDE
1 serial at 3F8
1 paralell at 278 
2 meg RAM

ok, here's what happens:
after inserting ROOT:

shell-init: getwd: cannot access parent directories
init: no TERM or cannot stat tty
/etc/getty:/dev/tty1: Function not implemented




C
/etc/getty: /dev/tty2: Function not implemented 

and so forth until tty4 and than it starts back over
and keeps doing so til kingdom come.

Is it possible, that the initprogram is looking for
a 4-serial unix-capable Interface and doesn't find it ?
Or what ? I am lost.
Please reply by email rather than posting.

--------------------------
olpi@stud.unisb.de
Oliver P.
--------------------------
From: bg11+@andrew.cmu.edu (Brian E. Gallew)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: XLoadImage
Date: 22 Jul 92 09:37:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.oePNnSe00VI=BI=b8u
Organization: Junior, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I just compiled and uploaded XLoadImage to banjo.concert.net in
/pub/Linux/X11/Incoming/xloadimage.T.Z.  This file is both tarred and
compressed, and contains all of the sources, a Makefile, 2 README's,
and a .a.  The only problem I have enocuntered so far with it is that
the -fullscreen option uses *huge* amounts of storage, and will
quietly die if it runs out.  Also, you may want to edit the file
/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/XLoadImage to point to the correct public
image directories.

I hope this is the correct way to upload files (posting an
announcement to the net and cc'ing it to abc@concert.net).  I looked
through the last 3000 subject lines and couldn't find anything
appropriate, and it was not mentioned as being part of the FAQ in the
FAQ summary.

Alan:  Could the greets in the /pub/Linux/[,X11]/Incoming directories
mention how uploads should be handled?  Currently, the greet in
Linux/Incoming only says to contact you if there is a problem, and the
other one fails to mention you at all!

Shouldn't this be FAQ?


                                  -Brian

You drop the bomb -more-
It goes off... -more-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  My cluelessness is more real than apparent...                        |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  DEC measures their benchmarks with a calendar!!                      |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: jwinstea@jarthur.claremont.edu (Jim Winstead Jr.)
Subject: Re: mtools, compiling problems
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, WIBSTR
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 23:39:28 GMT

In article <5561@umriscc.isc.umr.edu> dminer@mcs213f.cs.umr.edu (Dan Miner) writes:
>	Well, I finally got around to updating my system.  I got
>bunches of stuff.  I have gcc 2.2.2 installed.  Now, I'm trying to 
>compile the mtools (the one that is one file for all) and I got
>a problem.  When linking, gcc complains that got_signal isn't there.
>Well, I looked and it's true.  I find references in three files but
>no where is it defined..  What's up with this?

Actually, got_signal is ifdef'ed out of some of the files, and I've
never been able to get it to compile without removing the ifdef's.  In
each of the files that gcc complains about, find the got_signal
function that is ifdef'ed out, and remove the ifdefs.  It should link
fine, then.

>Also, gcc complains about gets() in stdio.. saying that you shouldn't
>use it?  Why on earth is that in there?  If you have functions that
>are that unreliable, REMOVE IT!  I do believe it is ansi, so why say
>something like that?  *fume*

gets() is ANSI, that is why it *has* to remain in the library.  gets()
is unsafe because you cannot limit the size of the string that it
reads - if you pass it an array of length 10, it will gladly write 100
characters to that array and end up overwriting other data, causing a
seg fault, or doing something else not very nice.

You shouldn't use gets(), but you can do so, obviously.  You would be
better off replacing calls to it with fgets() or your own gets() that
will correctly limit the input and not go overwriting other things.

Be glad the warning is displayed when linking, instead of at run-time
like it used to.  That wasn't very nice.  :)
-- 
                                    +    Jim Winstead Jr. (CSci '95)
                                    |            Harvey Mudd College
                                    | jwinstea@jarthur.Claremont.EDU
                                    + This is all my words.  Honest!
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: corywest@is.rice.edu (Cory Richard West)
Subject: GDB 4.6 Questions (What's a .a good for anyway?)
Followup-To: comp.os.linux
Summary: Questions about gdb and .a files
Keywords: gdb 4.6 library
Organization: Rice University Computer Science
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 06:04:23 GMT

	Hello all.  I just built gdb 4.6 and I have some questions for
anyone else that may have had similar problems.  My hardware setup is a
486-33 running gcc 2.2.2d and .96c pl2.  I used the -m486 -O2 CFLAGS
and the -static LDFLAGS (explained below).
	First, gdb 4.6 always crashed with a memory corruption error
when I linked it dynamically.  I had to link it statically in order for
it to function.  Why is this?  Would using a different sharing scheme
(like the jump tables in gcc 2.2.2d) have overcome this problem?
	Second, along with a binary, I created a bunch of .a files.
Is there a reason that I should keep these libraries around?  I have
an old libiberty.a hanging around in /usr/local from an old gcc installation
if I remember correctly.  If I should keep these, where should I put
them.  I'm just curious, I guess, as to why these might or might not
be saving material.
	Ok, that's enough for now.  Many thanks and I'll see you all
later.

			Cory West, corywest@rice.edu

P.S.  One of the default CFLAGS is -g.  That produces a 3.5+ megabyte
binary and sucks up some 20 megabytes of disk while building.  I had
to compile twice because I missed this one -- Yuck!


Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: edmonds@cs.ubc.ca (Brian Edmonds)
Subject: Re: Running Linux: What Machines?
Organization: Computer Science, University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 21:23:19 GMT

mwalker@novell.com (Mel Walker) wrote:
>What is the minimum configuration to reasonably run Linux? I don't mean the
>bare bones minimum. If it can run under 4Meg, but really needs 8, tell me
>8. What graphics cards does it support? What HDs? etc. Does GNU emacs run
>on it? Is it a full/complete un*x, whatever that means? I would really like
>my un*x-clone to hack around with, but I need to know how much I'm going to
>have to spend on PC equipment. Right now I only have a Mac, so I'll be
>starting from scratch.
Well, from my experience, and what I've seen of others posting here,
the _minimum_ configuration is a 386sx/16 with 2M RAM.  Although, if
you really want to do any work on it, you'll want 4M RAM, and if you
want to run X reasonably, 8M is about right (running gcc under X I
usually end up swapping about 1M).  Speedwise, since you're buying a
new machine, I would think you'd want to go for at least a 386/33,
but a 486/25 isn't that much more, and you get the coprocessor built
in, so it's definitely worth considering.  Myself I'm running on a
486/33 with 8M RAM, and find the system a pleasure to use.  In terms
of disk space, I have an 80M IDE (16M swap -- growth room), and still
usually have 25M free with GCC and X (with 75dpi fonts) installed, so
you can get by with remarkably little.

In terms of linux' completeness, I use SunOS regularly, and have had
no trouble compiling almost all software that I use regularly on my
linux system.  Outside of the current lack of networking support,
linux is as complete as they come from my experience.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Edmonds (MSc CompSci)                          edmonds@cs.ubc.ca
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: jrs@world.std.com (Rick Sladkey)
Subject: Re: New Emacs binary?
Organization: The World
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 01:46:19 GMT

>>>>> On 25 Jul 92 15:20:05 GMT, fasciano@nil.IRO.UMontreal.CA
>>>>> (Massimo Fasciano) said:

Massimo> i was wondering if a binary (shared or static) of Emacs
Massimo> compiled with a recent (2.2.2) release of GCC was available
Massimo> somewhere?

I have compiled both shared and static versions of both standard and
X11 GNU Emacs but have not yet packaged and uploaded them.

Massimo> i kinda remember having seen a discussion about putting the
Massimo> new emacs in /usr/emacs v.s. /usr/local/emacs and i think
Massimo> /usr/emacs won (and i agree), so i believe somebody was
Massimo> working on a more recent binary, but the discussion just
Massimo> ended and Emacs was not mentioned since then.

Yes, that was me.  GNU Emacs for Linux now has /usr/emacs based paths.

Massimo> should we expect a new binary soon?

I spent a little while getting shared libraries to work.  I have had
enough trouble with shared libraries that I have been testing them
before I upload them.  I feel pretty good about them now and will get
them out in a few days, if I can.
--
Rick Sladkey
jrs@world.std.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: gdm@shrdlu.kwnet.on.ca (Giles D Malet)
Subject: Re: C-News and gcc 2.2.2
Organization: Ho Hum Inc.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 02:15:06 GMT

In article <1992Jul17.034950.17061@nwnexus.WA.COM>
	vince@halcyon.com (Vince Skahan) writes:

>further testing revealed to me that although expire appears to work
>(it DOES expire the right stuff), it doesn't update the active file.

But it is not meant to ! If you wander around a bit, you will find
`upact' (a shell script) or `updatemin' (compiled c prog) in
/usr/lib/newsbin/expire. Kick one of these off via cron, and it will
update the `lowest article number' field in `active'.
updatemin is much faster.

`relaynews' updates the `highest article number' field....

-- 
Giles D Malet		    				  gdm@shrdlu.kwnet.on.ca
Waterloo, Ont, Canada	    +1 519 725 5726	  gdmalet@descartes.waterloo.edu
From: sailor@cellar.org (Rick Emerson)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: How much space is needed for installing Linux
Date: 31 Jul 92 14:44:05 GMT
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system

sundaram@cps.msu.edu (Divya Sundaram) writes:

> 
> Hi Linuxers,
> I was reading the FAQ and I came upon the section where it talks about how 
> much disk space is neede for installing Linux. It seems that about 40MB is
> needed - but the answer is not quite clear. There is some mention that X take
> up 150MB! 
> 
> Once and for all please help me answer this question:
> 	suppose I wanted to install linux, with gcc and g++ etc and 
> 	a few (not all) utilities and a fully functional X-windows system
> 	then how much disk space (in an uncompressed format) should I set 
> 	aside. 
> 

Using the Linux kit on sc.tamu.edu, you can have a full function Linux with
X11 in under 20MB.  The rest is room for your personal choice of toys.

Rick


 | Richard B. Emerson     | Reply to Rick@SSG.com                           |
 | System Support Group   |-------------------------------------------------+
 | Post Office Box 180    |   "Choose to chance the rapids                  |
 | Lansdale, PA 19446 USA |    And dare to dance the tide." -- Garth Brooks |
From: tdunbar@vttcf.cc.vt.edu (Thomas Dunbar)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Question about getting files from ftp sites
Date: 31 Jul 92 16:18:20 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA


can't help on the dos side but on the linux side u dont need to rename:
    tar zxvf xgames.tz
 works fine (if u have gnu tar).
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: ace3@quads.uchicago.edu (Tony 'LLama' Acero)
Subject: Re: 0.96c + X + Logi :-(
Followup-To: comp.os.linux
Summary: :-> :-) :-)
Keywords: logitech, mouse, trackman, linux
Reply-To: ace3@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 05:46:33 GMT

My Trackman finally works!

The steps:
1. Install the X distribution (a wonderfully easy install, haven't
had a chance to use yet though)

2. cd /dev; ln /dev/ttys0 /dev/mouse

3. goto the /usr/X11/tst/mouse directory

4. ./mouse Microsoft /dev/mouse 
go figure -- It's microsoft compatible, choosing Logitech gives 
garbage

5. After this step the test-mouse program included with selection
lets me draw pretty patterns (compile with P_MS)

Thanks to the previous poster who suggested this sequence!

ObLinuxRave: I completely reinstalled Linux in just under an hour using the
combined MCC/X11 release at sc.tamu.edu; I'm currently logged in thru kermit
and tested the above sequence in another virtual console.  I'm flabbergasted!
Thanks to Linus and all you folks contributing -- words fail me.

tony acero
From: wuwei@acf3.nyu.edu (Wei Wu)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Does mtools and dosfs work for SCSI drives ??
Date: 26 Jul 92 02:10:34 GMT
Organization: New York University

I have a IDE and SCSI drive on my machine. On IDE the first partition
is DOS/pri. The second is DOS/extended for OS/2 HPFS.
On SCSI drive first partition is a DOS/extended divided in two. First
is OS/2 HPFS, the second is DOS/FAT.
The rest of SCSI are 3 partitions for Linux.
/dev/hda1	DOS
/dev/hda2	Extended
/dev/hda3	Boot Manager for OS/2
/dev/had5	OS/2 HPFS
/dev/sda1	Extended
/dev/sda2	Linux
/dev/sda3	Linux Swap
/dev/sda4	Linux
/dev/sda5	OS/2
/dev/sda6	DOS 16

Mtools and dosfs work OK on /dev/hda1, but neither work on /dev/sda6.
mdir gives error massage "Cannot initialize 'D:'"
smount gives error massage "MSDOS bread failed" "Device busy" or
something like that.
Help is needed.

Wei Wu (wuwei@acf3.nyu.edu)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: unixsys@ssg.com (Rick Emerson)
Subject: Re: RFD: comp.unix.* reorganization
Organization: System Support Group
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 15:41:28 GMT

chip@tct.com (Chip Salzenberg) writes:

> 
> I don't know if anyone realizes this, but I am _not_ going to include
> any comp.os.* proposals in this reorganization.  Nattering about the
> relevance of the "comp.unix" hierarchy misses the point: the hierarchy
> is in use, and is useful.  There are real problems to be fixed within
> it, though, and _that_ is what I'm working on.

Huh?  I see the words but the message eludes me.

Rick



| Richard B. Emerson     | Replies may be sent to:                         |
| System Support Group   |         unixsys@ssg.com  -or-  rick@ssg.com     |
| Post Office Box 180    |-------------------------------------------------+
| Lansdale, PA 19446 USA |     "If I knew what I was doing,                |
| Voice: 215.855.1607    |      I wouldn't do it." - Me                    |
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux