From: bboerner@novell.com (Brendan B. Boerner)
Subject: Re: WANT GCC? FORGET FAQ.GCC AND README?? READ THIS FIRST!!!!
Organization: Novell, Inc. --Austin
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 22:55:54 GMT

In article <1880h6INNfoh@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> mal11@po.CWRU.Edu (Matthew A. Lewis) writes:
>
>In a previous article, hooft@fys.ruu.nl (Rob Hooft) says:
>>You always keep files in the root-dir?
>
>where in the FAQ does it day to put them??? tell me....tell me...

I think that Rob, like me, doesn't like to clutter up the root with
a bunch of misc. files.  I'd keep this stuff in /usr/src or
~root/src.

>>NONSENSE. This is not a limitation of the OS, but of the filesystem. 
>>The Unix System V(R) filesystem as this limitation, and linux's standard
>>filesystem, the minix-one, has this too. The linux DOS filesystem has
>>a limitation of 8 with an extension of 3, the linux extended filesystem 255.
>
>i dont have and extended filesystem.....now tell me how to get around
>this problem.....

Sigh.  He's trying to explain to you that the Minix _filesystem_ NOT
the Linux _operating system_ is what limits you to 14 chars.  If you
really want to get around this problem, you'd pick up a copy of the
patches for the Extended File system BUT 1) it's still in the Alpha
stage and 2) you haven't been able to get past installing GCC 2.2.2d
and Linux source, so for now, do like the thousands of folks who've
been using filesystems based on AT&T SYS V and related UN*Xes have done
- live with it.


>why is it such bad advice????? I would love to have the instruction in the
>FAQ.GCC, etc. work......but they didn't. So I did this.....and it worked.

Do you know why the instructions you found in the FAQ and other places
did not work?  Do you know why what you did supposedly "worked"?  If
you can't explain why the instructions didn't work and why what you did
work, are you really in any position to tell other's how to do
something?


OK, I'll tell you what I did and see if this helps you.  Be warned that
I am doing this from memory so there will probably be something I left
out but maybe it will help you through the worst.

I got the 2.2.2d*, binutil.tar.Z, 0.97pl1inc.tar.Z files (names are
from memory so they may be wrong) from tsx-11 and the source (Linux
0.97 Pl #2) and put everything in ~root/src.

I blew away /usr/src/linux, /usr/include, and /usr/g++-include
(right path?).

I installed the 0.97 Pl #2 source in /usr/src/linux.

I shortened a few of the 2.2.2d* names so they would fit in 14 chars
(e.g. 2.2.2d.misc.tar.Z became 2.2.2d.ms.tar.Z).  I then edited the
install shell script and changed the names there.  Someone pointed
out that he did not have any problems with the names being truncated
so maybe this step is not necc.

I ran the install process (sh install... 2.2.2d /usr/src/linux).  It
died for some reason (I think it was because I hadn't changed the name
of the 0.97pl1inc file in the script) so I looked in the script, found
out why it died and what it was expecting.  I made the right fix and
reran the script.  This is a very important point I want to make -
you've got the source to the install process right there - if something
doesn't work you can't claim to not find out how to fix it BECAUSE THE
SOURCE IS THERE!  If you don't know how a sh script works, get a book
on UN*X and learn!  I got a book (don't recall the name) by Kaere
Christansen (sp?) which is adequate.

Anyway, that's it.  I think the thing which is pissing off other
readers is NOT that you are having problems and that you need help, but
rather that your attitude is that the Linux world owes you something.
If you had paid money (cash money it's called in Texas :-)), then maybe
your attitude would be appropriate to the individual you had paid the
money too.  But you didn't, which means that in exchange for the money
you've paid ($0.00), you get to peruse FAQs, READMEs, other misc.
documents and ask polite questions of the net.  I've had great success
with asking the "net" for help and I like to think that it's because I
tried to acknowledge that although no one out there owed me anything,
I'd appreciate it if someone would help out.

Also, part of the difference between trying to work within the Linux
universe and going out and buying SCO UN*X (or whatever) (besides the
obvious diff. in cost) is that it's a bit of an adventure.  Trying to
figure out what you need, where it is, getting it and then trying to
make it all work for some of us is part of the fun.  From the tone of
your posts installing Linux has been a painful experience for you so
you may want to examine WHY you are installing it.  Is it because you
want a UN*X system but can't afford a commercial one?  If so, I think
you might not find a lot of sympathy in this group.

Later,
Brendan
-- 
Brendan B. Boerner		Phone: 512/346-8380
Internet: bboerner@novell.com	MHS: bboerner@novell
Please use ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ if replying by mail.