From: Digestifier To: Linux-Misc@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu Reply-To: Linux-Misc@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu Date: Sat, 6 Nov 93 21:13:11 EST Subject: Linux-Misc Digest #280 Linux-Misc Digest #280, Volume #1 Sat, 6 Nov 93 21:13:11 EST Contents: Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers (Dan Hildebrand) Re: DOES LINUX RUN ON ESCOM PC's [Q] [Need Hardware Desc.] (Uwe Kreibaum) Linux & OS/2, can it be happy family (Jeffrey M Lessem) list of commercial CD-ROM releases of Linux? (Daniel R. Kegel) Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers (Heikki T. Suopanki) Re: Linux BBS Re: Bogomip (Miguel de Icaza) Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers (Crassly Commercial Quantum Mechanic) Xfree86 and plasma(or lcd) display? (Alex Shapiro) Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers (hamer kenneth) Linux newsgroups (Ajaron) Re: Linux newsgroups (Lars Wirzenius) Term Stats: >1200 CPS (NOT bps)? (Drinks All The Water) Re: TERM problems- Please help! (Paul Bouchier) Re: INFOMAGIC (John H. F. Mills) Re: INFOMAGIC (Chris Smith) Re: Term Stats: >1200 CPS (NOT bps)? (cajho@uno.edu) Re: TERM problems- Please help! (Paul Bouchier) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crossposted-To: gnu.misc.discuss From: danh@quantum.qnx.com (Dan Hildebrand) Subject: Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers Date: Fri, 05 Nov 93 20:18:18 GMT In article <1993Nov4.222352.26988@super.org>, Donald J. Becker wrote: > >I used to think that a microkernel would allow easy development with only a >slight loss in performance. I now know that the hard parts of driver >development are the "thinking" and "actually writing it" phases, not the >"putting it into the kernel" part. There exist microkernel OS's that allow you to write drivers (interrupt handlers and all) as user-level processes that can be started and stopped like any other process, and debugged with the standard system, full-screen symbolic debugger. This makes writing device drivers MUCH easier than the traditional "rebuild OS, reboot OS, test until it crashes, reboot OS, etc". >Add to this the evidence that microkernels >are significantly slower than monolithic kernels, and microkernels don't make >a lot of sense. There also exist microkernel OS's that are at least as efficient as their monolithic counterparts. A well-implemented microkernel OS makes a lot of sense. -- Dan Hildebrand email: danh@qnx.com QNX Software Systems, Ltd. QUICS: danh (613) 591-0934 (data) (613) 591-0931 x204 (voice) mail: 175 Terence Matthews (613) 591-3579 (fax) Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2M 1W8 ------------------------------ From: Uwe@lazlon.han.sub.org (Uwe Kreibaum) Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.help Subject: Re: DOES LINUX RUN ON ESCOM PC's [Q] [Need Hardware Desc.] Reply-To: uwe@lazlon.han.sub.org Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1993 11:10:48 MET In , Isa Afsin Toparlak writes: >If YES, please give me some detailed intructions: > which ESCOM PC [...] Hello, I'm using a Escom Tower 486DX/2 50, Standard-Controller with a Conner 170 MB HD (part of the sold Package) plus one Conner CP30254 (250 MB), Standard Isa-Bus, 8 MB Memory (don't try less if you're going to use X: it's terribly slooow!) Graphics: 2TheMax ET4000, Escom Trinitron 14" (works fine with 1024x768 if you can't afford 17" like me :-( ) CD: Mitsumi CD-Rom LU305 (might be the wrong Name - it's the Standard CD-Rom which is supported by Linux Tape: Colorado DJ-20 Floppy-Streamer No Ethernet The above configuration works fine with 0.99pl12 (pl13 works as well, I'm still using pl12 with the ftape-patches, which are already available for pl13). If possible, you should get at least 250 MB, preferrably more disk space - but the 170 MB HD is usually sufficient for a start. If you're planning to use large disks, consider buying an Adaptec SCSI: it's fully supported and can handle up to 7 devices including CD-Rom and Tapes. (Couldn't afford it yet, but I guess it's the next thing in line...) Bye, Uwe -- Uwe Kreibaum Triftstr. 19 e-mail : uwe@lazlon.han.sub.org 31157 Sarstedt lazarus@hannover.bybyte.de Germany ------------------------------ From: lessem@ibg.colorado.edu (Jeffrey M Lessem) Subject: Linux & OS/2, can it be happy family Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 09:42:07 GMT Let me run this by you folks: I have been craving a Unix box for some time now, because I get to play with one at work, but I have no real power on it. I do own bootptab and have super user access to the WordPerfect terminal editor, but that does not a system administrator make. I can't give up my OS/2 machine, or even share it because I need it to do "real" things, like run SAS, Quicken, Lotus 1-2-3, and such stuff. I have been looking at old used Suns, SGIs, and have even considered a minivax running Ultrix. Now that XFree2.0 is out I am considering an 386+ running Linux (I had no luck with 1.3). These base systems are readily available. A new 386/40 motherboard is under $200 and even a 486SX is not much more. I have seen used 386/387 boards for under $120, and I have a spare VGA monitor. The biggest dilemna is hard drive space. No matter what cheap processor I get hard drives are still failry expensive. However I have lots of space on my OS/2 machine, 560 usable megs, and 100 slow megs. I also have a 40 meg drive not being used at all, and can always pick up a 100 meg ide for around $80. Unix + X would require at least 120 megs, and then a swapfile. So this is what I am thinking. I could put a 120 or so meg ide and possibly the 40 meg mfm on a Linux box. That would be enough room to install the os and X, plus a the normal array of nifty Unix things. It wouldn't be enough room to do much else. So I am thinking I could use NFS to offload a bunch of stuff on to the OS/2 machine, particularly things like TeX fonts and styles, and emacs lisp byte-compiled files, which are non-machine dependent and could be shared by both platforms. I could also use the OS/2 machine for tmp space and scratch space. Does this sound like a sane setup? Is there something inherently wrong here, or should it work ok? The Unix machine would essentially be a toy (but aren't all computers?) so I am not terribly interested in speed. I like the fact that it is contorted because I will have fun with it, I just want to make sure I am not setting out to do the impossible. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. -- ===================================== Jeff Lessem (lessem@ibg.colorado.edu) Institute for Behavioral Genetics University of Colorado ------------------------------ From: dank@blacks.jpl.nasa.gov (Daniel R. Kegel) Subject: list of commercial CD-ROM releases of Linux? Date: 6 Nov 93 14:49:57 GMT Hmm, I can't seem to find the distribution-howto... but in the two hours I've been catching up on the Linux groups, I've put together the following (alphabetical) list of vendors: vendor voice phone distributions on CD-ROM MCC ??? own? (very tight) Morse (800) 706 4046 Nascent +1 408 737 9500 Trans-ameritech +1 408 727 3883 SLS, Slackware Yggsadril +1 408 261 6630 LGX Can anyone fill in the blanks or post the missing distribution howto? (Or tell me why alphbetical order seems to be reverse telephone number order?-) - Dan Kegel (dank@alumni.caltech.edu) ------------------------------ Crossposted-To: gnu.misc.discuss From: suopanki@stekt4.oulu.fi (Heikki T. Suopanki) Subject: Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers Reply-To: suopanki@stekt.oulu.fi Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 15:16:42 GMT The real reason why the FSF guys don't like Linux is of course the size. Linux is way too small and can be run even on 2-3M machines. -Heikki -- Somebody mentioned to RMS that it's obscene to have an editor which is larger than the kernel. RMS said he'd take care of it. ....that's how HURD got started ------------------------------ From: MCREYNPA@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu () Subject: Re: Linux BBS Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 15:50:51 GMT In hm@seneca.ix.de writes: > MCREYNPA@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu wrote: > : > Anyway, the point of this post is to point out that someone not too long > : > ago suggested implementing a BBS shell for Linux (via perl scripts perhaps?) > : > and to ask how this is coming? Has anyone gotten around to it? > > Yes, I did that. It is a short (well, around 500 lines) shell skript which > has been used for a while, but I then decided to implement a chroot environment > which is much safer. However, people are just user 'bbs' in there, but can > send mail and download stuff with sz and kermit. There's even man-pages > for poor D*S-**sers. If they only read them. > > Any comment on that? I don't see why the chroot environment would necessarily be safer. In any case, when you use an environment which makes every user 'bbs' you have to recode everything to get around this 'feature' when you want to add functionality to the system -- like adding chat, news, or MUDs (etc). The point of just writing an easy-to-use-bbs-style-shell rather than a bbs program is that you don't have to spend so much time reinventing the wheel. Also, security should not be a problem if you set up your group stuff correctly and implement shadow passwords. Further, (maybe this isn't a desireable solution if you like to login from work, but...) setting only console as the only secure tty might be a good idea as well. > Ciao, > hm > > -- > Harald Milz (hm@seneca.ix.de) Phillip McReynolds MCREYNPA@CTRVAX.VANDERBILT.EDU ------------------------------ From: miguel@roxanne.nuclecu.unam.mx (Miguel de Icaza) Subject: Re: Bogomip Date: 06 Nov 1993 18:39:05 GMT [ Lot of BogoMips records deleted ] > But this is not new, so the question is : What in the hell the BogoMips (tm) > is ? Does it measure CPU performance, or what ? Read the kernel source. /linux/init/main.c. It computes loops_per_sec. Miguel. -- Miguel. ------------------------------ From: morphy@cco.caltech.edu (Crassly Commercial Quantum Mechanic) Crossposted-To: gnu.misc.discuss Subject: Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers Date: 6 Nov 1993 19:13:08 GMT suopanki@stekt4.oulu.fi (Heikki T. Suopanki) writes: >The real reason why the FSF guys don't like Linux is of course the size. >Linux is way too small and can be run even on 2-3M machines. But isn't size everything? Jones -- Jones M Murphy Jr Assistant Vice President, New Products AIG Financial Products 100 Nyala Farm, Westport, CT06880 (800) 248-SWAP ------------------------------ From: shurik@sdphu1.uucp (Alex Shapiro) Subject: Xfree86 and plasma(or lcd) display? Date: 6 Nov 1993 18:28:37 GMT I've got a plasma display connected to a Diamond Speedstar Pro through the VESA feature connector on that card. I've tried the suggestions for that card, but was not able to develop a working Xconfig. I also tried the Paradis PVGA and that did not work either. So, is there anyone out there who has settings which work with a plasma screen? My guess is that lcd displays use the same VESA feature connector mechanism, so information about lcd displays would be welcome, also. -Jeff. jwyu@ucsd.edu ------------------------------ From: khamer@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (hamer kenneth) Crossposted-To: gnu.misc.discuss Subject: Re: Hurd status and call for volunteers Date: 6 Nov 1993 20:40:14 GMT morphy@cco.caltech.edu (Crassly Commercial Quantum Mechanic) writes: >>The real reason why the FSF guys don't like Linux is of course the size. >>Linux is way too small and can be run even on 2-3M machines. >But isn't size everything? (Exhibiting a complete lack of self-control, possibly because the opportunity is too blatant to avoid) Right. The new Linux motto: "Linux. It's not size that counts, it's what you can do with it" -Ken -- ______________________________________________________________________________ Kenneth L. Hamer khamer@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu ------------------------------ From: ajaron@netcom.com (Ajaron) Subject: Linux newsgroups Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 21:58:31 GMT I've only been following the linux groups for a short time, but I've noticed two things: comp.os.linux.help gets far more traffic than the rest of the groups, and comp.os.linux.help gets many many installation questions. My not-so-revolutionary idea for whomever it is that maintains linux groups is, how about a comp.os.linux.install.(help) group? Cut the traffic in comp.os.linux.help to a reasonable size, and also allow people with installation questions to solicit exactly the right group. (Yes, I know that many installation questions are the result of insufficient reading by the poster - but there are still lots of legitimate installation questions.) -Ajaron (ajaron@netcom.com) ------------------------------ From: wirzeniu@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Lars Wirzenius) Subject: Re: Linux newsgroups Date: 7 Nov 1993 00:48:37 +0200 ajaron@netcom.com (Ajaron) writes: > I've only been following the linux groups for a short time, but I've > noticed two things: comp.os.linux.help gets far more traffic than the > rest of the groups, and comp.os.linux.help gets many many installation > questions. My not-so-revolutionary idea for whomever it is that > maintains linux groups is, how about a [new Linux group] I won't comment on the actual proposal except to say that it isn't as far-fetched as a lot of the more common proposals. However, anyone interested in creating new newsgroups would be advised to read the related guides and other material in news.announce.newgroups (and news.answers). The way to start the process for creating a new newsgroup is detailed there; if you are serious about the proposal, why not do it properly? Before starting the actual process, it can be a good idea to get some general feel for what people think. However, at least as far as the Linux groups are concerned, the opinions vary too wildly, and there are too many too vocal people on either side. Hence, it is too difficult to get any valid picture, and it would be better to just get the process started anyway. (Followups redirected to news.groups, which is the proper group for discussing new groups. That's discussing; the first article is of course best posted to the affected newsgroups as well.) -- Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (finger wirzeniu@klaava.helsinki.fi) Humans are unreliable, computers are non-deterministically reliable. ------------------------------ From: boutell@netcom.com (Drinks All The Water) Subject: Term Stats: >1200 CPS (NOT bps)? Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 23:09:13 GMT Greedy question: I've got a 14,400bps modem, and I'm running term. tmon reports around 1200 characters per second, whereas I gather my modem should be able to get closer to 1440 characters per second, or even higher due to v.42bis compression (which does exist on my line). I've seen higher rates with other transfer protocols. Is anybody faring better than 1200 cps? If so, what did you tweak? What's your term configuration file like? My apologies to the 2400- bauders who will be enraged into throwing heavy objects at me for being dissatisfied. (: -T -- i'll be under the floorboards with my face in the sun ------------------------------ Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.development From: bouchier@convex.com (Paul Bouchier) Subject: Re: TERM problems- Please help! Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 23:46:32 GMT Has anyone solved this problem? I had the same experience - term worked one day & didn't work the next. It's still dead. Does anyone have a fix? Thanks Paul Bouchier ------------------------------ From: ntsoft@login.dkuug.dk (John H. F. Mills) Subject: Re: INFOMAGIC Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 18:44:43 GMT I've recently heard that infomagic markets a dump of linux from one of the US sites... here is the description from them... The Linux CD-ROM $15.00 A snapshot of the linux archive from tsx-11.mit.edu taken 20 September 1993. Includes kernel version 0.99.12. All files have been uncompressed and all tar files extracted. This disc will be updated at two (2) month intervals and will have additional material included as users suggest to us. It is in ISO-9660 format with Rock Ridge extensions. Certainly different from the yggdrasil disk, but also useful... you pays your money and takes your choice! ------------------------------ From: csmith@convex.com (Chris Smith) Subject: Re: INFOMAGIC Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 23:54:42 GMT In article kennedyj@vader.egr.uri.edu (John Kennedy) writes: >I came across 5 CD_ROMS from a company called INFOMAGIC. These are >said to contain source code, X-windows support etc. for a linux based >system. > >Has anyone either heard of or tried these disks out ? I have one from them containing tsx-11. It's *great*, the best $15 I ever spent. All the linux-activists mail archives, all the distributions, all the software. Linux software changes like a flock of hummingbirds so you won't give up FTP, but this is a great one to get. I think the plan is for bimonthly updates, too. ------------------------------ From: cajho@uno.edu Subject: Re: Term Stats: >1200 CPS (NOT bps)? Date: 6 Nov 1993 23:59:36 GMT Reply-To: cajho@uno.edu In article , boutell@netcom.com (Drinks All The Water) writes: >Greedy question: > >I've got a 14,400bps modem, and I'm running term. tmon reports >around 1200 characters per second, whereas I gather my modem >should be able to get closer to 1440 characters per second, or >even higher due to v.42bis compression (which does exist on my >line). I've seen higher rates with other transfer protocols. > >Is anybody faring better than 1200 cps? If so, what did you >tweak? What's your term configuration file like? I'm running term 1.0.8 with a zyxel 14.4 modem and getting around 1570 cps avg. tuploading large files while sporadically running trshes. Sometimes it will stay over 1600 for a fair bit when I'm doing nothing else. My termrc is quite standard.. baudrate 19200 (hardware compression and flow control on both ends) window 3 timeout 50 compress off and that's it. Moving my baudrate from 14400 to 19200 helped a lot. Somebody said something about getting a faster rate when they used /dev/cua- rather than /dev/ttyS- , so I suppose make sure you are using cua devices (which you should anyway...) I'm lucky and do not have to escape or ignore anything...if you have to do that, you can count on slower speeds. Apologies for not redirecting this to comp.os.linux.help where it prob. belonged, but I'm using a lousy VMS newsreader and I don't think it's even possible (petition my school to give me an ethernet connection so I can rn from my Linux box. :) ) > >My apologies to the 2400- bauders who will be enraged >into throwing heavy objects at me for being dissatisfied. (: > >-T >-- >i'll be under the floorboards with my face in the sun -- Craig Johnston | Cavitas in dentibus facimus! cajho@uno.edu | Cavitas in dentibus facimus! ------------------------------ Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.development From: bouchier@convex.com (Paul Bouchier) Subject: Re: TERM problems- Please help! Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1993 00:47:31 GMT Here's a fix the problem. Replace line 38 in misc.c, which was: current_time = t.tv_sec * 20 + t.tv_usec / 50000; with current_time = (t.tv_sec & 0xffffff) * 20 + t.tv_usec / 50000; Problem is t.tv_usec is currently around 0x2cdc459b, and will overflow when multiplied by 20. I don't know why it was working before - I guess it overflowed to a harmless number before, but now doesn't. Paul Bouchier ------------------------------ ** FOR YOUR REFERENCE ** The service address, to which questions about the list itself and requests to be added to or deleted from it should be directed, is: Internet: Linux-Misc-Request@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU You can send mail to the entire list (and comp.os.linux.misc) via: Internet: Linux-Misc@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU Linux may be obtained via one of these FTP sites: nic.funet.fi pub/OS/Linux tsx-11.mit.edu pub/linux sunsite.unc.edu pub/Linux End of Linux-Misc Digest ******************************