From: satishc@microsoft.com (Satish Chittamuru)
Subject: Re: More Questions from a Beginner.
Date: 06 Oct 92 06:29:43 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

In article <1992Oct5.182428.5868@unlv.edu> maniac@lil-ed.cs.unlv.edu (Eric J. Schwertfeger) writes:
 > I've got a few questions concerning Linux, as I'm considering getting
 > a new machine to play around with it.
 > 
 > First, is Linux 386-pure, or does it drop to V86 mode for I/O (for
 > bios calls?)

Linux is pure 32-bit 386 code. The only code that operates in the V86 is the
boot code since all PC start up in real mode anyway. The boot image is read
via the standard bios read routines. Then the code does a bios code to
determine the equipment info (HD info). After this is done it switches to
32-bit protected mode operation with memory management turned on. It no
longer uses the bios. Basically it never goes back to real mode V86 operation.

 > Second, is the long-filename support out yet?  I found some documentation
 > saying that it was expected out with the 0.97 boot image, that it
 > isn't out with the 0.97pl1, it's expected out with the 0.98 boot image,
 > and nothing indicating it is out in the 0.98 boot image that I just found,
 > (haven't had the chance to try it yet).

Yes, the extended filesystem is part of 0.98. Has been in there since 0.97pl2,
I think. It is still in beta but generally stable. I have 0.98 on my machine
with a 24 Meg root MINIX partition and a 128 Meg usr EXTENDED FS partition.
This filesystem supports partitions upto 2 Giga blocks (i.e 2 Terabytes)
and variable length filenames of upto 255 characters. You need the efsprogs.tar
file to create a extended file system (It has mkefs and efsck programs). The
mount on 0.97.1 is broken. So get the new mount package. Once the ext
filesystem has been created, you can mount it with the command
	mount -t ext /dev/hda3	(if hda3 is the extended FS partition).

 > Booting is still a mystery, since I'm still using the disk-based boot and
 > root images.   Is it possible to set up a HD so that you can boot into linux
 > off of the hard disk?  Is it possible to set up a dual-boot HD?

Yes. There is a boot package called lilo in beta right now. Check tsx-11. It
can do dual boot and boot linux of the HD.

 > Finally, a few Free386X questions.  What video cards does the current 
 > FreeX support beyond 800x600?  I get the impression that just about
 > everything is supported at 640x480, but the only other references I've 
 > found concern the ET4000 chipset.  And why doesn't the SpeedStar24 work
 > with Free386X?  I'd like to know, since I'll be getting a new VGA card
 > soon, and intend on avoiding such problems.

Yes, the ET4000 chipset is supported at just about any resolution that the
board can handle. However boards like the Diamond SpeedStar24 can't be used
because of the way clocks are generated on the board. Basically the card
has a programmable Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) that has to be
programmed to generate clocks for anything other than 630x480 res. But
Diamond isn't giving out information on how to program the VCO. So no one
knows how to do it. And people are also pissed off (with good reason, IMHO)
at Diamond's proprietary attitude. Most other ET4000 cards work. I have a
local bus ET4000 which works just dandy.

 > -- 
 > Eric J. Schwertfeger, maniac@cs.unlv.edu

Good luck and happy linuxing!!!


-- 
Satish K. Chittamuru				satishc@microsoft.com
=====
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein, either stated or implied, are
solely my own and do not reflect Microsoft's views in any manner.
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux