From: jwinstea@jarthur.claremont.edu (Jim Winstead Jr.)
Subject: Re: modem login, and .95c
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, WIBSTR
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 08:23:19 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.023520.19425@athena.mit.edu> jgifford@attmail.com writes:
>I agree that the patches for .95c should be put on the ftp sites.
>
>I mean: It would be nice to ftp the 95c bootimage(maybe with lp
>patch?) anyone else agree?

I agree completely.  However, with the number of patches being
applied, and with the problems with the old kernel/new GCC, the
implentation of VFS, and printer support (Linus promised! :), I think
a new release may be just around the corner.  I'm not one to make
predictions, however....

>Also, am I the only one to have trouble with serial port lock-up
>when you try to use either both odd or both even ports?(2&4, or 1&3)?

This is because (most of the time) ports 1/3 share one IRQ, and ports
2/4 share another.  This is because nobody standardized on something
else when it would have been intelligent to do so.  As a result, you
can't use two devices on 1/3 or 2/4 without colliding.

To work around this, you might be able to set 3 or 4 to different IRQs
- there's usually a jumper on the serial card, if this is possible.
In that case, you'd have to make a couple of small (I think) kernel
patches, and you should be able to use more than 3 devices.  I haven't
tested this, yet, because I haven't had time, but I'll get around to
doing this in the future so I can use my other serial port.  :)

>(i think the RING message is interfering with normal login)

I think sending the modem an "atv0" or something along those lines
should keep it from reporting messages.  Look in your modem manual.

>also, does anyone know if kermit on tsx-11 still has the bug?

Which bug?  The only thing I've noticed about kermit is it doesn't
support 38400.  The terminal emulation problems are in the VC
drivers....

>While I am at it...
>      1)Kudos to Linus!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!!

I agree completely - Linux is a great piece of work.  Thanks, Linus!

>      2)Kudos to Jim Winstead for making an easy install procedure
>        suggestion: tar and compress some of the utilities and bash
>        and see if they might fit on a root image(worth a try?)
>        Also, thanks for being such a help to new-to-linux folks

The root disk is *very* tight, and I'd still like to squeeze an editor
on it.  being able to tar/compress more utilties would be nice, but so
many of them are integral to installing a filesystem.  Shared
libraries may free up a bit of room, but I haven't tried putting
together a root disk like that, yet.

>      3)Kudos to Chuck Boyer for writing the much needed owners
>        manual/installation manual/intro to Linux manual....
>      4)Kudos to I Reid for a comprehensive explanation of booting linux
>        off the hard drive(just when I most needed it :> ) 

Don't forget Michael Johnson and the rest of the Linux Manual people.
They're all starting to coordinate some interesting possibilies for
Linux's future with regards to documentation.

>      5)Kudos to all the people porting software to Linux, without which
>        we would have to do it all ourselves.  :)

Especially (but not limited to) hlu and zorst, who are porting what
are arguably two of the biggest and most important packages for
Linux's future - GCC and X.  I've got GCC on the disk, just waiting to
be installed, and I can't wait for X.  Teach those OS/2 weenies a
thing or two.

>Oh, one other question: has anyone got a tape drive functioning under Linux?
>I am considering that as my next purchase, and I am wondering what is best
>for Linux?

I don't know of anyone with tape drives working.  Apparently the SCSI
patches are able to handle SCSI tape drives, but I haven't heard of
anyone using them.


-- 
Jim Winstead Jr. (CSci '95)    | "Catch a fish!"
Harvey Mudd College            |  -Geddy Lee,
jwinstea@jarthur.Claremont.EDU |   San Diego Sports Arena
Disclaimer: Mine, not theirs!  |   January 20, 1992