Subject: Linux-Activists Digest #184
From: Digestifier <Linux-Activists-Request@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>
To: Linux-Activists@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: Linux-Activists@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU
Date:     Mon, 30 Aug 93 01:13:09 EDT

Linux-Activists Digest #184, Volume #6           Mon, 30 Aug 93 01:13:09 EDT

Contents:
  Re: SpeedStar PRO (Andrew R. Tefft)
  Re: WD7000fasst SCSI controller (Keith Smith)
  Linux networking and Novell networking... a question! (Guru Aleph_Null)
  Re: LIL....... ( and thats all) (Guru Aleph_Null)
  Serial port help wanted (Michael Aos)
  Re: LIL....... ( and thats all)
  Getting Nethack 3.1 to compile with SLS 1.03 Linux (99p12?) (Malcolm Ross Kinsella Ryan)
  PPP vs. SLIP (Thomas J Bilan)
  Re: Source for /usr/bin progs? (Drew Eckhardt)
  Does Tracker 3.10 support STEREO?? (Jordan Hazen)
  Re: Is ttyS1 com1 or com2? Mixed it with cua0, cua1... (Mark Cosham)
  postscripton on BJ330 (Bob Tadlock)
  Re: Pascal for linux? (Andy Beck)
  Re: help with system to run unix (Superuser)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: teffta@cs690-3.erie.ge.com (Andrew R. Tefft)
Subject: Re: SpeedStar PRO
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 22:17:30 GMT

In article <25peo7$7u4@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> esw@po.CWRU.Edu (Eric S. Wallace) writes:
>
>Will XFree work (in color) with a Diamond SpeedStar PRO (VLB) card?

The speedstar PRO works perfectly with XFree86-1.3. Color only,
no monochrome (except the generic vga). Works with the default
Xconfig (if your monitor supports the standard timings).

Make sure you don't get the very first release dated June 16
(I think). There were some problems with the Cirrus drivers, fixed
very quickly (say the 18th).

I would guess current slackware/sls (1.03) distributions use
the correct version.



------------------------------

From: keith@ksmith.com (Keith Smith)
Subject: Re: WD7000fasst SCSI controller
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 20:17:06 GMT

In article <25jih5$mo3@clarknet.clark.net> stephen@clarknet.clark.net (Stephen Balbach) writes:
>
>Does anyone know the most recent revision for the WD7000fasst scsi
>controller.  The FAQ says Linux needs 5.0, but i have heard that the most
>current version is only 3.5  Whats up?
>

It's the _CARD_ not the ROM.  You need the card with the 33C93A chip on
it (small square chip next to the internal SCSI header) not a 33C93. 
Both of the cards I have have the 'A' series chip, and both work.  All
of the people I have talked to with a problem have had a 33C93 sans the
'A'.  There were some bugs on the non-A chip (SCSI bus controller) that
were corrected in later versions.  The older cards had this chip
socketed so you could always try to replace it too.
-- 
Keith Smith          keith@ksmith.com              5719 Archer Rd.
Digital Designs      BBS 1-919-423-4216            Hope Mills, NC 28348-2201
Somewhere in the Styx of North Carolina ...

------------------------------

From: spj@ukelele.gcr.com (Guru Aleph_Null)
Subject: Linux networking and Novell networking... a question!
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 17:27:11 GMT

Ok, me and some other people have been having a little fight over
this: Is Novell networking (specifically IPX) a "closed" system for
which Linux will never support, or is it something that can easily be
supported, but no one does because Novell networking is too expensive?

And secondly, what of anything Novell related, might be something that
will never be supported by Linux?

Enquiring minds want to know... :)




-- 
=========================================================================
     Simon "Guru Aleph-Null" Janes     |... don't crespt the weasal ...
         <spj@ukelele.gcr.com>         |... just think of the master ...
                                       |... feel the grass, softly ...

------------------------------

From: spj@ukelele.gcr.com (Guru Aleph_Null)
Subject: Re: LIL....... ( and thats all)
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1993 17:30:40 GMT

jsr@spacetec.demon.co.uk (Jon Richards) writes:

>Subject says it all really.
>Trying to install linux but when booting from disk a1.3 all we get is-
>LIL, then nothing happens. Presumably the machine hangs (keyboard locks up).
>Any help would be much apreciated.
>Yours frustratedly,
>

How long did you wait? When I booted from the a1.3 disk, it seemed to
be *very* slow booting indeed! Since you probably already waited a
long time, I would dd/rawrite the a1.3 image again on a "fresh" floppy
(formatted of course) and try again. :(
  
>Jon, E-Mail : jsr@spacetec.demon.co.uk
>Spacetech, Space Science Resources.
>Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are mine, and are
>not necessarily those of Spacetech.

-- 
=========================================================================
     Simon "Guru Aleph-Null" Janes     |... don't crespt the weasal ...
         <spj@ukelele.gcr.com>         |... just think of the master ...
                                       |... feel the grass, softly ...

------------------------------

From: msaos@nyx.cs.du.edu (Michael Aos)
Subject: Serial port help wanted
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 23:10:25 GMT


Please reply to mike@egf-bbs.sosi.com.

Anyway, I'm trying to connect a Sun 2/120 running SunOS v3.5 to a
486DX50 running the SLS distribution of Linux (v1.03PLsomething...).

Right now we're using a null modem cable between the two machines serial
ports (pings 2,3,7 and 20).  He's using ttyS2 and getty_ps.  He's copied
all kinds of stuff out of man pages and readme's...not sure he has much
of an understanding of what's going on...

Anyway, I tip(1) out from the 2/120, and I get the login prompt from
his machine but I can't type anything.  It will accept breaks but nothing
else.

Any hints would be GREATLY appreciated.

Mike


------------------------------

From: dannyth@hacktic.nl ()
Subject: Re: LIL....... ( and thats all)
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 16:44:45 

In article <930828141232@spacetec.demon.co.uk> jsr@spacetec.demon.co.uk writes:
>Subject says it all really.
>Trying to install linux but when booting from disk a1.3 all we get is-
>
try installing lilo on /dev/hda instead of the first partition!
worked overhere !


_____
Danny


--
<=====================================================================>
Danny ter Haar  <dannyth@hacktic.nl> or <danny@cistron.nl.mugnet.org>
Robins law #103: 'a couple of lightyears can't part good friends'


------------------------------

Crossposted-To: rec.games.nethack,aus.computers.linux
From: s2119737@cse.unsw.edu.au (Malcolm Ross Kinsella Ryan)
Subject: Getting Nethack 3.1 to compile with SLS 1.03 Linux (99p12?)
Reply-To: s2119737@cse.unsw.edu.au (Malcolm Ross Kinsella Ryan)
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 01:04:35 GMT

I recently updated my copy of Linux from SLS 1.02 (p9?) to 1.03 (p12?).
I had nethack running fine on 1.02, but when I tried to recompile on 1.03
some errors appeared.

Firstly, it complained a lot about integers being used as pointers or vice
versa. It'd didn't seem to mind that a lot, and it still compiled okay.
But it did complain about incompatible minor version numebrs on the 
library files.

It has compiled, and is executable, but it will not save or allow you to
go back up a staircase you have descended. (the program just
freezes, and needs to be killed from another shell) 

I'm sorry if this description is vague. If necessary, I will note down 
any of the missing details, if someone is willing to help.

Malcolm
s2119737@cs.unsw.oz.au
s
w
y
q
q
r
S

------------------------------

From: bilan@cps.msu.edu (Thomas J Bilan)
Subject: PPP vs. SLIP
Date: 30 Aug 1993 02:31:21 GMT


Are PPP and SLIP compatible?  I have a PPP connection here at MSU and want
to install Linux at home for obvious reasons BUT can I use the info in 
NET-2-FAQ for a SLIP connection to work with a PPP.  As you probably have
guessed, I have not done this before and may be asking a stupid question.

If not, is there a PPP patch or something for Linux?

Thanks All,
Tom Bilan

-- 
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
$ Department of Death by Engineering   ^   Surgeon General's Warning:        $
$ Michigan State University            ^   Graduate School may cause brain   $
$ bilan@cps.msu.edu                    ^   damage and sporadic loss of hair  $

------------------------------

Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux.misc
From: drew@juliet.cs.colorado.edu (Drew Eckhardt)
Subject: Re: Source for /usr/bin progs?
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 03:39:05 GMT

In article <SREEKAR.93Aug29171353@panix.panix.com> sreekar@panix.com (Sreekar Shastry) writes:
>
>Does anyone know where I can get the source for some of the programs in /bin
>and /usr/bin like ls, whereis, df and the like?
>
>Thanks.
>--

Virtually all of the Linux programs are GNU. 

Many of the smaller programs aren't separate GNU programs, and 
are distributed as part of bigger packages - ie

shellutils
fileutils
textultils

you can grab the sources from any GNU archive - ie 
prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu
-- 
Boycott USL/Novell for their absurd anti-BSDI lawsuit. | 
Condemn Colorado for Amendment Two.                    | Drew Eckhardt
Use Linux, the fast, flexible, and free 386 unix       | drew@cs.Colorado.EDU 
Will administer Unix for food                          |

------------------------------

From: jnh@hal.eng.ufl.edu (Jordan Hazen)
Subject: Does Tracker 3.10 support STEREO??
Date: 30 Aug 1993 03:50:20 GMT

OK, I've got Tracker 3.10 mostly working on my Linux system, after applying
the patch from sunsite.unc.edu.  The only problem is that it refuses to play
back in stereo!  Mono output sounds fine, but specifying "-stereo" on the
command line causes only much slower, more distorted output (which still isn't
stereo).  I noticed a conditional compile section in main.c which caused mono
output to be the default if the target machine was LINUX.  Is Tracker just
incapable of stereo output under Linux?  I'm using a Pro AudioSpectrum 16 card,
BTW, which produces great stereo output with str32/str15...

---
Jordan.

------------------------------

Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help
From: inu574f@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Mark Cosham)
Subject: Re: Is ttyS1 com1 or com2? Mixed it with cua0, cua1...
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 02:16:46 GMT

umlin000@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Zhuo Er Lin) writes:

>I can't find out what ttyS1 connect to from the FAQ.
ttyS0 = cua0 = com1
ttyS1 = cua1 = com2
ttyS2 = cua2 = com3
ttyS3 = cua3 = com4

>BTW, I am trying to use getty_ps. What's the first number in inittab means?
>(I want uugetty_ps monitor my modem in com2)

>1:123456.
>2:23456
>.....
>S1:

>I mean the abouve 1, 2, S1.  And 2nd column means run level?
The second is the run level.  The first (I think) is just a unique id (2
Chars. max) to identify the process in log files (faillog/syslog, etc)

Mark CoshaM
-- 
 Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
===========> <=======> <=======> <=======> <=======> <=======> <===========
 Mark Cosham   Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    cosham@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au inu574f@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au

------------------------------

Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help
From: btadlock@wixer.bga.com (Bob Tadlock)
Subject: postscripton on BJ330
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 00:50:13 GMT

I need help printing postscript files on a non-postscript printer.
My Cannon Bubble Jet 300 is not a postscript printer, however,
I know that I read somewhere that I caould print postscript
files on my printer using ghostscript or some other utility.
I want to print not only Documents but graphics as well.
Is this possible or am I dreaming???  HELP !
Thanks in advance!
Bob Tadlock
btadlock@wixer.bga.com


-- 


**************************************************
*  From: Bob Tadlock     btadlock@wixer.bga.com  *    

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 29 Aug 93 22:52:00 +0200
From: Andy_Beck@deds-home.fido.de (Andy Beck)
Subject: Re: Pascal for linux?

 si> From: simmons@EE.MsState.Edu (David Simmons)
 si> Does anybody know of a pascal that has been ported for Linux?
Well not a full pascal-compiler itself,but SLS comes with p2c (pascal to C
converter). Maybe that is no really good solution but I've heard that it 
works.

 si> Thanks,
You're welcome :-)

Andy

... Real programmers use cat >a.out ...  

------------------------------

Crossposted-To: comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.os.minix,alt.amateur-comp
From: root@fusion.cuc.ab.ca (Superuser)
Subject: Re: help with system to run unix
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1993 05:02:42 GMT

ag173@yfn.ysu.edu (Jay Hauben) writes:
> 
> A friend is looking to buy a computer system. She has limited 
> money (under $1400). She is doing research and writing for a book 
> about the net. She wants to use UNIX tools for this but also has
> files now in DOS format. She wants a system that will 
> successfully run some form of UNIX with uucp and also run DOS. 
> She would also want at some point to get a Usenet news feed via 
> uucp using the computer system she is looking to buy now.
>  
> She has been quoted a price for a system at the upper limit of 
> what she can afford. The system consists of the following 
> components. Does anyone see in this system anything that would 
> prevent her needs from being met? Might any of the components be 
> too weak for what she wants to do? The forms of UNIX she might 
> have available are Minix (which appears not to have uucp) and off 
> the net Linux. She has a 2400 baud modem now and hopes to upgrade 

UUCP is available for Minix, but I'd still recommend Linux over
Minix.  Why?

1- You say she doesn't want to spend too much $$- Linux is free-
   it costs you 30 floppies and some time.  Minix costs $$ from P-H
2- If you choose one of the full distributions of Linux, you get
   everything in one more-or-less seamless package (X, TEX, C, etc),
   You'd have to go and get these and compile and install them with
   Minix.  If she doesn't have very much Unix experience, she doesn't
   really want to be trying this.

> it and maybe buy a CD-ROM player and controller some time in the 
> future when she is in a position to afford them.
>  
> The system she has the quote for consists of:
>  
>  1) Intel 486DX/33Mhz
>  2) Mid height tower case with 230 watt power supply. (Will this    
>     give enough power and enough VENTILATION?)

230 Watts is more than adequate unless she plans to put in two or
three more full height hard drives, a martini mixer etc..

>  3) 245 MB hard drive by Seagate or Maxton. (Is either 
>     preferable?)

Both are about the same, get the spec sheets on both, take the one with
the largest storage capacity (they both say 245 Meg, but one may actually
be 244.9 and the other 245.1, both would be rounded to 245- get the
# heads,cylinders,sectors and calculate it).  If the specs say that both
have exactly the same capacity, take the fastest one.

>  4) 128 kB cache (Might she in fact need a 256 kB cache?)

128k is probably fine..  Unix doesn't really benefit a great deal
with only 128k more cache, but DOS will benefit some.  Is this bit
of performance worth whatever extra $$ it will cost?

>  5) 4 MB RAM expandable to 64 MB. (Should she insist on SIMM    
>     chips?)

She should, and she should also consider at least 8 Meg instead
of 4.

>  6) AMI bios and ? motherboard. (Would a Pheonix bios be better?)

If she plans to run Unix exclusively, it doesn't much matter, but
if she plans to run DOS as well, she should consider another brand
of BIOS if available (Even the latest version of AMI has some bugs,
and it has too many setup options for non-techies.  AMI is also one
of the slower BIOS' available.  Personally, I won't even consider
anything with an AMI BIOS- almost anything else is acceptable, but
I like Phoenix the best- Phoenix has been around the longest, and
you're likely to have fewer troubles with a Phoenix BIOS.  Unfortunately,
Phoenix BIOS motherboards may be hard to find, AMI BIOS is cheaper
to license than Phoenix, so most motherboard manufacturers provide
AMI BIOS instead).

>  7) 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" TEAC floppy drives

I assume both are of the high-density variety?

>  8) Pentium Overdrive with Intel (?) chips

Does this mean a Pentium can be put in the motherboard in place of the
486 or what?  She probably doesn't need this, and could probably get
a better deal on a motherboard without Pentium support.  Pentium support
*may* increase the life of the motherboard (since you can upgrade to
the Pentium if you outgrow the 486), but this depends on if the
Pentium stays a viable processor (there's already *many* processors on
the market that are faster and less expensive than the Pentium, so by
the time you outgrow the 486, the Pentium probably won't be an option
anyways).

>  9) 14" Acer 34T (SVGA NI) monitor.
> 10) 101 keyboard
> 11a) Trident 1 MB SVGA video card with a DC 009 IDE controller     
>     card
> or
> 11b) Genoa IMD VESA local bus graphics card with a VLB IDE     
>     controller card (for about $150 more). (Is there a significant
>     advantage gained for the extra money even though she doesn't     
>     anticipate doing much graphics?)

The Genoa VESA *might* be worth it, but VLB IDE definitely isn't.  IDE
doesn't do DMA, so VLB doesn't help it at all- you can get a cached
IDE adaptor that does DMA from its cache, but that's not really the
same thing, and you can't get near the performance improvement you can
with real disk-to-memory DMA.  In any case, Unix may not like VLB IDE,
so that's not a very good idea anyways.  If she can get a SCSI adaptor
and drive instead for about the same $$ extra, then I'd suggest she
go for it.

> 12) 2 serial, 1 parallel and 1 game ports
> 13) DOS and Windows on the hard drive - no disks and no manuals!!

*Bzzt* it's illegal to bundle software in a system without manuals (and
possibly disks, depending on the licensing with the software company- many
new machines now come with the software on hard disk only, and you make your
own "originals" by selecting the appropriate option from a menu and providing
your own disks, but these still come with manuals for the software!).

DOS and Windows *must* come with their respective manuals, otherwise they're
"pirated" copies and illegal.

Don't let unscrupulous computer dealers do this to you- insist on (and make
sure you get) manuals and disks to *all* bundled software.  And don't let
them charge you extra for manuals- if software is truly bundled, you get
everything, no strings attached.  If they make up some sort of excuse about
this, I'd strongly consider taking my business elsewhere!

Anyways..  The cheapest similarly configured system (bigger hard drive, 
more software bundled) I can find around here is $1900 CDN (about $1400 US), 
so the price is about right- you should be able to talk it down at least
another $100 or so.

> Is there anything in the above system that might prevent her from 
> successfully running UNIX or handling her DOS files? Is there 
> anything she should change in order to better insure that her 
> system might last for a long time?

A few days ago, I told a computer-salesman friend of mine that I was running
Unix on a 33 MHz 386- you should have seen the look on his face: complete and
utter disbelief!  Contrary to popular belief, Unix runs just fine on a 386,
it runs even better on a 486, but it still works fine on just a regular
386 (Hell, I'm still running Unix on an AT&T 3b1 (68010), and it runs fine
as well- the machine is more I/O limited (slow disk drive) than anything
else..).  The key to running a Unix box smoothly is memory- the more you
have the better, forget the fancy 24-bit graphics cards and big disk caches
and other useless toys, get as much memory as you can afford, and then start
saving up for more!  If you use SIMMs, chances are good that if you ever get
a new system, you can just pull them out of the old machine and pop them
into the new.

> All responses e-mail or by public post appreciated.

c4
-- 
Christopher Lau- "Mr. Unix"    |     /       Fusion: Playing With Fire!
StarBright Research            |    / /      H + H -> He + 24 MeV
            --                 |   /_/_/_    "Bring back Trudeau!"
root,lauc@fusion.cuc.ab.ca     |____________ "This space for rent"

------------------------------


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The current version of Linux is 0.99pl9 released on April 23, 1993

End of Linux-Activists Digest
******************************
