% ~ftp/pub/OS/Linux/README % arl@hut.fi ed. (copyright arl edited parts by arl) % Created: Tue Jul 16 03:36:31 1991 % Last modified: Mon Jun 8 10:51:34 1992 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Linux -- The free Un*x clone is here. Linux is NOT a public domain software, Linux is free software copyright held by Linus Torvalds, Helsinki University, Finland. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This file is updated constantly. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- For hackers only Linux version 0.95c+ code and sources available here. nic.funet.fi will also be site for Linux binaries, Directory structure: INSTALL contains everything you should have to get Linux up and running. bin binaries for /bin, /usr/bin and /usr/contrib/bin doc documents and man pages images boot and root images etc. kernel kernel and driver sources lib lib sources tools tools for hackers, not for common use, like binaries in /etc xtra community contributed diffs and utilities. incoming you can FTP 'put' your stuff here, see next section for putting. Check file 'ls-laR', which contains "ls -laR" listing. Eh ... for people having question 'but my site doesn't have FTP' ... Just mail to 'mailserver@nic.funet.fi' and put command "help" to mail _body_ (body is the part where you write your messages/text and is not related to mail header, which contains lines like 'To: foobar'). Mailserver is not official .. it's under testing, to it might work or not, but don't flame me about it ... I take only 'thanks' mails (nice to get them for work you didn't do ;-) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Linux FTP sites might be nearer you (and you get the sources and binaries FASTER, and save $$$s and net bandwidth). FTP site keeper: inform 'arl@hut.fi' for your site! and join to linux-activists mailing list FTP channel! The MAIN FTP sites (first ones ;-0): Finland: nic.funet.fi [128.214.6.100] /pub/OS/Linux USA: tsx-11.mit.edu [18.172.1.2] /pub/linux Germany: ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de [137.226.4.105] /pub/linux nic.funet.fi:/pub/OS/Linux is mirrored at [how often?] Germany: ftp.thp.uni-koeln.de /pub/linux [?] Germany: ftp.Germany.EU.net [?] [192.76.144.129] /pub/comp/i386/Linux Germany: ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de [137.226.112.172] /pub/Linux [24h] UK: ftp.mcc.ac.uk [130.88.200.7] /pub/linux/fi.mirror [24h] UK: doc.ic.ac.uk [146.169.3.7] /pub/os/linux [?] Australia: kirk.bu.oz.au /pub/OS/Linux [24h] tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux is mirrored at [how often?] Germany: ftp.fgb.mw.tu-muenchen.de [129.187.200.1] /pub/linux [?] France: ftp-masi.ibp.fr [132.227.64.26] /pub/linux [24h] mirrors banjo GCC,X11 Subsets + stuff // the most important files available at: Germany: ftp.regent.e-technik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/linux UK: ftp.mcc.ac.uk [130.88.200.7] /pub/linux USA: headrest.woz.colorado.edu [128.138.192.4] /pub/linux Japan: yagi.ecei.tohoku.ac.jp [130.34.222.67] /pub/Linux South Africa: ftp.sun.ac.za [146.232.130.3] 9,6kb /pub/linux Own contributions (utilities programmed locally, NO LINUX INSTALLATION or DISTRIBUTION stuff) at: DK: ftp.daimi.aau.dk [130.225.16.27] /pub/Linux-source Australia: archsci.arch.su.oz.au [129.78.66.1] /pub/linux ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Putting Linux stuff to nic.funet.fi ... Please use directory /pub/OS/Linux/incoming Please use FTP command "binary" for binary i.e. stuff like *.tar, *.tar.Z, or runable binaries etc. Our FTP is _hacked_, so you or anybody won't see the stuff in there, until I enable it. I try to check directories constantly, but you might also want to throw me a mail ?-) _would be nice_, if you put also a small file containing 2-3 line description of the package you put to nic. Name it like [file].ind, where file is the file you put. This makes the system much more confortable for all the users. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are willing to support Linux development, please "mail arl@hut.fi" .. and tell what goodies you are willing to do - I try to organize. Or you might use mailing list ... Or you might want to send mail directly to 'torvalds@cs.helsinki.fi' ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Newsgroups: comp.os.linux Archives at nic.funet.fi:/pub/doc/OS/Linux/doc/news Old alt.os.linux articles are also archived there. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Linux mailing list (kept with my Mail-Net system) addresses: For subscribing, unsubscribing, and other requests: linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi Mail-Net should send you information how to subscribe to the mailing list. For mailing _real_ articles: linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi Please, do NOT send subscribe/unsubscribe mails to linus-activists@niksula.hut.fi, or I and other people will *flame* you, and you'll notice, how your mailbox filled up ;-). You even might get dozens of copies of netiquette from net users ... How to find out, who's on the list ? Soon availble ;-) Archives at nic.funet.fi:/pub/doc/OS/Linux/doc/mailing_list ----------------------------------------------------------------------- current status can be asked with "finger torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi" here's sample entry: Free UN*X for the 386 The current version of linux is a 0.98.1, released 92.10.04. There are various rootdisks that work with the newer versions, although some of them have problems. A new SLS release is expected soonish, using either a 0.97.pl6 or 0.98.1 kernel release. 0.98.1 supports X11r5 and the new gcc-2.1 (and newer) libraries with multiple shared libs - as well as any old binaries (except the 0.12 version of gdb which used the older ptrace() interface). It also contains support for debugging (core-dumping and attach/detach) as well as profiling: use gcc-2.2.2d for full utilization of all these features. Linux can be gotten by anonymous ftp from 'nic.funet.fi' (128.214.6.100) in the directory '/pub/OS/Linux'. This directory structure contains all the linux OS- and library-sources, and enough binaries to get going. To install linux you still need to know something about unices: it's relatively straightforward to install, but the documentation sucks raw eggs, and people with no previous unix experience are going to get very confused. There are now a lot of other sites keeping linux archives. The main ones (as well as the above-mentioned nic.funet.fi) are: tsx-11.mit.edu (18.172.1.2): directory /pub/linux sunsite.unc.edu (152.2.22.81): directory /pub/Linux (and many additional sites: there are now sites in the uk, japan etc that carry linux, but I have lost count) There is also a mailing list set up 'Linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi'. To join, mail a request to 'Linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi'. It's no use mailing me: I have no actual contact with the mailing-list (other than being on it, naturally). There is also a newsgroup that contain linux-related questions and information: comp.os.linux. Mail me for more info: Linus Torvalds (torvalds@kruuna.Helsinki.FI) Pietarinkatu 2 A 2 00140 Helsinki Finland 0.98.1 has mainly minor bug-fixes 0.98 has these features: - tcp/ip in the standard kernel sources. - corrected serial startup checking and setserial ioctl - core-dumping corrections - various minor fixes 0.97.pl6 has these new features: - corrected named pipe problem in pl5 - dynamic tty queues (no NR_PTY limit etc). Patches by tytso - corrected SCSI codes. Patches by Eric 0.97.pl5 has these features: - corrected *MAJOR* problem with [f]truncate() system calls - swapoff()/wait4() system calls - corrected some race-conditions in the minix fs - major mm rewrite: 3GB virtual process size, faster swapping - filesystem error reporting corrections - minor bugfixes 0.97 has these major new things relative to 0.96 - select() through the VFS routines - easily installable IRQ's - bus-mouse driver - msdos filesystem (alpha) - extended filesystem (alpha) - serial line changes (faster, changeable irq's etc) - dynamic buffer-cache - new and improved SCSI drivers ----------------------------------------------------------------------- At HUT (Helsinki University of Technology) I try to use students for programming work to make Linux better. So could you, if you are teacher. Linux might be even more suitable for teaching purposes than Minix. My experiencies with Minix are not promising, I got about 1/3 of given projects back i.e. 2/3 were unfinished. Projects were like 'create symlinks to Minix' or 'do a device driver for XX adapter'. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Some of the features I'd like to have (maybe I'll also code them): o adding some features from my own OS. - STREAMS I/O, now only subset - Kernel development environment Should be like configuring BSD kernel. o Socket stuff from BSD. o BSD net stuff or Xkernel. o Mach. I try to check what's usable in Mach. I took keyboard stuff from Mach to my own OS, but floppy stuff was too complicated (spaghetti-code), so I coded it again. Maybe some parts of kernel is also usable. o Portability o Modularity Like device drivers should have multiple levels; high/medium for abstraction and low level for specific card/chip support. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- More info from: torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi And if _you_ have any comments to this README file, please send me mail (arl@hut.fi). arl