HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Dan.O'Reilly@f58.n128.z1.fidonet.org (Dan O'Reilly)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Bootable LINUX
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 20:08:54 -0800

I need to know how to make LINUX totally bootable from my hard disk
(without having to use a floppy), so I can use the OS/2 2.0 BOOTMGR with
it.  I'm running the MCC 0.96c version.

Dan

 * Origin: God is real, unless declared INTEGER (1:128/58)
From: roger@cs.mun.ca (Roger White)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: absolute minimum requirements?
Summary: What is the absolute minimum system configuration for linux + X?
Keywords: 386sx SuperVGA 40meg HD
Date: 17 Aug 92 14:32:35 GMT
Organization: CS Dept., Memorial University of Newfoundland


I am planning on purchasing a 386sx in the near future. I am wondering what
the absolute minimum requirements are needed to run Linux along with 
X-Windows? The 386sx I am looking at runs at 25Mhz, has a super VGA card 
(unknown brand-name), 1 meg RAM (from the FAQ I notice I need 2 Megs... this
will be purchased when necessary), and a 40meg hard drive. What else is
necessary to get Linux up and running?  I also want to run MS-DOS on the side.

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks,
Roger White
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: steffen@gfz-potsdam.dbp.de
Subject: RE: How to measure the VGA clocks
Reply-To: steffen@gfz-potsdam.dbp.de
Organization: The Internet
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 08:13:38 GMT

RFC-822-Headers:
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]

==================
... replying to Digest (#23), so no citations, sorry ...
Sebastian,
it's a nice-looking thing you posted, but it confuses me... (Yes, there
was a similar procedure in one of the last iX magazine issues.)
What are the numbers you listed at the bottom of your Xconfig file ?
Where do they come from ??? I don't like "magic numbers" very much,
so could you explain the source of them ?
Another Q : does the procedure work with the other cards too ? I seriously
want a Paradise 256K to get running X, but ... it's in a notebook (I have
posted about it previously, no answer yet). Can I get it going using your
method ???
--
Steffen Grunewald | steffen@gfz-potsdam.dbp.de | Phone : (+49)331-310526
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A3, O-1561 Potsdam, Germany
#include <disclaimer.h>       /*       .sig: Permission denied        */
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: dsb@world.std.com (David Boyce)
Subject: Re: Linux Standards (was: Stabilizing Linux)
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:56:40 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.070709.16015@trl.oz.au> mcf@medici.trl.OZ.AU (Michael Flower) writes:
>From article <1992Aug16.073340.11418@klaava.Helsinki.FI>, by torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds):
>
>> ......
>> overreaction to the price I had to pay for minix ($169 may not be much,
>> but it's still more than I can afford: I'm still paying monthly
>> installments on my machine) and (b) protection: linux wasn't well-known
>> .....
>
>Ok guys, what say someone organises a whip around to pay off this beast.

    I think you're making a big mistake - if Linus pays off his
machine he'll probably invest in fancy new hardware. And then
when version 1.0 comes out the README will say "requires at
least a 486 with 8 meg...". I think many people on this group
have a vested interest in keeping Linus using the minimal
system.

P.S. I'm kidding.
-- 
David Boyce	dsb@world.std.com	617-576-1540
From: simonich@uservx.plk.af.mil
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: efsprogs alpha 6
Date: 22 Aug 92 16:51:26 GMT
Organization: Phillips Laboratory - Kirtland AFB

In article <4324.70.uupcb@digund.uucp>, copernicus@digund.uucp (Copernicus) writes:
> RCC:>        For people that downloaded the efsprogs version alpha 5,
> RCC:>DON'T USE THEM !!!  In version alpha 5, efsck contains a bug which
> RCC:>can cause some great damages on an ext fs.  The bug is fixed in
> RCC:>the new version (alpha 6) which is available on ftp-masi.ibp.fr
> RCC:>in the directory pub/linux/ALPHA/extfs (files efsprogs6.tar.Z,
> RCC:>efsprogs6.bin.tar.Z, efsprogs6.src.tar.Z) and I expect them to
> RCC:>be available on tsx-11 in directory pub/linux/ALPHA/extfs soon.
> 
> RCC:>Changes from alpha 5 to alpha 6 are :
> RCC:>- in efsck, a bad test on directory structures is fixed,
> RCC:>- efsck and mkefs now use getopt() to decode arguments,
> RCC:>- mkefs now accepts a -i option to specify the ratio of inodes.
> 
> RCC:>        I strongly apologize for the bug in efsck :-{
> 
> RCC:>                Remy
> RCC:>--
> 
> Thats great to hear.
> 
> I have a question for you.  I am running Linux 0.97pl1 (where is L.T's 0.5
> patch?), and your extfs alpha 5 system (will up to 6 this weekend), and the
> dosfs extensions.
> 
> My question is:  Why when I boot Linux I get a magic match failed but Linux
> mounts the extended file system correctly anyways?  Is this just an fluke
> message poping up?
> 
> /etc/mtab:  (citing this from memory)
> /dev/hda2       /       ext     default
> 
> /etc/rc:
> mount -av
> 
> Besides that little message the file system works great!  Now I just
> need to get the source code to everything and recompile it!
> 
> Chris Nalley
> ---
>  . SLMR 2.1 . Digital Underground - A Copernician Corporation
>                                                  
Linux defaults to MINIX fs on boot up.  The first fs is checks is MINIX
but, when that fails, it checks ext, gets a match, and, as you say,
works great.

Since I don't like (trust) things that give an error message and then
keep working, I added a couple of lines in the kernel where fs
checking is done to give the message:
     MINIX magic failed
or
     MINIX magic match
when mounting a fs.
Also gives:
     EXT magic ...
when trying to mount ext fs.
No check for ms-dog.

Bottom line: Linux ext-fs works.  If the error message doesn't bother you--
ignore it.
From: tdunbar@vttcf.cc.vt.edu (Thomas Dunbar)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Lucid GNU Emacs 19.2 available
Date: 20 Aug 92 02:09:23 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA


 NEAT! Lucid GNU Emacs looks very nice. i know how to set, say,
  (define-key global-map 'prior 'scroll-down) 
for the page-up key; how do i assign C-prior ie Ctrl-pageup?
  i'm looking thru the NEWS file for Lucid specific info; is there
another place where info is gathered? rather than having to search
thru the INFO files?
  again, the mouse/color/font support is very nice; will you be posting 
patched source?
  thomas
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: bairstow@copland.psu.edu (Steven Bairstow)
Subject: The Third Degree
Keywords: questions
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 04:37:52 GMT

My Linux partition just bit the dust, so I'm going to ask for some 
information before I re-partititon it. (I want usr and swap partitions 
instead of one big one this time.) Anyway I want responses from anybody 
who knows about any of this, even if it's just a "yep." Without further 
ado here are the questions....

	- Has anyone noticed free inodes being left around? I think 
	  halt/shutdown is doing it. (This is what I was trying to figure 
	  out when it crashed.)
	- What is the current status of long filenames? Is it a patch?
	  How reliable is it?
	- Do any of the current disk sets handle SCSI disks well? How about 
	  the partitioning programs?
	- How big are the X11 binaries plus whatever special stuff is needed 
	  to write X-programs? 
	- Has anyone ever considered an X driver for plain VGA? Why or why 
	  not make one?
	- Is anyone interested in a patch that would add a timeout default 
	  to the "Press <RETURN> to see SVGA modes or any other key to 
	  continue." message?

			Steve
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: rick@ee.uwm.edu (Rick Miller)
Subject: Re: Who can use SLS..NOT!
Summary: SLS *does* make source available... they tell ya where ta GET it.
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 13:20:52 GMT

tthorn@daimi.aau.dk (Tommy Thorn) writes:
[...]
>Your are omitting one very important fact here. You are *required*
>to make sources available on demand for at least three years for
>a distribution fee, *and* state this fact *clearly*.
[...]

I'm in the process of downloading the SLS release... and I recall seeing
the GNU public license in there, *and* I recall that the README mentioned
that full sources were available upon request, on a per-package basis.
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I took it to mean that if you wanted the sources for 'emacs', you'd just
ask them for the sources (sending the appropriate amount of disks and cash,
of course).  My impression was that they didn't expect too many of these
requests and were willing to work it out on a case by case basis.

It also mentioned in the README file that Softlanding(tm?) expected the
*RE*-distributers to "provide support"... and in the case of Linux, under
the GNU license, that means 'provide full source code upon request'.

Softlanding would only be in violation of the GNU license if they were
to *refuse* to give out source-code, or if they were to charge a higher
fee per disk for it.  As it stands, the SLS README file implies quite
strongly that they're willing to copy *anything* of Linux for the same
rate.  If you want the source, they've *told* you that you can have it
and any sensible person would write/call/email to find out more.

[...]
>The message is: *STOP THESE BINARY-ONLY RELEASES*!! It's ok to make
>a complete packages, and to distribute binaries and sources seperate, but
>there *must* be a 1-1 corespondence. Who are you to break GPL?

*NO!*  It is only the scant minority who will want full sources.
Observe the success of commercial binary-only UN*X packages like
AT&T UNIX(tm), Xenix(tm), Coherent(tm), etc.  It should be sufficient
to simply mention that the sources are available upon request at a
nominal disk+copying+shipping+handling cost.

Rick Miller   <rick@ee.uwm.edu> | <rick@discus.mil.wi.us>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: alsaggaf@athena.mit.edu (M. Saggaf)
Subject: **** Epoch is here ****
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 21:03:12 GMT

 I'm happy to report that I have successfully ported Epoch to linux.
If you do not know what epoch is, the quote from the FAQ at the end of
this posting will give you an idea. I could upload it now. However, I feel
that this is pointless since gcc2.2.2d will be released soon, so I think I'm
going to wait until I compile it with the new gcc when it is released.
(Unless somebody really want to try it right now, let me know). 

 I have been using Epoch for about a day now with no problems. I ran
on it dired, compile, the shell, and vm (View Mail) and they were all OK. 

--------- Quote from the Epoch FAQ ---------

A-1: What is Epoch?
  
  Epoch is GNU Emacs on steroids: an adaptation of GNU Emacs with lots
  of additional support for features made possible by the X11 windowing
  system.  These features include multiple editing windows, arbitrary
  colors and fonts (fixed-width and proportional), selectable zones per
  buffer with arbitrary display styles (font, color, underline, stipple,
  pixmap), an optional separate minibuffer window, improved keyboard and
  mouse handling, full 8-bit character set support, and more.
  
  Epoch, like GNU Emacs, is very customizable; much of this FAQ
  describes ways to customize Epoch for specific purposes.
 
-------------------------------------------

 /M. Saggaf
From: mes@llnl.gov (Mark Spruiell)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Batting 0 for 2 on Mice and X
Date: 13 Aug 92 13:48:33 GMT
Reply-To: mes@llnl.gov
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Hi all,

I'm having a problem with my mice... I've got a Microsoft InPort bus
mouse, as well as a Logitech C7 serial mouse (several years old).

I'm using the boot and root images (0.97) from tsx-11, and X11 v1.1.
No incantation I've tried allows the bus mouse to work with X, or with
/tst/mouse/mouse for that matter.  I've scanned several hundred old
messages in this newsgroup, as well as the FAQ and every other document
I could find, and nothing's helped wrt the bus mouse. I'm aware of the
fact that an InPort mouse is not supported...

I can get the Logitech mouse to respond to the /tst/mouse/mouse program
by using 'Logitech' and '/dev/ttys2'.  Using /dev/ttys0 doesn't work.
When I start X, however, the cursor jumps around alot and basically
makes X unusable.

I'd obviously prefer to use the newer bus mouse, but I could live with
the old Logitech if it would work properly...

System:		Mylex 386-33
		16MB RAM
		200MB IDE
		Orchid ProIIs
		Nanao F550i

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks...
-----------------------------------
Mark Spruiell (mes@llnl.gov)
who works at but does not represent
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
From: blair@lll-crg.llnl.gov (Gary Blair)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: multiuser, multidisk questions from novice
Date: 19 Aug 92 20:22:00 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Please excuse any of the following that may be FAQs.  If they're all FAQs,
please direct me to the FAQ list. 

I have a ISA 486/33 system with a 200Mbyte HD and 4Mbyte RAM.

1. What compiler, if any, is needed to compile/install Linux?

2. Is Linux a true multiuser, password protected system?

3. Is is possible to connect other PCs/terminals via serial lines to
allow multiple simultaneous users?  Any suggestions on how to do
this?

4. If (3) is possible, any ideas on what performance will be like?
Users will be doing simple things, not massive compiles.

5. Is is possible for a Linux partition to coexist with a DOS 
partition on the same disk?  How easy is it to switch between the
partitions?

6. Is is possible to move files between DOS and Linux?

7. Would it be possible to install a second hard disk dedicated to Linux?
How do I indicate that Linux is to be booted from that disk?

-- 
     Gary J. Blair   (510) 422-6675        blair@dancer.llnl.gov
     Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory        
     P.O. Box 808, L-156
     Livermore, CA 94550                  
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: jliddle@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Jean Liddle)
Subject: header woes with 2.2.2d
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 06:40:24 GMT
Organization: Illinois State University

Well, my hopes of flawless compilation of the ps package under 2.2.2d
have been dashed.  I followed the instructions in the FAQ, README, and
release docs, namely (1) removing all old gcc stuff (and all /usr/include
directories except /usr/include/X11/*).  I even removed the linux
sources, reinstalled them from scratch, applied patch 1 and the buffer fix,
to make sure all headers were unadultered. (2) ran the install script.

The kernel compiled flawlessly.  But, ps dies with a whole slew of errors
such as 

/usr/include/linux/termios.h:69: parse error before `tcflag_t'
/usr/include/linux/termios.h:69: warning: no semicolon at end of struct or union
/usr/include/linux/termios.h:70: warning: data definition has no type or storage class

[approx 10E666 lines removed]

/usr/include/linux/fs.h:172: field `msdos_sb' has incomplete type
/usr/include/linux/fs.h:177: parse error before `off_t'
In file included from cmdline.c:12:
/usr/include/linux/sched.h:236: parse error before `grp'
cmdline.c: In function `swapread':
cmdline.c:187: parse error before `off_t'
make: *** [cmdline.o] Error 1

This seems to indicate to me that the header files are screwed up in
some way.  As all headers had been deleated before {unning the install
script, I can only assume that this means the headers with the new
release (2.2.2d) still have some problems.  I am extremely reluctant to
tear into these things, hacking quick fixes which break something else.

Has anyone got ps-0.97 compiling under linux 0.97.1 and gcc 2.2.2d?  Has
anyone got the headers figured out?  If so, could you please post a step
by step procedure for installing gcc/linux sources/whatever else?  After
reading the aforementioned doc files several times I am unable to make any 
progress.  I would like to figure out this header stuff once and for all,
then simply put it out of my mind and go on to other things.

Thanks for any and all help!

Jean.

-- 
Jean Liddle                                 | == Bill Clinton for President ==
Computer Science, Illinois State University | 
e-mail:  jliddle@ilstu.edu                  | - Carol Mosley Braun for Senat -
From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Subject: Re: Paying off Linus' PC (was: Linux Standards)
Date: 21 Aug 92 06:59:50 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki

I hate to follow up to a thread that might actually be profitable for
me, but I felt I had to clarify a few points - especially if there are
new linux users out there reading the thread. 

If people feel they want to send me money (indirectly or directly) as a
token of appreciation, that's very much ok by me (surprise, surprise),
but a token of appreciation is all it is going to be.  Yes, I'll be able
to pay off my machine more quickly or even get a bigger harddisk or
whatever, but sending me money won't get you any better service - this
is definitely not a "registration fee" or anything like that. 

The above just means that (a) even if you don't send any money I won't
mind in the least that you use linux, and when I answer questions etc I
won't check if you sent me money first. And (b) even if you sent me
money, any features you propose/want will get no extra priority. In
fact, trying to make me feel guilty over money ("after all, I paid you
$20 for this") is likely to get the exact opposite reaction.

Finally, I won't give any guarantees of what the money will be used for:
if you add some kind of message giving preferences ("use it to pay off
your computer"), I'll naturally follow them within reasonable limits,
but I might just use them to pay off my "beer&pizza"-debts (*), which
might be against your religion or whatever. 

So, the result of all this? If somebody thought I was despairing about
my monthly payments, that's not true, and frankly, I'll get the computer
paid off even if nobody sends me a cent, even if it might take me a bit
longer.  Also, there are others that have contributed to linux, and I
won't give them anything (not because I'm a selfish bastard, but simply
due to practical reasons).

If any of the above reasons made you decide I don't really need the
money, I just ask you not to mail me about it.  I /don't/ want to know
about any money I might have gotten, but didn't.

		Linus

(*) Yes, beer is reasonably costly over here in Finland, but no, my
debts aren't really that big.  Quite small, in fact, considering..
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: krej@electrum.kth.se (Kristian Ejvind)
Subject: Question to Linus! (Was: problem compiling.....)
Organization: The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
	<1992Aug22.200046.25400@klaava.Helsinki.FI>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 23:40:50 GMT

In article <1992Aug22.200046.25400@klaava.Helsinki.FI> torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds) writes:

   Also, while I haven't been totally out of touch, I've not answered all
   my mail (or answered very tersely) the last weeks, due to work.  I also
   haven't had time to check out all the patches I've gotten etc.  I should
   have more time for linux the upcoming weeks, so hopefully I'll try to
   catch up a bit. 

		   Linus

A few time a thought has crossed my mind: "I wonder how much work
Linus has put into Linux?". As a coincidence this thought passed by
when I read the above, and I felt that this is thei perfect time to ask
Linus a question which I think might be of general interest.

  Linus, how much time do spend on linux? I mean, even I realize that
an os isn't done during a coffee break or even during a Saturday a week for
a year. A small guess of mine: In the beginning the hacking was done in
those 12 hour sessions (06pm-06am) we all have experienced, ? but as linux
has been going on for such a long time this just wouldn't work if one
were supposed to do some studying too. The public interest is that I have
a feeling that you have spent a LOT of time and that not everybody realize
how much you have done (and how grateful they should be that there exists
jerks as ,sorry, sorry, sorry my fingers slipped, geniuoses as you).

/Kristian Ejvind
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: dws@cseg03.uark.edu (David W. Summers)
Subject: Re: Is XView 3.0 available for Linux/X386 ????
Organization: University of Arkansas
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 00:58:20 GMT

jofre@socrates.umd.edu (Jaime Jofre) writes:

>Hello everyone,
>  Has anyone ported the XView 3.0 library for Linux/X386?  If no, is anyone
>porting it to Linux?  Thanks,
>
>Jaime Jofre
>  

I started into this, last weekend, but ran out of time.  Later I decided to
update to GCC 2.2.2d and still haven't done that.  Maybe after I update the
compiler I'll look into XVIEW 3.0 some more.  I have never worked with
IMAKEFILES so ran into some problems there but I think I may have almost 
figured them out.  Naturally the XVIEW compile instructions don't seem 
complete (I'm not complaining, just stating fact...) so that is another
thing that slowed me down.  Lastly, I am about to re-arrange my disk 
partitions to increase my LINUX space, so am in in process of backing
stuff up.

If anyone already has these libs compiled I would LOVE to hear about it!

   - David Summers
   (dws@engr.uark.edu)



-- 
                         "Never under-estimate the bandwidth of a station-wagon
David Summers             full of tapes, hurtling down the highway."
dws@engr.uark.edu         - Tanenbaum, "Computer Networks"
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
From: ron@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca (Ron Prediger [Velociraptor])
Subject: A question about Kernel system call mechanism
Keywords: linux, kernel, system call
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 17:41:17 GMT

I am relatively new to Linux and have been examining the kernel source.

1) Does anyone know how linux passes parameters from the user process to the
kernel service routine ?  Below is what I think is happening and where I
am confused.

It appears that system calls are handled using interrupt or trap gates
resident in the Interrupt descriptor table (IDT).  From reading the Intel
386 ref. manual I understand that a stack switch occurs automatically when
a less privileged process accesses a gate for a more privileged subroutine.
What I can't see is how the kernel service routine gets the system call
parameters (ie. addresses, etc) from the user process.  Is there code 
somewhere which copies these parameters from the original (level 3) stack to
the more privileged (level 0) stack ?  If linux had used call gates to
implement system calls, the parameters would automatically be copied to the
privileged routine's stack by the 386.  (This automatic
copy of parameters does not occur when referencing interrupt/trap gates.)

2) It appears that Linux is making use of segment registers (FS,GS) and the
LDT/GDT  to transfer the actual data (ie. from a read system call) between
user and kernel address spaces.  Is this observation correct ?

Thank you.

Ron Prediger (ron@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca)