Subject: Linux-Activists Digest #91
From: Digestifier <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 92 22:00:12 EDT

Linux-Activists Digest #91, Volume #2            Tue, 21 Apr 92 22:00:12 EDT

Contents:
  Re: ALT key under GNU Emacs (Demian A. Johnston)
  Re: Keyboard lockups SOLVED (i.e. worked around) (Niels Skov Olsen)
  Re: HELP! SHOELACE IS STRANGLING ME!!! (Kevin Cummings)
  Re: Software index for linux (Kevin Cummings)
  Re: timezone support, date, CMOS clock support: archive sites please note (Kevin Cummings)
  Re: all kinds of questions (autoparking) (Kevin Cummings)
  Re: SCSI Adaptec 1522 (Spencer Smith)
  where is bootlin.zip? (Andy I. Liaw)
  Re: Kernel panic (A. V. Le Blanc)
  Re: Graphics and IPC questions... (A. V. Le Blanc)
  Re: Oddities with MCC Release (A. V. Le Blanc)
  Re: 0.95c+ console and gcc 2.1 problem. (A. V. Le Blanc)
  New Linux installation/problems (Darren Senn)

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

From: [email-masked] (Demian A. Johnston)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: ALT key under GNU Emacs
Date: 21 Apr 92 19:15:58 GMT

Excerpts from netnews.alt.os.linux: 21-Apr-92 ALT key under GNU Emacs by
[email-masked] 
>  
> before I radically rearrange my hard-drive to fit the GNU Emacs sources :-)
> Has anyone out already got GNU Emacs to work properly with the ALT key
> so that ALT-<key> produce M-<key> just as if ESC <key> had been typed?
>  

All your have to do is add a "km:" in the middle of the console entries
in the /etc/termcap file....

km --  Tell the program that the terminal has a meta key.

                                                  Demian 
                                              --->  [email-masked]
                                              --->  [email-masked]
                                              --->  [email-masked]

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

From: [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: Re: Keyboard lockups SOLVED (i.e. worked around)
Date: 21 Apr 92 18:27:01 GMT

Here is the real fix to the trouble I and others have had
with keyboard lockups and LED malfunction. I think this
should be included in the next release, but I don't know 
the proper procedure for doing so. I post it here because
others have reported the same or similar problem.

The problem was that the keyboard would lock up when pressing
either of CAPS, NUMLOCK, SCROLL LOCK. The 'bug' shows up only
on some hardware. The fix as suggested by Bruce Evans was to
add a routine called kb_ack that waits until 0xfa shows up on
port 0x64, and call after outputting data to port 0x60. I am not
sure what the exact meaning of these ports are, but the patch
that follows fixes the lockups and makes the LED's work!

Thank you Bruce Evans.

Niels

Apply this patch in kernel/chr_drv/ :

*** /tmp/linux/kernel/chr_drv/keyboard.S        Thu Apr  9 22:15:22 1992
--- keyboard.S  Tue Apr 21 19:49:33 1992
***************
*** 182,194 ****
--- 182,196 ----
        je 1f
        movb %al,old_leds
        call kb_wait
        movb $0xed,%al          /* set leds command */
        outb %al,$0x60
+       call kb_ack             /* [NSO]: Suggested by Bruce Evans */
        call kb_wait
        movb _kleds,%al
        outb %al,$0x60
+       call kb_ack             /* [NSO]: Suggested by Bruce Evans */
  1:    ret
  uncaps:       andb $0x7f,_kmode
        ret
  scroll:
        testb $0x03,_kmode
***************
*** 782,791 ****
--- 784,817 ----
        pushl %eax
        pushl %ebx
        movl $10000,%ebx
  1:    inb $0x64,%al
        testb $0x02,%al
+       je 2f
+       decl %ebx
+       jne 1b
+ 2:    popl %ebx
+       popl %eax
+       ret
+ 
+ /*
+  * kb_ack waits for 0xfa to appear in port 0x60
+  *
+  * Suggested by Bruce Evans
+  * Added by Niels Skou Olsen [NSO]
+  * April 21, 1992
+  *
+  * Heavily inspired by kb_wait :-)
+  * I dont know how much waiting actually is required, 
+  * but this seems to work.
+  */
+ kb_ack:
+       pushl %eax
+       pushl %ebx
+       movl $10000,%ebx
+ 1:    inb $0x60,%al
+       testb $0xfa,%al
        je 2f
        decl %ebx
        jne 1b
  2:    popl %ebx
        popl %eax

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

Crossposted-To: comp.os.minix
From: [email-masked] (Kevin Cummings)
Subject: Re: HELP! SHOELACE IS STRANGLING ME!!!
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1992 20:23:07 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Greenup) writes:
> 
>       I recently used shoelace to try & make linux boot.  after no success,
> i want to go back.  HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS BOOT THING THAT KEEPS
> ASKING WHICH PARTITIAN TO BOOT?!?!?!?!?

Just a wild guess, but boot from your ORIGINAL BOOT floppy using your
ORIGINAL ROOT floppy (you do still have those, don't you?).  And mount
your current hard disk on /mnt.  Now you should be able to "cd /mnt/etc"
and undo whatever you did with shoelace.

=================================================================
Kevin J. Cummings                       Prime Computer Inc.
20 Briarwood Road                       500 Old Connecticut Path
Framingham, Mass.                       Framingham, Mass.

Work:  [email-masked]
Home:  [email-masked]

Std. Disclaimer: "Mr. McKittrick, after careful consideration,
                  I've come to the conclusion that your new
                  defense system SUCKS..."   --  War Games
=================================================================

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

From: [email-masked] (Kevin Cummings)
Subject: Re: Software index for linux
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1992 20:17:31 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Bill Jones) writes:
> One thread that seems to be remaining at a constant level in both
> alt.os.linux and here in comp.os.linux is what software is in what
> package.  I know that I have had that trouble often (what, for instance
> is in tubes.tar.Z??)
> 
> There has been some mention of keeping track of these packages in a
> "master index" somewhere and I beleive that Marc Corsini has mentioned
> trying to do that along with the FAQ.
> 
> Now that I have reliable and stable access to news and e-mail, I would
> be willing to undertake such a project if enough people felt that it
> would be useful.  What I am envisioning is
> 
>         1.  An index of what is available, what package it is in,
>             and what it does (so far, it seems as though most
>             everything is available at banjo.concert.net but the
>             descriptions might still help people determine what they
>             need).
> 
>         2.  A list of software that is currently being ported to linux
>             and the status of such a port (if this can be obtained).
> 
>         3.  A list of all of the patches that have been made available
>             along with the expected source code that each patch expects
>             to find.
>             
>         4.  Any other software-related items of interest.
> 
> 
> If something like this were available, I would hope that others, especially
> newcomers to linux, would be able to use it.  In addition, it would help
> cut down on the duplication of porting efforts and let people who are
> working on the same project team up if they desire.
> 
> This would require the assistance of the authors of various programs and
> ports so that it would remain up to date and, of course, would not be
> mandatory that anyone participate.  But, it strikes me that this is the
> time to try and get something like this set up -- before the volume of
> linux software, familiar and unfamilar, becomes so great that no one
> would desire to keep track of it.
> 
> As I said, if enough people express an interest in this, I would be more
> than willing to undertake it.  Since I am not a software wizard (not even
> close) this would be my contribution to the linux community.  So, how
> about it?  Let me know.

Sounds like a GREAT idea.  Go for it!

=================================================================
Kevin J. Cummings                       Prime Computer Inc.
20 Briarwood Road                       500 Old Connecticut Path
Framingham, Mass.                       Framingham, Mass.

Work:  [email-masked]
Home:  [email-masked]

Std. Disclaimer: "Mr. McKittrick, after careful consideration,
                  I've come to the conclusion that your new
                  defense system SUCKS..."   --  War Games
=================================================================

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

From: [email-masked] (Kevin Cummings)
Subject: Re: timezone support, date, CMOS clock support: archive sites please note
Date: 21 Apr 92 20:33:43 GMT

I happend to find timebin.tar.Z on tsx-11 yesterday, and downloaded
to my LINUX machine.  I untarred it, configured it, and moved the
binaries to /usr/bin and /usr/lib.  I then ran date, and it told me
it was Mon 20 Apr, 20:xx:xx 1992.  No time zone info, even though
/usr/lib/localtime was present.  I then ran clock to see what was in
my CMOS clock, and it was Sat 20 Apr, 14:xx:xx EDT 1992.

I think I can understand the 14:00 bit (If I chalk it up to
the GMT-EDT difference), but Saturday?????

Something's not right here.

=================================================================
Kevin J. Cummings                       Prime Computer Inc.
20 Briarwood Road                       500 Old Connecticut Path
Framingham, Mass.                       Framingham, Mass.

Work:  [email-masked]
Home:  [email-masked]

Std. Disclaimer: "Mr. McKittrick, after careful consideration,
                  I've come to the conclusion that your new
                  defense system SUCKS..."   --  War Games
=================================================================

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

Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
From: [email-masked] (Kevin Cummings)
Subject: Re: all kinds of questions (autoparking)
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1992 20:39:28 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Risto Kankkunen) writes:
> In [email-masked] (Kevin Cummings) writes:
> > So unless you are shutting down your system to reboot DOS (or something
> > else), your disk heads will not be parked by LINUX.  Maybe this is the
> > cause of some of the trashed file systems some people are experiencing?
> 
> But isn't head parking suggested only before moving the computer or the
> disk itself? Although there is a greater possibility for disk damage
> when the heads stay above the disk on power-down, it isn't a problem in
> practise on everyday desk-top use.

Head parking is suggested (by me anyways) as necessary before powering
off your computer.  Who knows what the older hard disk controllers
will do when you turn the power off, and the write line happens to
accidently spit something out.  Good way to trash whole tracks.

Used to happen all the time on my CP/M system, until I learned to
park the heads before powering down.  If your drive doesn't recognize
the power fail, your disk controller probably doesn't either, and you could
lose something.  Probably happens less today than a few years ago,
but if you're using MFM drives, the chance is significantly increased.

=================================================================
Kevin J. Cummings                       Prime Computer Inc.
20 Briarwood Road                       500 Old Connecticut Path
Framingham, Mass.                       Framingham, Mass.

Work:  [email-masked]
Home:  [email-masked]

Std. Disclaimer: "Mr. McKittrick, after careful consideration,
                  I've come to the conclusion that your new
                  defense system SUCKS..."   --  War Games
=================================================================

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

From: [email-masked] (Spencer Smith)
Subject: Re: SCSI Adaptec 1522
Date: 21 Apr 92 22:01:56 GMT

[email-masked] (M. Saggaf) writes:

>Does anybody know if the current SCSI version of Linux supports the
>Adaptec 1522 host adapter? I'm looking into buying that controller and
>I'd like to know if Linux can use it. It's about $100 less expensive
>than the Adaptec 1542 since it is not bus mastering. Please let me
>know. Thanks

It doesnt work on my 1522, however if some kind soal out there
nows the register values for it, ill will be glad to try it out again.
I need the values for things like SCSI bus reset, READ, WRITE .....

Thanks
Spencer Smith
[email-masked] 

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

From: [email-masked] (Andy I. Liaw)
Crossposted-To: alt.os.linux
Subject: where is bootlin.zip?
Date: 22 Apr 92 00:04:54 GMT

Can someone tell me where to find bootlin.zip?  The one I got
from the posted article unzipped with errors after uudecode.
I can't find it in tsx-11.mit.edu.

                        Andy    [email-masked]

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

From: [email-masked] (A. V. Le Blanc)
Subject: Re: Kernel panic
Date: 21 Apr 92 06:27:45 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (John B.  Jr. Rogerson) writes:
>    One more question:  If I wish to create a swapfile from my linux
>partition (/dev/hda3) and I use the dd command with if=/dev/hda3 and
>of=swapfile, can I be sure that swapfile will not contain any of my
>linux files?  I certainly wouldn't want them overwritten during
>swapping.

The dd command is used to create a file of a specific size.  It needs
to be able to copy data from somewhere, so we allow it to copy data from
the hard disk; it doesn't matter what input it has, as long as it is
bigger than the swapfile to be created.  There is no danger that
swapping will overwrite your files, at least not just from using dd
with if=/dev/hda to create them.

     -- Owen
     [email-masked]

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

From: [email-masked] (A. V. Le Blanc)
Subject: Re: Graphics and IPC questions...
Date: 21 Apr 92 07:04:58 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> chojnows@osiris (Brian Chojnowski) writes:
    "Alex R.N. Wetmore" <[email-masked]> writes:
 
    >Why not implement these in vt100 mode, rather then with direct screen
    >writes then?  Linux seems to have very fast terminal emulation (at least
    >on my 386/16 with a very old Paradise EGA), and you might as well take
    >advantage of those using termcap.  That way people on terminals (and
    >telnet sessions, when those exist), can use the software too.  It also
    >doesn't restrict the software to linux, but allows it to work on any
    >other unix platform (in theory at least).
 
    I guess I havent made myself clear. I would like to do something like this,
    where I would create a superset of the vt100. But the mode as it is, is
    insufficient for the kind of graphics I am talking about. I want to also add
    this new mode to the telnet program (when it gets written), so that the
    graphics get displayed remotely. 

I think Alex misled us a bit by saying 'vt100'.  Perhaps he was thinking
of the vt100 emulation in MS-Kermit or NCSA telnet, where the emulator
switches to Tektronix 401x mode for graphics when it recognises certain
escape sequences.  This might be a good place to start, since the source
code for both of these is available, though the Kermit version is a good
deal less buggy.  Moreover, as far as conformity with existing interfaces,
there is a TeX previewer that works rather well with the vt100/t4012
emulator in Kermit.

     -- Owen
     [email-masked]

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

From: [email-masked] (A. V. Le Blanc)
Subject: Re: Oddities with MCC Release
Date: 21 Apr 92 18:18:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Ben Combee) writes:
>I installed the MCC interim version of Linux, 0.95c+, tonight!ries
>goigggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg, but when I instaBl#ed the second compimgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggdisk (with gB+ and bash)
>and rbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbooted, sh quit working.  It would not let commands complete output
>and gave the error message after any external like sh [8 1]: EINVAL.

This was caused by an illegal (!) /dev/tty; it has now been fixed in the
release disks, and the larger (job control) version of bash moved to the
boot disk.  To fix it on your system, type

     rm /dev/tty
     mknod /dev/tty c 5 0
     chmod 222 /dev/tty

I have been trying to keep up a BUGS+WARNINGS file in the mcc-interim/0.95c+
directory with information like this in it.

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

From: [email-masked] (A. V. Le Blanc)
Subject: Re: 0.95c+ console and gcc 2.1 problem.
Date: 21 Apr 92 18:24:10 GMT

In article <cp5jkf=@lynx.unm.edu> [email-masked] (Erik Fichtner) writes:
>Hey everyone... I installed 0.95c and compiled the 0.95c+ patches last weekend
>and now there's a major problem with the terminal emulation routines. whenever 
>I use less or elvis (these are the worst offenders, other things do it too)
>data falls thru to the 25th line and then all my data comes out on one
>line on the bottom of the screen. stty rows 24 seems to fix less, but elvis
>is still screwed up.

This may be caused by your having the wrong terminal type.  Type
'echo $TERM' and see what it says.  If it says 'vt100', vi will work
the way you describe.  If it says 'console' or some such name, then this
note is a waste of time!

You might create a file /etc/profile, making sure it has universal read
permission, and put in it a line

     EXPORT TERM=console

that is, unless you have login from serial ports.

     -- Owen
     [email-masked]

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

From: [email-masked] (Darren Senn)
Subject: New Linux installation/problems
Date: 22 Apr 92 01:45:46 GMT

Ok.  I installed Linux yesterday (0.95c+), and so far I love it.  I do, however,
have a few problems.  My machine:
        486/25 ISA bus with 4Mb RAM, OPTI chipset, AMI BIOS
        ET4000A based 16-bit VGA card (1Mb memory) as primary display
        Hercules monographics card as secondary display
        ESDI 120Mb Micropolis hard drive.
        5.25"/3.5" disk drives (3.5" is a:)

a) Shoelace doesn't come close to working.  When I followed the instructions in the
        readme that came with 0.95c+, I created a test floppy, and tried booting off
        that.  When I did, the BIOS boot sequence would work normally, check the
        existance of drives, and then it would read the first sector of my 3.5"
        drive and hang.  :(
b) No matter what super-vga mode I try, it doesn't work.  Typically it just shows me
        an 80x25 window into the specified screen size.  In other words, things scroll
        correctly, but it only starts after n extra lines below the bottom of the screen.
c) Where can I ftp a bash manual?

Thanks for helping the neophyte.

-- 
Darren Senn                                            Phone:    (408) 479-1521
[email-masked]                       Snail: 1785 Halterman #1
Wasurenaide -- doko e itte mo soko ni anata wa iru yo.     Santa Cruz, Ca 95062

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

** 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
******************************