patch-1.3.90 linux/Documentation/Changes

• Lines: 278
• Date: Tue Apr 16 15:45:02 1996
• Orig file: v1.3.89/linux/Documentation/Changes
• Orig date: Mon Apr 15 12:20:16 1996

diff -u --recursive --new-file v1.3.89/linux/Documentation/Changes linux/Documentation/Changes
@@ -1,23 +1,24 @@
 This document contains a list of the latest releases of the most
-important packages for Linux.
+important packages for Linux as well as instructions for newcomers to
+the 1.3.x series of kernels.
 
-The installation information were removed because redundant.
-
-Last updated: 14 Apr 1996.
-Author: Alessandro Sigala (ssigala@globalnet.it).
-
-Section "Upgrading to 1.3.x kernel" contributed by Chris Ricker
+Last updated: Apr 15, 1996.
+Authors: Alessandro Sigala (ssigala@globalnet.it) and Chris Ricker
 (gt1355b@prism.gatech.edu).
 
+Note:  Due to time constraints, Alessandro is getting out of the Changes
+business and I'll be picking up the job.  Be gentle while I get my feet
+wet ;-).
+
 Current Releases
 ****************
 
-- Kernel modules	 Broken: 1.3.57, Exp: 1.3.69f
+- Kernel modules	 Stable: 1.3.57, Exp: 1.3.69f
 - PPP daemon		 Stable: 2.2.0e, Exp: 2.2.0f-BETA6
 - Dynamic linker (ld.so) 1.7.14
 - GNU CC		 2.7.2
 - Binutils		 2.6.0.12
-- Linux C Library	 Latest: 5.3.9, Stable: 5.2.18
+- Linux C Library	 Stable:  5.2.18, Exp:  5.3.9
 - Linux C++ Library	 2.7.1.4
 - Termcap		 2.0.7
 - Procps		 0.99a
@@ -31,14 +32,14 @@
 Dynamic linker
 ==============
 
-   You may upgrade the dynamic linker to the latest release only to
-solve some bugs.
+   You might upgrade the dynamic linker to the latest release, but only
+to solve some bugs.
 
 SysVinit
 ========
 
-   The FIFO behavior is changed in latest 1.3.x kernel releases. You may
-upgrade to 2.60 if the older version breaks.
+   The FIFO behavior is changed in the latest 1.3.x kernel releases.
+Upgrade to 2.60 if the older version seems broken.
 
 PPP daemon and utilities
 ========================
@@ -65,12 +66,22 @@
 The Linux C Library
 ===================
 
-   The current Linux C Library release is 5.3.9. In this release there
-are some important changes that may break other programs, then read the
-`release.libc-5.3.9' file carefully!  You need to patch and recompile
-the `make' utility, or get it precompiled from the address written at
-the end of this file.  If you don't want to patch and recompile the
-binaries you may try the release 5.2.18.
+   The latest stable Linux C Library release is 5.2.18.  If you upgrade
+to this from 5.0.9 or earlier, be sure to read the `release.libc-5.2.18'
+file, since GNU make and a few other fairly important utils can be
+broken by the upgrade.
+
+   The current (beta) Linux C Library release is 5.3.9. In this release
+there are some important changes that may cause troubles to buggy
+programs (programs that call free() on a pointer not returned by
+malloc() work with previous libc, but not with this release) then read
+the `release.libc-5.3.9' file carefully!  In the latest libc releases a
+dirent bug, which erroneously defined d->reclen to d->namlen if USE_GNU
+was defined, has been fixed.  Unfortunately, some GNU packages depend on
+this bug.  GNU make 3.xx is one of them.  To fix that you need to patch
+and recompile those programs (a patch for make is included in the file
+`release.libc-.5.3.9', and the address to obtain a precompiled binary
+is at the end of this file).
 
 The Termcap Library
 ===================
@@ -79,68 +90,71 @@
 read the `README' file contained into the package to get some important
 information about the `tgetent' function changes!
 
-Upgrading to 1.3.x kernel
-*************************
+Upgrading to 1.3.x kernel from 1.2.13
+*************************************
 
-   This section was prepared by Chris Ricker and based on material from
-the linux-kernel mailing list, Jared Mauch's web page "Software Victims
-of the 1.3 Kernel Development"
-(http://www2.nether.net/~jared/victim.html), and Axel Boldt's
-(boldt@math.ucsb.edu) Configure.help file, among other sources.
+   This section was based on material from the linux-kernel mailing
+list, Jared Mauch's web page "Software Victims of the 1.3 Kernel
+Development" (http://www2.nether.net/~jared/victim.html), and Axel
+Boldt's (boldt@math.ucsb.edu) Configure.help file, among other sources.
 
    This section is intended primarily to help those that are new to the
 1.3.x series of Linux kernels.  In the ongoing effort to make a faster,
-better kernel and eventually achieve complete world domination, several
-features of the kernel have changed.  As a result, when you first
-upgrade to 1.3.x from 1.2.13, you will also have to upgrade several
-utilities that are closely associated with the kernel.
+better kernel and eventually achieve total world domination, several
+features of the Linux kernel have been improved.  As a result, when you
+first upgrade to 1.3.x from 1.2.13, you will also have to upgrade
+several utilities that are closely associated with the kernel and make
+use of these features.
 
 Proc filesystem
 ===============
 
-   Various changes in the /proc filesystem have been made, affecting ps,
-top, etc.  Running `top' or `ps -auwwx' will now give you a floating
+   Various changes in the /proc filesystem have been made, affecting
+ps, top, etc.  Running `top' or `ps -auwwx' will now give you a floating
 point exception. To fix the problem, upgrade to procps-0.99a.tar.gz,
 available at
-ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/BETA/procps/procps-0.99a.tar.gz (or else
-don't run top or ps with fancy switches and live with the incorrect
-values ;-).
+ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/BETA/procps/procps-0.99a.tar.gz.
 
 Modules
 =======
 
    1.3.x is almost completely modularized, and kerneld is now
 incorporated into the kernel.  To take advantage of this, you'll need
-the latest version of the module support apps.  The latest non-beta
-(works fine for me) is modules-1.3.57.tar.gz, and the latest beta is
-modules-1.3.69f.tar.gz.  These should be available at the same place
-you picked up your kernel (ftp://ftp.cc.gatech.edu/pub/linux/kernel/)
-and the home page is http://www.pi.se/blox/modules/index.html.  Note:
-If you try to load a module and get a message like
-
-   gcc2_compiled, undefined Failed to load module!  The symbols from
-kernel 1.3.foo don't match 1.3.foo
-
-   where foo is a number between 1 and 87, then it's time to upgrade
-module utilities from 1.3.57 to 1.3.69f (you'll only get this if you're
-running the latest binutils as well).  Another little tip:  you can't
-have both a.out *and* ELF support compiled as modules.  Otherwise, you
-get a nice Catch-22 when you try to run insmod to install a.out/ELF
-support so you can run insmod ;-).  If you have an all-ELF system, but
-need a.out for the occasional Netscape session, then you can do a.out
-support as a module.  Otherwise, you should probably leave it in the
-kernel.  Similarly, any partitions that you have to mount at startup
-have to have their necessary drivers compiled into the kernel, so don't
-get grandiose ideas about going completely modular and then forget to
-compile ext2fs support into your kernel ;-).
+the latest version of the module support apps.  The latest non-beta is
+modules-1.3.57.tar.gz, and the latest beta is modules-1.3.69f.tar.gz.
+These should be available at the same place you picked up your kernel
+(ftp://ftp.cc.gatech.edu/pub/linux/kernel/) and the home page is
+http://www.pi.se/blox/modules/index.html.  Note:  If you try to load a
+module and get a message like
+
+   `gcc2_compiled, undefined Failed to load module!  The symbols from
+kernel 1.3.foo don't match 1.3.foo'
+
+   where `foo' is a number between 1 and 89, then it's time to upgrade
+module utilities from 1.3.57 to 1.3.69f; you'll only get this error if
+you're running the latest binutils, so most people don't need to
+upgrade.
+
+   Another little tip:  you can't have both a.out *and* ELF support
+compiled as modules.  Otherwise, you get a nice Catch-22 when you try
+to run insmod to install a.out/ELF support so you can run insmod ;-).
+If you have an all-ELF system, but need a.out for the occasional
+Netscape session, then you can do a.out support as a module.
+Otherwise, you should probably leave it in the kernel, and if you
+haven't gone ELF yet, you can probably say no to ELF support.
+Similarly, any partitions that you have to mount at startup have to
+have their necessary file system and device drivers compiled into the
+kernel, so don't get grandiose ideas about going completely modular and
+then forget to compile ext2fs support and ide drive support into your
+kernel ;-).
 
 PPP driver
 ==========
 
-   The PPP driver was upgraded (and is still in somewhat of a a state of
-flux).  You need to be running a pppd from ppp-2.2.0.tar.gz or greater.
-The latest is 2.2.0e and is available at
-ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/Network/serial/ppp-2.2.0e.tar.gz.
+   You need to be running a pppd from ppp-2.2.0.tar.gz or greater.  The
+latest stable release is 2.2.0e and is available at
+ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/Network/serial/ppp-2.2.0e.tar.gz,
+along with a patch necessary to make it compile.
 
 Named pipes
 ===========
@@ -148,7 +162,7 @@
    Linux's handling of named pipes changed (it now does it The Right Way
 instead of the SunOS way ;-).  This broke some programs that depended
 on the SunOS behavior, most notably SysVinit.  If you're running 2.59
-or earlier, you will probably get a wierd error on shutdown in which
+or earlier, you will probably get a weird error on shutdown in which
 your computer shuts down fine but "INIT: error reading initrequest" or
 words to that effect scroll across your screen hundreds of times.  To
 fix, upgrade to
@@ -173,11 +187,14 @@
 
    ln -s /usr/lib/terminfo/l/linux /usr/lib/terminfo/c/console
 
+   Better yet, just get the latest official Linux termcap from
+ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/termcap-2.0.7.tar.gz
+
 Hdparm
 ======
 
    Hdparm has been upgraded to take advantage of the latest features of
-the kernel drivers.  The latest can be found at
+the kernel drivers.  The latest non-beta version can be found at
 ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel/patches/diskdrives/hdparm-2.7.tar.gz.
 
 IP Accounting
@@ -228,17 +245,19 @@
 ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/packages/GCC.  This is NOT an error due
 to the kernel, though many people have mistakenly thought it is.  When
 you upgrade to libc-5.3.9, you have to patch make to get it to work.
-All of this is documented in the release notes with libc.
+All of this is documented in the release notes with libc.  Upgrading
+libc can also break xterm support.  If it does, you need to recompile
+xterm.
 
 Loop device
 ===========
 
-   1.3.x kernels include loop device support which lets you mount a file
-as a file system, which can allow for all sorts of cool things like
-encrypted file systems and such.  To use it, you'll need a modified
-version of mount from
-ftp://ftp.win.tue.nl:/pub/linux/util/mount-2.5X.tar.gz and work on
-encrypted file system support can be found in
+   1.3.x kernels include loop device support which lets you mount a
+file as a file system, which can allow for all sorts of cool things
+like encrypted file systems and such.  To use it, you'll need a
+modified version of mount from
+ftp://ftp.win.tue.nl:/pub/linux/util/mount-2.5X.tar.gz and preliminary
+work on encrypted file system support can be found in
 ftp.funet.fi:/pub/OS/Linux/BETA/loop/des.1.tar.gz.
 
 Multiple device
@@ -259,15 +278,14 @@
 Quota
 =====
 
-   Quota support has also been added.  You need to get
-ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/Admin/quota_acct.tar.gz to enable
-quotas.  The version that is currently there does not compile, though I
-am uploading a patched one that will compile as I write this (look for
-quota-acct-modified.tgz).
+   Quota support has also been added.  You need to get quotas-1.51 from
+ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/Linux/PEOPLE/Linus/subsystems/quota/all.tar.gz.
+This will compile just fine after you copy its mntent.h over to
+/usr/include/mntent.h.
 
 Please send info about any other packages that 1.3.x "broke" or about
 any new features of 1.3.x that require extra packages for use to Chris
-Ricker (gt1355b@prism.gatech.edu) or me.
+Ricker (gt1355b@prism.gatech.edu).
 
 How to know the version of the installed programs
 *************************************************
@@ -310,6 +328,8 @@
 Installation notes:
 ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/release.libc-5.3.9
 
+Patched make sources:
+ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/devel/make/make-3.74.patched.tar.gz
 Patched make binary:
 ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/devel/make/make-3.74-direntfix-elf.tgz