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Linux News Issue 05
L i n u x N e w s
A summary of the goings-on of the Linux community
Issue #5, November 6 through 16, 1992
**** Highlights in this issue
- spreadsheets for calculating numbers for X display modes
- new version of extended fs programs
- "shell-init" bug fixed in SLS
- new Xenix fs
- kernel version 0.98.4 and 0.98.5
- fig2dev binaries available
- tvgalib and joe sources on tsx-11
- Linux User Group in Albany, NY
- GNU Emacs 18.59
- Seyon 0.8, communications program for X11
- color xterm, system call tracer, SCM scheme on tsx-11
- EtherNet FAQ posted
- afio 2.3 available
- comparison between Linux and 386BSD
**** Editorial
I'm late again. But then you're probably getting used to that. :-)
It is possible that I may in the future change LN to a bi-weekly
publication, if it seems that doing it weekly will be too much work
and that I won't be able to do one issue per week.
Don't forget the on-going vote for the comp.os.linux split into
several groups! Let's get this decided one way or another. Vote now,
or you might regret it afterwards if the vote doesn't go like you
want.
In the last issue, I included my address and asked for post cards.
I've received several and one letter, thanks. I don't mind getting
more, of course (oh yes, I'm very much like a little boy who wants
attention :-).
**** Legalese
Linux News can be copied, re-published, printed, hung on walls, used
as toilet paper, and used in any other way you wish. If you
distribute LN outside comp.os.linux and the LINUXNEWS channel, please
tell me: the more people I know are reading LN, the more eager I am to
put energy into it.
In fact, if you read Linux News, and think that it is a Good Thing,
and you want to make me happier, send me a post card to the following
address:
Lars Wirzenius
Ohratie 16 C 198
SF-01370 VANTAA
Finland
(Letter bombs, as long as they are marked as such, can go to the same
address. :-)
I take no responsibility whatsoever for any information in Linux News,
or any problems due lack of information. If you get killed due to
Linux News, mail me, and I'll feel sorry for you, but that's just
about all I can do.
**** Notices
Linux News is only a summary, if you want more information about a
given subject, please see the source that is referenced at the end of
each note (for Usenet articles, the reference is the Message-ID of the
article). I try to include all the relevant information, including
ftp sites and filenames, as given in the announcements (I probably
won't have the time or energy to check filenames, or to find pointers
to other ftp sites). If possible, I will try to indicate directories
with a trailing /, e.g. ``pub/linux/SLS/''.
I won't include announcements on mailing lists or testing releases,
only things that are meant to be used generally (I admit that the line
can be somewhat difficult to draw, since the whole system is
pre-release). There will be exceptions.
**** News section
November 4. Mike Jagdis announced modegen.taz, two spreadsheets for
the `sc' spreadsheet program for calculating numbers for X display
modes.
FTP: nic.funet.fi, tsx-11.mit.edu: modegen.taz.
(Source: <43.2AF5C5E8@purplet.demon.co.uk>)
November 6. Remy Card announced version alpha 9 of his programs for
manipulating the extended filesystem.
The new version will hopefully fix the problems with bad directory
entries. There are also other, more minor changes.
FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu, ftp-masi.ibp.fr: /pub/linux/ALPHA/extfs/,
files efsprogs9.tar.Z (full source and binaries), efsprogs9.src.tar.Z
(sources only), efsprogs9.bin.tar.Z (binaries only), and efsprogs.p9.Z
(patch from version alpha 8 to 9).
(Source: <1992Nov6.120622.836@jussieu.fr>)
November 7. Peter MacDonald announced a small update for SLS. This
update should fix the "shell-init" bug, which causes trouble at
logins.
FTP: b5/zbfix.taz (ftp site not given, but should be on all sites
that carry SLS, in the normal places).
(Source: <1992Nov7.041759.8096@sol.UVic.CA>)
November 7. Doug Evans announced a new version of his Xenix
Filesystem for Linux. This version should work with 0.98.pl3.
You need to patch and recompile your kernel for this, of course.
FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/patches/xenixfs.tar.Z
(Source: <1992Nov07.064311.2087@sspiff.cygnus.com>
November 9. Linus announced kernel version 0.98 patchlevel 4.
The most important changes are:
* The inode caching bug (resulting in bad filesystem info when
mounting/umounting devices) should be gone for good.
* Bug fix of a race-condition in the filesystem (which may have
caused people to get occasional fsck errors).
* Math emulator fixes (mainly for the re-entrancy problem)
* NR_OPEN was changed from 32 to 256 (this will break GNU Emacs,
the term program, and possibly other programs; a recompilation should
fix things).
* the process kernel stack is now on a separate page (needed due to
* Changes in kernel data structures (these require a new ps)
* System call tracing
* Changes to networking (tcp/ip, some nfs)
FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/PEOPLE/Linus/ (presumably on other
sites too, by now), files linux-0.98.4.tar.Z (complete source),
linux-0.98.patch4.Z (patches against pl3). Also ps-diff.Z, patches by
Linus to ps-0.98 that should fix ps to work with 0.98.4.
(Source: <1992Nov9.112201.14250@klaava.Helsinki.FI>)
November 9. Marcus Wunderlich announced a binary of fig2dev
(announcement didn't explain what it is).
FTP: ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de: pub/linux/wunder/
(Source: <1992Nov9.123327.29197@dfv.rwth-aachen.de>)
November 10. Michael K Johnson announced the availability of tvgalib
and joe sources on tsx-11. tvgalib is a graphics library for Trident
SVGA that does not use X. It is compatible with vgalib, which works
with generic VGA cards. joe is a small but useful editor that is
included on at least some versions of the rootdisk.
FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/sources/libs/, files
tvgalib-1.0.tar.Z and tvgalib-1.0.README;
/pub/linux/sources/usr.bin/joe.tar.Z.
(Source: <1992Nov10.202359.23502@athena.mit.edu>)
November 11. Daniel Russel (russed@rpi.edu) announced an informal
Linux User Group in the Albany, NY area and a mailing list. Contact
him for more information.
(Source: <j-q1l5=@rpi.edu>)
November 12. Rick Sladkey announced his port of GNU Emacs 18.59 for
Linux. This version works under Linux 0.98 patchlevel 4 (which breaks
the earlier version because of changes in select and NR_OPEN), but not
on earlier versions.
FTP: sunsite.unc.edu: the incoming directory. Files
emacs-18.59a.tar.Z (README, patches, and Linux support files),
emacs-etc-18.59a.tar.Z (GNU Emacs support binaries and files)
emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z (text-based GNU Emacs binary and its DOC file)
x11emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z (X11-based GNU Emacs binary and its DOC
file).
(Source: <JRS.92Nov12013048@lepton.world.std.com>)
November 13. M. Saggaf announce Seyon 0.8. It is a communications
package for X11.
FTP: sipb.mit.edu: pub/seyon/ (home site of Seyon)
(Source: <1992Nov13.035855.17713@athena.mit.edu>)
November 14. Michael K Johnson announced new files on tsx-11: A color
xterm, the new Emacs, a system call tracer, and SCM scheme.
FTP: tsx-11.mit.edu: /pub/linux/sources/usr.bin.X11/cxterm.tar.Z
(color xterm), /pub/linux/packages/emacs-18.59/, files
emacs-18.59a.tar.Z, emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z, emacs-etc-18.59a.tar.Z,
x11emacs-bin-18.59a.tar.Z (see the GNU Emacs announcement above)
/pub/linux/sources/sbin/strace.tar.Z (system call tracer),
/pub/linux/sources/usr.bin/scm4a12.tar.Z,
/pub/linux/binaries/usr.bin/scm4a12.bin.tar.Z (scheme).
(Source: <1992Nov14.201956.21550@athena.mit.edu>)
November 15. Linus announced kernel version 0.98 patchevel 5.
This version fixes a swap-partition bug in pl4. The symptoms where
incorrect swapping with a partition, e.g. xterm could dump core when
swapping was enabled and you typed at the keyboard.
This version also checks against writing to the text segment (i.e.
program code). This will break some binaries, especially some very,
very old ones that were compiled using the estdio library (this
library is no longer used in Linux). If previously well-working
programs suddenly start to dump core, this might be the reason.
There are also some other changes.
See also 0.98.4 announcement above.
FTP: nic.funet.fi: pub/OS/Linux/PEOPLE/Linus/.
(Source: <1992Nov15.220138.5434@klaava.Helsinki.FI>)
November 16. Phil (Copeland?) posted an EtherNet FAQ. Future
versions will be posted every one or two weeks to the NET channel on
the linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi mailing list.
(Source: <1992Nov16.011245.18336@csd.uwe.ac.uk>)
November 16. Dave Gymer announced afio 2.3 for Linux. afio is a
cpio-style archiver which can create multiple volume archives on
floppies, compressing individual files if required, and is able to
recover from partially damaged archives.
FTP: sunsite.unc.edu.
(Source: <1992Nov16.095102.13125@cs.nott.ac.uk>)
**** Linux vs 386BSD
One often asked question is "which is better, Linux or 386BSD?". I
won't state my obvious bias, but I will include an article posted by
Mark W. Eichin to comp.unix.bsd which has a pretty good comparison.
Thanks Mark for allowing me to repost this. I have removed a few
lines from the beginning which were only relevant as part of the
discussion in which Mark's posting appeared, reformatted the text, and
also fixed a typo or two.
(The rest of this section comes from Mark.)
I got a 486 machine in January, immediately put Linux 0.10 up on it,
hacked with that for a while, then 386BSD 0.0 came out, so I blew
everything away and put that up instead. When 0.1 came out, I took the
kernel sources (since there hadn't really been major changes to
anything else, and the install program didn't impress me...) and
worked with those for a while... and then I needed (for work reasons)
to get a DOS partition again, to run djgcc/go32, so I put linux (SLS
0.98) up and started hacking on the networking code.
There are various ways to compare the two systems. It would be
impolite to treat them as being in competition; I'll merely try to
list things that "make a difference" between the two.
1) Networking.
386BSD has had TCP/IP support (Ethernet and SLIP) in kernel since 0.0
(after all, the socket interface was originally developed as part of
BSD.) Just about everything you or your sysadmin knows about
configuring unix networking will apply, which makes the setup seem
fairly easy.
Linux has had TCP support in the form of the KA9Q networking package,
though I seem to recall this is only "free" for educational or ham
radio use, since the early days; the 0.98 release actually has in
kernel TCP, which is still a bit rough, but serves a useful purpose as
an independent implementation. Great if you want to hack (like I do)
but not quite up for heavy use; this is changing rapidly.
2) File Systems.
386BSD has the Berkeley Fast File System; you can read research papers
on the implementation and design. It is quite robust, and fsck can fix
most problems due to sudden shutdown. There is a VFS layer, but not
many alternate disk-based file systems as of yet (NFS for both TCP and
UDP are included, though, and mostly work as of 0.1.)
Linux started with the Minix filesystem, but now has a VFS layer and
several additional filesystem types, most popularly the Extended
Filesystem (just stretch the Minix entries by a factor of two, but it
does work...) and the MSDOS filesystem type (a *major* win - none of
the inconvenience of mtools, just mount the floppy or hard drive and
use cp/mv/emacs and it just works.) There is also a /proc filesystem
(at least I think it is done as a filesystem type, haven't looked at
the code).
3) Utilities.
386BSD has the various Berkeley utilities included, as well as groff,
gcc (based on 1.39); it is easy to get most of the GNU utilities up
(and for some things it is necessary -- /bin/sh is a crippled shell
that doesn't handle quoting well enough to run Configure, so you'll
probably replace it with BASH right away.)
Linux comes with mostly GNU utilities, and what it doesn't come with
usually configures and builds cleanly. The "standard" gcc (at the
moment) is gcc 2.2.2d (lots of patches from 2.2.2) and I expect 2.3.1
to work with little effort.
4) Shared Libraries
Linux has them; 386BSD doesn't. This means that Linux can be installed
rather completely on a much smaller system (I've done kernel builds on
an AST 386sx/20MHz/2Mram/40Mdisk from inside of emacs, with everything
important installed... no X, no TeX, but there was room left for at
least one of those).
5) Hardware support
Linux seems to have more support for "low budget" hardware,
contributed by people who have it. There is a good deal of
cross-breeding here, however, with some people working on drivers on
both sides (since, after all, the *hard* part is actually talking to
the hardware, not talking to the O/S.) My personal experience has been
that Linux boots from scratch on more machines than 386BSD does.
6) Development "Life Cycle"
Bill and Lynne Jolitz manage the entire release very closely; this
results in reasonable quality control, but a long cycle between
releases (if I recall correctly, 0.0 came out in March, 0.1 over the
summer, and submissions for 0.2 are solicited now though no date is
even hinted at for a release.) It is also reported that the Jolitz'
have not been able to keep up with NetNews since Septmber 1.
Linus Torvalds keeps a very close eye on the kernel -- in fact, he
rewrites many submissions (though not all) to meet his coding
standards, improving them in the process. Other people handle the
release of installable systems, moving at various paces. Linus also
participates very actively in discussions on both comp.os.linux and
comp.unix.bsd. Improvements to the kernel come out at a rapid pace; I
was recently off at a conference for a week, and am about two
revisions behind on the kernel, to give you some idea of the pace --
the changes mostly involve the networking code, which is in active
flux right now, so this is a feature for developers who want it (and
those who don't simply stay with older versions.)
7) License and Politics
Linux is released under the GNU Copyleft; this means that if you sell
it to someone, you have to include sources with it. (I think this is a
great idea :-)
BSD is released under the various Berkeley copyrights which say that
you can do what you want as long as you don't hold the Regents liable;
also, the Jolitz' have asked for donations to some charity (their
"CareWare" program) if you wish to make them. They have also said that
BSD is simply not *ready* for commercial use, and advise against
making commercial use of it, simply for technical reasons.
There is also a pending lawsuit (AT&T vs. BSDI and UCB) which may
affect the ownership of the 4.3net2 release which 386BSD is based on.
However, no actual action has been taken by a court in this matter,
although UCB and CMU have apparently reacted to it anyway (UCB by no
longer shipping tapes of 4.3net2, and CMU by no longer releasing the
BNR2SS single-server for Mach.)
8) Availability
Linux and 386BSD are both available for anonymous ftp from numerous
sites; Austin Codeworks apparently resells both in source form; FTP
Software Inc was giving away a CDrom at Interop Fall 92 with 386BSD
source and binaries (as well as X11R5, the Crynwr Packet Drivers, and
the RFC's and IEN's) as a promotion. Linux has been uploaded to a
number of BBS'es around the world. I'm sure other forms are available,
essentially if you want it you can probably get it.
In summary, there are numerous differences between Linux and 386BSD;
it is entirely up to you whether they "make a difference" in your
situation.
_Mark_ <eichin@athena.mit.edu>
MIT Student Information Processing Board
Cygnus Support <eichin@cygnus.com>
ps. This posting ignores other 386 Operating Systems since, after all,
we're only discussing Free ones here. Also, I'm sure it is clear to
you that these are my opinions from my experience, and not meant to
represent those of MIT or Cygnus Support (although some of them
certainly coincide) particularly regarding any lawsuits in progress.
