Subject: Linux-Activists Digest #66
From: Digestifier <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 11:15:14 EDT

Linux-Activists Digest #66, Volume #2            Tue, 14 Apr 92 11:15:14 EDT

Contents:
  Re: Tcsh for linux, fixed release (Mika Pekka Liljeberg)
  Re: Tcsh for linux, fixed release (Mika Pekka Liljeberg)
  Re: GCC2.1 (Wonderful !) (Hongjiu Lu -- Graduate Student)
  Re: what does linux rhyme with? (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
  Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI) (Niels Skov Olsen)
  Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI) (Niels Skov Olsen)
  What about running Linux from DOS ? (Fabien Coutant)
  compress doesn't work (Joerg Pommnitz)
  Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI) (Niels Skov Olsen)
  Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI) (Niels Skov Olsen)
  Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI) (Joel M. Hoffman)
  Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI) (Joel M. Hoffman)
  Re: what does linux rhyme with? (Stephen Hathorne)
  Linux Printer (david.a.cuka)
  Phantom optimisation (Jon Tombs)
  Phantom optimisation (Jon Tombs)
  Questions and suggestions (Adrian Wallaschek)
  Hitchhiker's Guide to Linux (Joseph Knapka)
  I'm back (I think) (Lawrence C Foard)

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

From: [email-masked] (Mika Pekka Liljeberg)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Tcsh for linux, fixed release
Date: 14 Apr 92 08:35:44 GMT

Tcsh has now been uploaded to tsx-11.mit.edu, too.
Tsx-11 was unreachable last night, so I couldn't
upload it then.

Nic.funet.fi already seems to have tcsh on display.
Fast work! :)

        Mika

--
Mika Liljeberg                  Email:  [email-masked]
Helsinki University                     [email-masked]
Dept. of Computer Science

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

From: [email-masked] (Mika Pekka Liljeberg)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Tcsh for linux, fixed release
Date: 14 Apr 92 08:35:44 GMT

Tcsh has now been uploaded to tsx-11.mit.edu, too.
Tsx-11 was unreachable last night, so I couldn't
upload it then.

Nic.funet.fi already seems to have tcsh on display.
Fast work! :)

        Mika

--
Mika Liljeberg                  Email:  [email-masked]
Helsinki University                     [email-masked]
Dept. of Computer Science

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

From: [email-masked] (Hongjiu Lu -- Graduate Student)
Subject: Re: GCC2.1 (Wonderful !)
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 06:50:32 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (P Thomson) writes:
>
>
>There seem to be some band width about problems with gcc2.1, I would
>like to say that after installing it and getting the swap space 
>sorted out I've had no problems. In fact running it on 2M bytes memory
>4M swap space I managed to compile the best part of 1M byte of source
>code this evening (in about 30 minutes) the amount of disk traffic
>was not nearly as bad as I thought it might be. The source code was
>
>

It seems that gcc 2.1 can run with 2MB RAM. I think it's the time we
retire gcc 1.40. Lots of problems about kernel and gcc 2.1 are related
to the old gcc 1.40. With gcc 2.1, we can use the shared libs as the
standard. So we can squeeze more stuffs into rootimage. I really miss
bash. I had to copy it from 0.12 rootimage.

What do you guys think?

H.J.

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

From: [email-masked] (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
Subject: Re: what does linux rhyme with?
Date: 14 Apr 92 09:21:42 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Daniel A. Martin) writes:
>In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Paul Fox) writes:
>>
>>      Big question:
>>      
>>      Does "linux" sound like "linus" (i.e.  like "line" followed by "ux"
>>      which rhymes with "us"), or does "linux" sound almost just like
>>      "minix", which I assume people say the way they start "minimal"?
>
>Yeah!  I have been wondering about this too...
>I've been pronouncing in line-ux since that is how I would pronounce
>Linus...although pronouncing it like minix seems to make a lot of
>sense too...hmmmmm...I guess we need Linus to settle this :)

Oh God. This comes up again :)

No, linux doesn't sound like Linus - it's a short [i] sound, like in
mInIx or mInImal or prInt or ...  The reason isn't that I wanted it to
sound like minix, it's just the natural way to pronounce it (imho) in
Swedish.  Pronouncing it like "line"+"ux" is totally foreign to Swedish:
in that case I'd have written it "lainux".  So there.  Maybe this should
be in the FAQ :)

                Linus

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

From: [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI)
Date: 13 Apr 92 22:49:13 GMT

[email-masked] (Drew Eckhardt) writes:

[My keyboard locks up when Caps-Lock is hit both in scsi-version
at sc.tamu.edu (DK and US keyb.) and in the scsi0.95c+ version at
headrest.woz.coloradu.edu.]

[scsi devices now use major 8]

>The keyboard : 

>Does the keyboard lock up, period, do numlock, CAD still work,
>or not?

Ok I checked it more thoroughly.

Following keys gives TOTAL lock up but with Linux stil running:
        Pause
        Scroll Lock (gives a task-info)
        Caps Lock
        Num Lock

When these keys are hit all following keys will make a beep instead
of normal function except Return/Enter which will restore the normal
state:
        PgUp
        PgDn
        Home
        End
        Ins
        Del

The scsi0.95c+ version from headrest is only tested with the supplied
keyboard driver since I cannot yet compile it.

Niels

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

From: [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI)
Date: 13 Apr 92 22:49:13 GMT

[email-masked] (Drew Eckhardt) writes:

[My keyboard locks up when Caps-Lock is hit both in scsi-version
at sc.tamu.edu (DK and US keyb.) and in the scsi0.95c+ version at
headrest.woz.coloradu.edu.]

[scsi devices now use major 8]

>The keyboard : 

>Does the keyboard lock up, period, do numlock, CAD still work,
>or not?

Ok I checked it more thoroughly.

Following keys gives TOTAL lock up but with Linux stil running:
        Pause
        Scroll Lock (gives a task-info)
        Caps Lock
        Num Lock

When these keys are hit all following keys will make a beep instead
of normal function except Return/Enter which will restore the normal
state:
        PgUp
        PgDn
        Home
        End
        Ins
        Del

The scsi0.95c+ version from headrest is only tested with the supplied
keyboard driver since I cannot yet compile it.

Niels

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

From: [email-masked] (Fabien Coutant)
Subject: What about running Linux from DOS ?
Date: 13 Apr 92 16:04:16 GMT

This is BootLinux, a little program that, for those of you
that found ShoeLace too complicated (I'm one of those), will
allow you to boot linux from DOS, and more especially from
a hard disk. To use it, it's preferable to have something
that handles multiple config.sys, like BOOT.SYS for example.

From Linux, you just have to mcopy the file Image after
making the kernel to a dos partition (instead of writing it
to a floppy) ,
or you can also use the distributed bootimage-xxxx.Z
uncompressed.

It works fine with a patched Linux 0.12 and my
AMD 386 / 40MHz, 4M ram, 2 IDE 80M+40M HDs.
I also tried it today with Linux 0.95a and it
seems to work.

The .zip file contains the .COM executable and a
small documentation.

Since I don't know if a lot of people will be interested
in this, I didn't uploaded it. Of course, if there's a
lot of requests, I'll upload it.

========================<CUT HERE>===========================
========================<CUT HERE>===========================

Excuse me for my poor english.
Fabien COUTANT
Email: [email-masked]

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

From: [email-masked] (Joerg Pommnitz)
Subject: compress doesn't work
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 11:11:42 GMT

I have installed LINUX 0.95a on my harddisk without any problems. In order to
recompile the kernel I got gcc2.1.
Now I have got some trouble. compress "refuses" to uncompress the 2.1misc file.
The file is ok, I checked it on a SUN.
What happens is:
compress starts to work (tar ztvf * shows the contents of the file until it 
dies).
Then compress hangs. The process table indicates, that PC doesn't change.
So I think it's somewhere in the kernel.
If I switch to another VC, I can't do any input. 
So I can wait a loooong time, but nothing happens. If I interrupt the process 
using ^C some messages appear on the screen:

Out of Memory !
Out of Swap Memory!
Memory fault!

But I have 4M RAM and a 6M swapfile !!!!
The same problem occured when I tried to unpack elvis-1.5 (a correct file, too).
My hardware: i386-33, 4M RAM, ST1144A, AMI-BIOS,OAK-VGA.
The LINUX-FS is about 25 M.
There is no special swap device, only a swap file.

I know about at least one other machine with the same problem (using the same
distribution) and another machine where everything is perfect.

It's very frustrating to be unable to do anything, please assist !

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

From: [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI)
Date: 14 Apr 92 11:19:58 GMT

I wrote:

>Following keys gives TOTAL lock up but with Linux stil running:
>       Pause
>       Scroll Lock (gives a task-info)
>       Caps Lock
>       Num Lock

Clarification: Everything keep running but it seems as if the
wiring of the keyboard interrupt to the service routine is
being broken after one of these keys are hit.

Niels

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

From: [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI)
Date: 14 Apr 92 11:19:58 GMT

I wrote:

>Following keys gives TOTAL lock up but with Linux stil running:
>       Pause
>       Scroll Lock (gives a task-info)
>       Caps Lock
>       Num Lock

Clarification: Everything keep running but it seems as if the
wiring of the keyboard interrupt to the service routine is
being broken after one of these keys are hit.

Niels

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

Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
From: [email-masked] (Joel M. Hoffman)
Subject: Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI)
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 13:09:32 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen) writes:
>[email-masked] (Drew Eckhardt) writes:
>
>[My keyboard locks up when Caps-Lock is hit both in scsi-version
>at sc.tamu.edu (DK and US keyb.) and in the scsi0.95c+ version at
>headrest.woz.coloradu.edu.]
>
>[scsi devices now use major 8]
>
>>The keyboard : 
>
>>Does the keyboard lock up, period, do numlock, CAD still work,
>>or not?
>
>Ok I checked it more thoroughly.
>
>Following keys gives TOTAL lock up but with Linux stil running:
>       Pause
>       Scroll Lock (gives a task-info)
>       Caps Lock
>       Num Lock

Are you sure the keyboard is locked up?  On my system, many of those
keys provide a ``hidden feature.''  They convert everything into
control sequences until Linux is rebooted.  So, `a' becomes C-a (which
looks invisible), `c' becomes C-c, etc.  BTW, you can still logout, as
`d' become C-d, and if you have a ``sync'' in your history (bash), you
can use `p' (which becomes C-p) to retrieve it.

-Joel
([email-masked])

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

Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
From: [email-masked] (Joel M. Hoffman)
Subject: Re: Keyboard dies when I hit Caps-Lock (+SCSI)
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 13:09:32 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen) writes:
>[email-masked] (Drew Eckhardt) writes:
>
>[My keyboard locks up when Caps-Lock is hit both in scsi-version
>at sc.tamu.edu (DK and US keyb.) and in the scsi0.95c+ version at
>headrest.woz.coloradu.edu.]
>
>[scsi devices now use major 8]
>
>>The keyboard : 
>
>>Does the keyboard lock up, period, do numlock, CAD still work,
>>or not?
>
>Ok I checked it more thoroughly.
>
>Following keys gives TOTAL lock up but with Linux stil running:
>       Pause
>       Scroll Lock (gives a task-info)
>       Caps Lock
>       Num Lock

Are you sure the keyboard is locked up?  On my system, many of those
keys provide a ``hidden feature.''  They convert everything into
control sequences until Linux is rebooted.  So, `a' becomes C-a (which
looks invisible), `c' becomes C-c, etc.  BTW, you can still logout, as
`d' become C-d, and if you have a ``sync'' in your history (bash), you
can use `p' (which becomes C-p) to retrieve it.

-Joel
([email-masked])

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

From: [email-masked] (Stephen Hathorne)
Subject: Re: what does linux rhyme with?
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:12:57 GMT

Yes Linus- This should be in the FAQ us silly americans think that people
might even be vain enough to include their own name in a product!

Sorry about that!

Stephen Hathorne
******************************************************
Computing Systems Administrator
Department of Statistics
Carnegie Mellon 
[email-masked]                                  

/* comments are all mine */
******************************************************

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

From: [email-masked] (david.a.cuka)
Subject: Linux Printer
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:31:16 GMT

I tried last night to get my parallel printer working with linux.  Based
on some previous postings, I tried 

        "mknod /dev/lp0 c 6 0"

followed by a test

        "cat /etc/rc > /dev/lp0"

I got a "ENODEV", so I tried using minor device number 1, which did not
work either.  Is there some addtional setup that I am missing?  I
am running on v0.95a. The printer is a Panasonic KXP-1024 parallel
printer.  Is there a "Guide to installing a printer" yet?

DAC
Obligatory Praise: "Linux is Great!"

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

From: [email-masked] (Jon Tombs)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Phantom optimisation
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:04:01 GMT

Everyone seems to be pushing the optimisation level of gcc higher and higher
the new kernel make file uses -O6.  I've not found any gnu doc that mentions
over -O2, and a quick look at the source shows no obvious use of >2.

To test this I built the entire kernel -O6 and -O2.
cmp on the resultant Image found _no_ differences in the binaries!!

Are we victims of GCC hype!!?
--
 Jon                    <[email-masked]>
                        "I got in today just as the sun was crashing"

                                            

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

From: [email-masked] (Jon Tombs)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Phantom optimisation
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:04:01 GMT

Everyone seems to be pushing the optimisation level of gcc higher and higher
the new kernel make file uses -O6.  I've not found any gnu doc that mentions
over -O2, and a quick look at the source shows no obvious use of >2.

To test this I built the entire kernel -O6 and -O2.
cmp on the resultant Image found _no_ differences in the binaries!!

Are we victims of GCC hype!!?
--
 Jon                    <[email-masked]>
                        "I got in today just as the sun was crashing"

                                            

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

From: [email-masked] (Adrian Wallaschek)
Subject: Questions and suggestions
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:18:55 GMT

Hi everybody!

I've got some questions:

        - is there anybody working on a serial driver for multiport cards as
          ast-compatible cards, etc. (There is a freeware-driver for commercial
          *nix-versions called FAS which does a quite good job!) ?

        - under DOS there is a package called FDREAD which makes it possible to
          write 1.44 MB on 5.25"-floppies without problems. I think it should be
          possible to modify the floppy driver that way, it could handle those
          disks. (Perhaps you'd like some extra 240k on your distribution disk)
          Is there a nearer description on the floppy-devices, esp. the minor
          device-numbers ?

        - how soon can we expect a pre^n-release of the new filesystem? (We
          are working with three users on a 386/33 and even though we have
          fast SCSI (Adaptec) the system actually pauses every user if we
          e.g. untar a file of 300k!)

prefect
[email-masked]
(I didn't make the address, sorry!)

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

From: [email-masked] (Joseph Knapka)
Subject: Hitchhiker's Guide to Linux
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:27:44 GMT

Hi, folks. Here's a list of Linux User's Guide chapters, and people
who are writing/compiling them.  Volunteerism is HIGHLY encouraged.

0: Linux overview
I: Installation
IIa:gcc-1.40 
IIb: gcc-2.x (This will be the standard by the time UG is available.
        [email-masked] is working on a gcc reference manual.)
III: Communication packages (kermit, etc.)
IV: mtools
V: emacs ...............................Me
VI: groff (& man?)
VII: TeX, LaTeX
======= These next three will involve close cooperation =======
VIII: uucp (Yay!) (Mr. Carp, could you do this one?)
IX: mail 
X: ka9q
==========================================================
XI: X11
XII: system administration/security ...Chuck Boyer & me
XIII: configuring and building your Linux kernel
XIV: random gnu software (general porting info)

The first chapter (0, that is) should cover basically what the
INFO-SHEET does.

Chapter I should not only cover the physical installation of Linux,
but should also discuss the standard *nix utilites, what they're for,
and where to get them --- i.e., it should be a guide to putting
together a functional system. [email-masked] says: 
>       With the ABC release, this chapter should only be a minor 
>       revision of what Iain has already done, in my opinion.  
Yes. But should definitely include a pointer to a good book
on Unix for regular-guy users, IMHO. Also, I think the filesystem
standard document should be here.

The chapters devoted to software packages should cover 1) Where to get
the package; 2) Best-case installation procedure; 3) Typical
installation problems and fixes; 4) When available, a pointer to a
genuine user's manual (i.e., "Lamport, Leslie. LaTeX: a document
preparation system. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1986"). 

The chapter on GNU software should cover things like appropriate
compiler flags for Linux and so forth. And why they're appropriate.

It's been suggested that "texinfo" be the standard vehicle for this
project. Is this a good idea? I will have to find out about texinfo. 

Comments or (preferably) volunteers?

Bye,
Joseph

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

From: [email-masked] (Lawrence C Foard)
Subject: I'm back (I think)
Date: 14 Apr 92 01:08:19 GMT

Between various disasters I've been unable to keep up with linux stuff for a
while. 

Some jerk mail bombed wintermute using a forged sendsys, this meant that I
didn't get any of the mail that was supposed to get there since it had to
be taken off the net. 

Then I lost the use of my account there because of it. But fortunitly WPI
is getting comp.os.linux now, so until WPI's news feed dies again I'm back :)

If any ones mail to me boinged send it again to [email-masked]

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

** 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: [email-masked]

You can send mail to the entire list (and comp.os.linux) via:

    Internet: [email-masked]

Linux may be obtained via one of these FTP sites:
    nic.funet.fi				pub/OS/Linux
    tsx-11.mit.edu				pub/linux
    tupac-amaru.informatik.rwth-aachen.de	pub/msdos/replace

The current version of Linux is 0.95a released on March 17, 1992

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