From: linux@numero6.greco-prog.fr (FAQ Linux [corsini]) Subject: [linux: FAQ is out: summary] Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1992 08:58:00 GMT
0. WARNINGS
===========
0.96 has a lot of changes; it contains a lot of new files, as well as
some reorganizations in the old ones.
I. LINUX GENERAL INFORMATION
=============================
1) What is linux?
2) What is the current state of Linux?
3) I've just heard about linux, what should I do to get it?
4) Does it run on my computer?
5) Why the suggested 4Meg, for Linux?
6) How would this operate in an OS/2 environment?
7) Will linux run on a PC or 286-AT? If not, why?
8) Will Linux run on a 386 Laptop?
9) How big is the 'complete' Linux package?
10) (Dan) How long has Linux been publicly available?
11) What is the proper pronounciation for "Linux"?
12) What's about the copyright of linux.
13) Should I be a UNIX and/or a DOS wizard to install/use Linux?
14) What are the differences, pros and cons compared to Minix ?
15) Does Linux use TSS segments to provide multitasking?
16) If my PC runs under Linux, is it possible to ftp, rlogin,
rsh etc.. to other Unix boxes?
17) Does linux do paging? Can I have virtual memory on my small
machine?
18) Can I have tasks spanning the full 4GB of addressable 386
memory? No more 64kB limits like in coherent or standard minix?
19) Does the bigger program sizes mean I can run X?
II. LINUX USEFUL ADDRESSES
=========================
20) Where can I get linux?
21) I do not have FTP access, what can I do to get linux?
22) Is there a newsgroup or mailing-list about linux? Where can
I get my questions answered? How about bug-reports?
23) Could you be more explicit about the multi-channel list?
24) How can I join the channel XXX on the linux-activists
mailing list?
25) Does there exist a place where the traffic of the newsgroup
is kept?
III. INSTALLATION and SECURITY
==============================
26) Does there exist *any* reliable information that can help me
to install Linux, 'cause I know very few things about Dos and/or Unix?
27) Does there exist a simple way to get all (or nearly) the
Linux stuff?
28) What are the files provided in the interim distrib?
29) Ok, I've got the interim distribution, what should I do now?
30) I have copyed all the rootimage stuff on my HD, how can I
use the hard-disk as root?
31) I have the previous Linux version, how can I upgrade it?
32) How can I be sure I won't be writing over anything
important? I have to use DOS on my machine, and I don't want to
lose any files.
33) Linux mkfs doesn't accept the size I give the device,
although I double-checked with fdisk, and it's correct.
34) I have a one partitionned 40Mb disk. If I run mkfs, what
happens?
35) I mounted the linux filesystem, and copied the files from
the root-disk to the harddisk. Now I cannot find them any more, and
somethimes linux dies with a "panic: trying to free unused inode".
IV. LINUX and DOS
=================
36) Is it possible to access to DOS world from Linux
37) the mtools package won't work. I get an ENOENT error message
for all devices.
38) Whenever I use mtools to read a 720K in an 1.44MB drive, I
get a long sequence of reset-floppy-errors, why?
39) I've got the mtools.n.tar.Z package, but I can't read
anything even with the etc/mtools file properly set. Any clue ?
40) What is as86.tar.Z ?
41) Turbo (Microsoft) Assembler won't compile the Linux boot
code. In fact, some of the opcodes in these files look completely
unfamiliar. Why?
V. SOME CLASSICAL PROBLEMS
==========================
42) While running du I get "Kernel panic: free_inode: bit
already cleared". Also, du produces a ENOENT error for all the files
in certain of my directories. What's going on?
43) How can I partition my hard-drive to use Linux?
44) I heard something about repartition a hard disk without
deleting everything on it, any clue?
45) What must I do to mkfs a floppy?
46) When I try to (un)compress many files in one command, the
command partially fails?
47) I have some trouble with tar/untar; any clue ?
48) I can do this as root but not as non-root, is it a bug?
49) When I use make as non root, it doesn't work, why?
50) "du" reports twice the size showed with "ls -l", is it a
bug?
51) Sometimes, I get "mount can't open lock file"; what does this
means?
52) When I try "mount /dev/hd?? /user", I get error 2.
53) Since I have upgrade my Linux kernel, ps won't work anymore,
why?
VI. INSTALLATION HINTS
======================
VI.A. Misc information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
54) I've got all the things on site ??? but I don't know what
goes where.
55) It seems that $#@! ported on linux don't run correctly
56) Does anyone port this to linux?, if not i'll compile it
57) I've ported *** to Linux, what should i do to add it in the
standard distribution?
58) I want to port *** to Linux, what are the flags?
59) Linux lacks on ****/ Linux has a bug in ***, what are the
rules to enhance/correct the kernel?
VI.B. Major/Minor device number
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
60) What are the device minor/major numbers?
VI.C Special Serial
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
61) Is there a list somewhere where I can get help with serial
communications under Linux?
62) When I run kermit under Linux, I get "Warning, Read access
to lock directory denied". What am I doing wrong?
63) What are the major, minor numbers for the serial ports under linux?
64) can anyone give me a sample /etc/inittab entry for login
from a pc attached to serial line /dev/ttys2?
65)
How do I set parameters like parity for serial login?
VII. MORE HINTS
===============
66) How can I backup my Hd under Linux ?
67) How to use setterm: for the novice?
68) I've tried clear/reset which exist on most of unix but it
doesn't work, have I missed something?
69) I know there are VC, but where is the setterm stuff?
70) I know there are shared libraries; does there exist an easy
way to check an executable for sharing ?
71) What is the rdev program provided in the images?
72) How to start Linux from drive B?
73) The program boot_b works fine /but/ once the first disk is
read the system go back to the first drive, any hints?
74) How can I get Linux to boot directly from the harddisk?
75) I use shoelace, but I want to change my root partition, what
is the process to get rid of it?
76) Sometimes, when I want to remove a directory, I get an error
message, is it a (known) bug?
77) I've seen the login but I missed the passwd binaries, where
can I find them?
78) How can I setup a user account other than root ?
79) I've been trying to get Linux to run on my [3/4]86 box. It
can't even boot. Any suggestions?
80) Does there exist games, languages (other than C), and
anything which make the system more friendly?
81) Could someone explain how to use rawrite?
82) Does emacs handle the arrows-key
83) Whenever I use uemacs 3.1X on a symlink, the symlink does
not exist anymore, why?
84) Uemacs doesn't work anymore with 0.95a, whenever I want to
save a file; what can I do?
85) I have an SVGA, but Linux detect an EGAc/EGAm; is it normal?
86) How can I change the keyboard repeat rate?
VIII. FEATURES
==============
87) I've read that linux has virtual consoles, what must I do to
get them?
88) When Linux boots, I get the following message "8 virtual
consoles"; how can I acess to the 5-8 vc's ?
89) What kind of shell is /bin/sh ?
90) I've been able to install Linux on my box, but Ctrl-Z nor
switching jobs from background to foreground seem to work, why?
91) Does there exist a man page for **** ?
92) What are the editors available in linux?
93) Does there exist a printer package for Linux?
94) Does there exist a ps for Linux?
95) It's nice to have the df utility, but it would be nicer if
it would give statistics of the root file system. Would it be
difficult to do?
96) How do I make swapping work?
97) When I boot I get one of the following messages:
"Unable to find swap signature" or "Bad swap-space bitmap"
98) How do I know if it is swapping?
99) How is it possible to remove a swap file?
100) How is it possible to remove a swap device?
101) Is there any way to tell how much swap space you are using
or have left?
102) I have a 2Megs box, but "free" reports only 1Meg why?
103) Is there only the %$#@ keyboard ?
104) (special FINNISH/US) I booteed up with the new image and
everything work except that some keyboard keys produce wrong
characters. Does anyone know what is happening?
105) Does there exist shared libs ?
106) Does Linux work for SCSI drives?
107) Linux is supposed to work with ESDI drive. However I have
trouble with my Magtron MT-4115E (Joincom controler), any clue?
108) There are a lot of patches available (fd patch, lp patch
login patch ...) can I be fairly confident the subsequent patches will
work?
109) I got the patches on some ftp sites, and applied them to the
kernel and tried to compile. It didn't !!. Are the patches buggy?
110) What's about TeX ?
111) What's about MGR ?
112) I have successfully compiled MGR, but when I try to run the
program I get "can't find mouse" or "already in use", any clue?
113) Any tips for MGR?
114) What's about X11 ?
115) What is the hardware requirement for X11 so far?
IX. GCC MISC INFORMATION
========================
116) I don't know how to install gcc stuff, is there special
places?
117) I seem to be unable to compile anything with gcc. Why?
118) I'm using a program that uses signal handlers which are
installed using sigaction() with the SA_NOMASK, and they get a general
protection error right after the signal handler tries to return.
What's going wrong?
119) gcc complains about not finding crt0.o and the system
include files What am I doing wrong ?
120) While compiling some GNU packages gcc(1.37 and 1.40) chokes
on regex.c with an insn code, what can I do?
121) I tried to port a /new/ version of gnu stuff. But in the
linking phase, gcc complains about the missing libg.a.
122) How to compile programs which may be debugged with gdb?
123) When compiling some code, cc1 complains about some insn
code, what's that?
124) While compiling some stuff, I'm getting the following
error message:
Undefined symbol ___addsf3 referenced from text segment
as well as ___mulsf3 and __cmpsf2.
These symbols are not in the program or in it's header files.
125) What are the enhancement of the newgcc.tar.Z ?
126) What can gcc-2.x do for me, that gcc-1.40 cannot?
127) I can't run g++ due to the lack of "expr"; where can I find
it ?
128) I have grabbed the new gcc2.xx, but I can't use it whenever
I compile (even hello world program) I get "parse error before ('s";
any clue ?
129) Is there a bug in how g++ and gcc handle include files?
'cause I can't get them to find files in the g++-include directory.
X. SCSI SPECIAL
===============
130) What SCSI hosts are supported?
131) Which disks ?
132) What about SCSI tapes ?
133) How do I get SCSI information?
134) How do I partition the disk?
135) Where is the latest version maintained?
136) what about extended partitions?
137) I get a message saying READ CAPACITY FAILED. What does this
mean?
138) What are the major / minor numbers for SCSI drives?
139) I can't use more than 2 SCSI disks.
140) How do I reduce kernel bloat and eliminate the drivers I
don't want?
141) What about bugs?
142) What are the known bugs?
143) Why can't I swap to a SCSI disk?, Why can't I mount a SCSI
disk as root?
144) Why does Linux "hang" when the disk is accessed?
145) I get SCSI timeouts.
146) What future developments are planned?
XI. X11 THE MINIMUM and MORE
============================
XI.A. X386 GENERAL INFORMATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
147) What is the X11 release supported by Linux?
148) What is X386?
149) Where can I get X386 1.2 (X11R5)?
150) What VGA boards are supported?
151) Any tips on compiling X11R5?
XI.B. X11 and LINUX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
152) How does X11 start up?
153) How can I see what startx passes to xinit, and xinit to X?
154) What else do I need?
155) How else can I test it?
156) Does there exist some usual fault, I should be warn of?
157) My server "hangs" Why?
158) Where can I find clock.exe or clock.pas ?
159) When I try to use the X11 v1.0 I got "Cannot connect to
server" or "process does not exist", any clue ?
160) How can I have more than 4 pty's to run X windows ?
161) I have trouble with my logitech Pilot mouse and X under
Linux, any clue ?