Archive-name: linux-faq/info-sheetπLast-modified: 19 Mar 93πVersion: 3.00ππ Linux Information Sheet πππ 0.1 Introduction to Linux ππ Linux runs only on 386/486 machines with an ISA or EISA bus. MCA π (IBM's proprietary bus) is not currently supported because there π is little available documentation. However, support for MCA is π being added at this time. Porting to other architectures is π likely to be difficult, as the kernel makes extensive use of 386 π memory management and task primitives. However, despite these π difficulties, there are people successfully working on a port to π the Amiga. ππ Linux is still considered to be in beta testing. There are still π bugs in the system, and since Linux develops rapidly (new π versions come out about once every two weeks), new bugs creep π up. However, these bugs are fixed quickly as well. Many versions π are quite stable, and you can keep using those if they do what π you need and you don't want to be on the bleeding edge. Some π sites have been running Linux systems continuously doing real π work for more than 50 days, without a single reboot, crash, or π error message. Note that this figure was collected with a π version of Linux that dates from last June: Linux has become π significantly better since then. ππ One thing to be aware of is that Linux is developed using an π open and distributed model, instead of a closed and centralized π model like much other software. This means that the current π development version is always public (with up to a week or two's π delay) so that anybody can use it. The result is that whenever a π version with new functionality is released, it almost always π contains bugs, but it also results in a very rapid development π so that the bugs are found and corrected quickly, often in π hours, as many people work to fix them. Furthermore, the bugs π are generally discovered within hours of a kernel release, π especially those which might endanger a user's data, so it is π easy for an end-user to avoid these bugs. ππ In contrast, the closed and centralized model means that there π is only one person or team working on the project, and they only π release software that they think is working well. Often this π leads to long intervals between releases, long waiting for bug π fixes, and slower development. Of course, the latest release of π such software to the public is often of higher quality, but the π development speed is generally much slower. ππ As of March 17, 1993, the current version of Linux is 0.99 π patchlevel 7. πππ 0.2 Linux Features πππ * multitasking: several programs running at once. ππ * multiuser: several users on the same machine at once (and NO π two-user licenses!). ππ * runs in 386 protected mode. ππ * has memory protection between processes, so that one program π can't bring the whole system down. ππ * demand loads executables: Linux only reads from disk those π parts of a program that are actually used. ππ * shared copy-on-write pages among executables. ππ * virtual memory using paging (not swapping whole processes) to π disk: to a separate partition or a file in the filesystem, or π both, with the possibility of adding more swapping areas π during runtime (yes, they're still called swapping areas). A π total of 16 of these 16 MB swapping areas can be used at π once, for a total 256 MB of useable swap space. ππ * a unified memory pool for user programs and disk cache (so π that all free memory can be used for caching, and the cache π can be reduced when running large programs). ππ * dynamically linked shared libraries (DLL's)(static libraries π too, of course). ππ * does core dumps for post-mortem analysis (using a debugger on π a program after it has crashed). ππ * mostly compatible with POSIX, System V, and BSD at the source π level. ππ * all source code is available, including the whole kernel and π all drivers, the development tools and all user programs; π also, all of it is freely distributable. ππ * POSIX job control. ππ * pseudoterminals (pty's). ππ * 387-emulation in the kernel so that programs don't need to do π their own math emulation. Every computer running Linux π appears to have a math coprocessor. ππ * support for many national or customized keyboards, and it is π fairly easy to add new ones. ππ * multiple virtual consoles: several independent login sessions π through the console, you switch by pressing a hot-key π combination (not dependent on video hardware). ππ * Supports several common filesystems, including minix-1 and π Xenix, and has an advanced filesystem of its own, which π offers filesystems of up to 4 TB, and names up to 255 π characters long. ππ * transparent access to MS-DOS partitions (or OS/2 FAT π partitions) via a special filesystem: you don't need any π special commands to use the MS-DOS partition, it looks just π like a normal Unix filesystem (except for funny restrictions π on filenames, permissions, and so on). ππ * CD-ROM filesystem which reads all standard formats of π CD-ROMs. ππ * TCP/IP networking, including ftp, telnet, NFS, etc. πππ 0.3 Hardware Issues πππ 0.3.1 Minimal configuration ππ The following is probably the smallest possible configuration π that Linux will work on: 386SX/16, 2 MB RAM, 1.44 MB or 1.2 MB π floppy, any supported video card (+ keyboards, monitors, and so π on of course). This should allow you to boot and test whether it π works at all on the machine, but you won't be able to do π anything useful. ππ In order to do something, you will want some hard disk space as π well, 5 to 10 MB should suffice for a very minimal setup (with π only the most important commands and perhaps one or two small π applications installed, like, say, a terminal program). This is π still very, very limited, and very uncomfortable, as it doesn't π leave enough room to do just about anything, unless your π applications are quite limited. It's generally not recommended π for anything but testing if things work, and of course to be π able to brag about small resource requirements. πππ 0.3.2 Usable configuration ππ If you are going to run computationally intensive programs, such π as gcc, X, and TeX, you will probably want a faster processor π than a 386SX/16, but even that should suffice if you are π patient. ππ In practice, you need at least 4 MB of RAM if you don't use X, π and 8 MB if you do. Also, if you want to have several users at a π time, or run several large programs (compilations for example) π at a time, you may want more than 4 MB of memory. It will still π work with a smaller amount of memory (should work even with 2 π MB), but it will use virtual memory (using the hard drive as π slow memory) and that will be so slow as to be unusable. ππ The amount of hard disk you need depends on what software you π want to install. The normal basic set of Unix utilities, shells, π and administrative programs should be comfortable in less than π 10 MB, with a bit of room to spare for user files. For a more π complete system, the SLS documentation reports that a full base π system without X fits into 20 MB, and with X into 40 MB (this is π only binaries). Add the whatever space you want to reserve for π user files. ππ Add more memory, more hard disk, a faster processor and other π stuff depending on your needs, wishes and budget to go beyond π the merely usable. In general, one big difference from DOS is π that with Linux, adding memory makes a large difference, whereas π with dos, extra memory doesn't make that much difference. This π of course has something to do with DOS's 640KB limit. πππ 0.3.3 Supported hardware ππ CPU: Anything that runs 386 protected mode programs (all models π of 386s and 486s should work; 286s don't work, and never will). ππ Architecture: ISA or EISA bus (you still need an ISA-bus hard π disk controller, though). MCA (aka PS/2) does not work. Local π bus works. ππ RAM: Theoretically up to 1 GB, but using more than 16 MB π requires that the kernel be recompiled. ππ Data storage: Generic AT drives (IDE, 16 bit HD controllers with π MFM or RLL) are supported, as are SCSI hard disks and CD-ROMs, π with a supported SCSI adaptor. Generic XT controllers (8 bit π controllers with MFM or RLL) need a special driver which is not π currently part of the standard kernel. Supported SCSI adaptors: π Adaptec 1542 (but not 1522), 1740 in extended (not 1542 π compatible) mode, Seagate ST-01 and ST-02, Future Domain TMC-88x π series (or any board based on the TMC950 chip) and TMC1660/1680, π Ultrastor 14F, and Western Digital wd7000. SCSI and QIC-02 tapes π are also supported. ππ Video: VGA, EGA, CGA, or Hercules (and compatibles) work in text π mode. For graphics and X, there is support for (at least) EGA, π normal VGA, some super-VGA cards (most of the cards based on π ET3000, ET4000, Paradise, and some Trident chipsets), some S3 π cards (not Diamond Stealth, because the manufacturer won't tell π how to program it), 8514/A, and hercules. (Linux uses the π Xfree86 X server, so that determines what cards are supported.) ππ Other hardware: SoundBlaster, AST Fourport cards (with 4 serial π boards), several flavours of bus mice (Microsoft, Logitech, π PS/2). πππ 0.4 An Incomplete List of Ported Programs and Other Software πππ Most of the common Unix tools and programs have been ported to π Linux, including almost all of the GNU stuff and many X clients π from various sources. Actually, ported is often too strong a π word, since many programs compile out of the box without π modifications, or only small modifications, because Linux tracks π POSIX quite closely. Unfortunately, there are not very many π end-user applications at this time. Nevertheless, here is an π incomplete list of software that is known to work under Linux. ππ Basic Unix commands: ls, tr, sed, awk and so on (you name it, π we've probably got it). ππ Development tools: gcc, gdb, make, bison, flex, perl, rcs, cvs, π gprof. ππ Graphical environments: X11R5 (Xfree86), MGR. ππ Editors: GNU Emacs, Lucid Emacs, MicroEmacs, jove, epoch, elvis, π joe, pico. ππ Shells: Bash, zsh (include ksh compatiblity mode), tcsh, csh, π rc, ash. ππ Telecommunication: Taylor (BNU-compatible) UUCP, kermit, szrz, π minicom, pcomm, xcomm, term/slap (runs multiple shells over one π modem line), and Seyon. ππ News and mail: C-news, trn, nn, tin, smail, elm, mh. ππ Textprocessing: TeX, groff, doc. ππ Games: Nethack, several Muds and X games. ππ All of these programs (and this isn't even a hundredth of what π is available) are freely available. πππ 0.5 Getting Linux ππππ 0.5.4 Anonymous FTP ππ At least the following anonymous ftp sites carry Linux. This π list is taken from the Meta-FAQ list, which is posted every week π to the comp.os.linux newsgroup (the Meta-FAQ is updated more π often than this information sheet, so the list below may not be π the most current one). ππππ Textual name Numeric address Linux directoryπ ============================= =============== ===============π tsx-11.mit.edu 18.172.1.2 /pub/linuxπ sunsite.unc.edu 152.2.22.81 /pub/Linuxπ nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 /pub/OS/Linuxπ ftp.mcc.ac.uk 130.88.200.7 /pub/linuxπ fgb1.fgb.mw.tu-muenchen.de 129.187.200.1 /pub/linuxπ ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de 131.159.0.110 /pub/Linuxπ ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de 137.226.4.105 /pub/linuxπ ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de 137.226.112.172 /pub/Linuxπ ftp.ibp.fr 132.227.60.2 /pub/linuxπ kirk.bu.oz.au 131.244.1.1 /pub/OS/Linuxπ ftp.uu.net 137.39.1.9 /packages/linuxπ wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 mirrors/linuxπ ftp.win.tue.nl 131.155.70.100 /pub/linuxπ ftp.stack.urc.tue.nl 131.155.2.71 /pub/linuxπ srawgw.sra.co.jp /Linuxπ ftp.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de 134.169.34.15 /pub/os/linuxπ cair.kaist.ac.kr /pub/Linuxπ ftp.denet.dk 129.142.6.74 /pub/OS/linuxππππ tsx-11.mit.edu and fgb1.fgb.mw.tu-muenchen.de are the official π sites for Linux' GCC. Some sites mirror other sites. Please use π the site closest (network-wise) to you whenever possible. πππ 0.5.5 Other methods of obtaining Linux ππ There are several BBS's that have Linux files. A list of them is π maintained by Zane Healy; he posts it to the comp.os.linux π newsgroup around the beginning and middle of the month, please π see that post for more information. comp.os.linux is echoed on π the LINUX echoid on fidonet. ππ There is also at least one organization that distributes Linux π on floppies, for a fee. Contact πππ Softlanding Softwareπ 910 Lodge Ave.π Victoria, B.C., Canadaπ V8X-3A8π +1 608 360 0188ππ for information on purchasing. There is also an organization π which sells Linux on CD-ROM --- contact πππ Yggdrasil Computing, Incorporatedπ CDROM salesπ PO Box 8418π 94707--8418π 510--526--7531ππ for information on purchasing the CD-ROM. Also, don't forget π about friends and user's groups, who are usually glad to let you π make a copy. πππ 0.5.6 Getting started ππ As mentioned at the beginning, Linux is not centrally π administered. Because of this, there is no ``official'' release π that one could point at, and say ``That's Linux.'' Instead, π there are various ``distributions,'' which are more or less π complete collections of software configured and packaged so that π they can be used to install a Linux system. The most important π one is currently the SLS release. ππ SLS is put together by Peter MacDonald, and is the more π full-featured one. It contains much of the available software, π and includes X. I really recommend SLS to anyone who's serious π about getting started with Linux. ππ The first thing you should do is to get and read the list of π Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from one of the FTP sites, or π by using the normal Usenet FAQ archives (e.g. π pit-manager.mit.edu). This document has plenty of instructions π on what to do to get started, what files you need, and how to π solve most of the common problems (during installation or π otherwise). πππ 0.6 Legal Status of Linux πππ Although Linux is supplied with the complete source code, it is π copyrighted software, not public domain. However, it is π available for free under the GNU Public License. See the GPL for π more information. The programs that run under Linux have each π their own copyright, although much of it uses the GPL as well. π All of the software on the FTP site is freely distributable (or π else it shouldn't be there). πππ 0.7 News About Linux πππ There is a Usenet newsgroup, comp.os.linux, for Linux π discussion, and also several mailing lists. See the Linux FAQ π for more information about the mailing lists (you should be able π to find the FAQ either in the newsgroup or on the FTP sites). ππ The newsgroup comp.os.linux.announce is a moderated newsgroup π for announcements about Linux (new programs, bug fixes, etc). ππ For the current status of the Linux kernel and a summary of the π most recent versions, finger torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi ππ There is also a more or less weekly ``newsletter,'' Linux News, π which summarizes the most important announcements and uploads, π and has occasional other articles as well. Look in π comp.os.linux.announce for a sample issue. πππ 0.8 Future Plans πππ Work is underway on Linux version 1.0, which will close some of π the gaps in the present implementation. The major functionality π shortcomings are advanced interprocess communication π (semaphores, shared memory), closer compatibility with POSIX, π and a lot of tweaking. Documentation is also sorely missing, but π is being worked on by those on the ``Linux Documentation π Project'' (the DOC channel of the linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi π mailing list). By April 1993 there should be a complete π installation and getting started manual for Linux. πππ 0.9 This document πππ This document is maintained by Michael K. Johnson, π johnsonm@stolaf.edu. Please mail me with any comments. A current π copy of this document can always be found as π tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/docs/INFO-SHEET, and a .dvi version π can be found as INFO-SHEET.dvi, in the same directory. πππ 0.10 Legalese πππ Trademarks are owned by their owners. There is no warranty about π the information in this document. π
