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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.491 + + unx356a.Z 208471 (09751) SCO Update for Corollary Systems for + unx356a.doc.Z 11856 (24562) SCO UNIX System V/386 Release 3.2 Version 4.0 + unx356a.ltr.Z 3824 (18355) SCO Open Desktop Release 2.0 xnx071.Z 39649 (58655) Mountain QIC-02 Tape Driver xnx071.ltr 11793 (10901) SCO XENIX 286 Release 2.2.0 Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu comp.unix.xenix.sco:7107 news.answers:3920 Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix.sco,news.answers Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!micro-heart-of-gold.mit.edu!wupost!usc!cs.utexas.edu!chinacat!chip From: chip@chinacat.unicom.com (Chip Rosenthal) Subject: Welcome to comp.unix.xenix.sco [monthly FAQ posting] Expires: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 06:12:00 GMT Organization: Unicom Systems Development, Austin, TX Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1992 06:11:58 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Message-ID: <sco-xenix-921106@chinacat.unicom.com> Followup-To: comp.unix.xenix.sco Summary: answers to frequently asked questions Supersedes: <sco-xenix-921009@chinacat.unicom.com> Lines: 1280 Archive-name: sco-xenix News-answers-archive-name: sco/xenix Posting-frequency: monthly Version: 1.35 @(#) sco-xenix 1.35 92/11/06 00:06:25 Welcome to comp.unix.xenix.sco. This newsgroup is about the XENIX operating system from the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO). If you have an SCO XENIX question, then you've come to the right place. This is NOT the newsgroup for SCO UNIX or Open Desktop questions. Please use comp.unix.sysv386. It is also NOT the right place for questions about XENIX implementations from other vendors. Use comp.unix.xenix.misc. Certain questions are asked frequently on the net. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) get old and boring after a while. We can stamp out FAQs in your lifetime! Please review this message before posting your question to comp.unix.xenix.sco. You should also review the FAQ postings in comp.unix.questions and news.announce.newusers. These answer general questions, such as `How do I delete a file with funny characters in the name?' and `How can I change my shell prompt?' C programmers should also check out the FAQ in comp.lang.c. Whenever we talk about XENIX here, we really mean SCO XENIX System V. Our comments often won't apply to the other kinds of XENIX. Also, be particularly careful if you use XENIX/286. It's been ages since we've used it and some of our suggestions might not apply. This message is maintained and posted monthly by Chip Rosenthal. Your corrections, additions, and comments are encouraged. Please mail them to chip@chinacat.unicom.com or uunet!chinacat!chip. These questions and answers were written by Chip Rosenthal, Jeff Liebermann, Ronald Florence, Chip Salzenberg, and Ronald Khoo. Helpful contributions and comments have been provided by Andrew Phillips and Peter Funk. ****************************************************************************** **************************** Questions Answered **************************** ****************************************************************************** ===> Product Questions: QA1. What is the difference between UNIX and XENIX? QA2. What is the minimum system required to run XENIX? QA3. Should I buy UNIX or XENIX? QA4. What are the current XENIX versions? QA5. Where can I get XENIX fixes? QA6. I'm using an older XENIX/386 version. What fixes do I need? QA7. Does SCO have a BBS? ===> General XENIX Questions: QB1. Can't boot. My system used to work. QB2. Configure(ADM) fails when I modify my system name. QB3. I upgraded XENIX. Now I get `parity error' panics. QB4. Login fails without prompting for password. QB5. Can I use `gcc' instead of buying the SCO Development System? QB6. Program `foobar' dumps core with a stack overflow. [XENIX 286] QB7. Spell cannot initialize hash table. QB8. Will my laser printer work with the Text Processing Package? QB9. Where is crypt? QB10. How can email handle `internet' addresses or use a `smart host'? ===> Disk and Filesystem Questions: QC1. Can I use a disk bigger than 1024 cylinders? QC2. Why won't XENIX recognize my SCSI disk? QC3. Where is the `/u' filesystem I created? QC4. `WARNING!! - mounting: <usr> as <news>' message when booting. QC5. `POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR' when running `fsck'. QC6. Is disk fragmentation curable? ===> Communications Questions: QD1. How do I add more than 2 COM ports? QD2. Where is the `gettydefs' entry for 19200 serial lines? QD3. How can I have more mscreen(C) sessions? QD4. Upgraded to 2.3.4 and flow control broke with mscreen(C). QD5. Terminals act funny, modems drop characters, help!! QD6. Does XENIX support 16550A UARTs? QD7. How do I increase the number of `clists'? QD8. How do I change the 16550A trigger level? QD9. How do I adjust the `ttyhog' value? QD10. Where can I find TCP/IP? NFS? QD11. BSD based uucp can't connect to my machine. QD12. uucp truncates my system name to seven characters! QD13. What is the uucp `windows' patch? QD14. uucp gives `alarm' messages, eventually dies. ===> Display and Graphics Questions: QE1. How can I do graphics under XENIX? What programs are available? QE2. CGI graphics mangles grey scale on a mono VGA. QE3. CGI graphics fail on a LaserJet in landscape mode. QE4. How can I do a printscreen under XENIX? ===> XENIX and MS-DOS Interoperability Questions: QX1. Can XENIX share a hard disk with MS-DOS? QX2. Can XENIX access MS-DOS disks? QX3. Can XENIX execute MS-DOS programs? QX4. Can MS-DOS execute XENIX programs? ===> The (in)Famous XENIX Cheat-Sheet: QZ1. What the $%*&! is happening? ****************************************************************************** **************************** Product Questions ***************************** ****************************************************************************** QA1. What is the difference between UNIX and XENIX? XENIX is UNIX -- or at least one flavor of it. In the late 70's, Microsoft licensed the UNIX sources from AT&T and ported them to a number of platforms. In those days AT&T would license the UNIX sources but not the UNIX name, thus each company had to invent their own name. Microsoft picked XENIX. Microsoft did not sell XENIX to end users. Instead, they licensed the software to OEMs (Intel, Tandy, Altos, SCO, etc.) who provided a finished end-user package. Microsoft no longer supports XENIX, and in fact never even offered a 286 or 386 version. Several UNIX implementations for the PC architecture have been tried with varying levels of success. SCO XENIX for the PC/XT was one. Unfortunately, the PC/XT lacked hardware features required for robust UNIX operations. The PC/AT offered hardware memory protection, and SCO XENIX/286 took advantage of it. SCO XENIX/386 added demand paged virtual memory. These added features made multiuser PCs viable, and SCO XENIX popular. SCO XENIX starts with a UNIX System III base, throws in several Berkeley enhancements, and adds features to obtain conformance to the System V Interface Definition (SVID). Today, the bulk of the code is from System V. XENIX/386 even has capabilities to execute UNIX programs. However, it differs in many of the SVID `optional' areas people tend to expect of a full System V. For example, SCO XENIX lacks a real `inittab'. You need to go to a real System V Release 3.2, such as SCO UNIX, for all these features. QA2. What is the minimum system required to run XENIX? For a minimal single-user XENIX system, we recommend an 80386SX-16 processor, 2MB to 4MB RAM, and 40MB hard disk. For the full XENIX system (Run Time, Development, and Text Processing), consider an 80386DX-20 processor, 4MB RAM, and 80MB hard disk. Additional resources will be required to support additional users, large applications, networking, or X windows. XENIX/286 will run on a PC/AT, but you will quickly become frustrated with its limitations, especially if you are a programmer. QA3. Should I buy UNIX or XENIX? If you are running XENIX now, don't throw it away and buy UNIX. XENIX will be around for some time. However, if you are new to multi-user computing, you should consider UNIX System V Release 3.2 or Release 4.0. XENIX is a mature product. There will be few future enhancements. UNIX has more goodies and better performance than XENIX. UNIX runs XENIX binaries, so it will do most anything XENIX can -- and more. XENIX requires less memory and disk space. However, hardware prices are declining and UNIX is now pretty stable, so these are not great advantages. On the other hand there are a number of XENIX enthusiasts who wouldn't switch if you gave them a free copy of UNIX. They would gladly forgo the new features to avoid the bloat of System V. QA4. What are the current XENIX versions? Package Version `perms' file ---------------------- -------------- --------------------------- XENIX Runtime System 2.3.4 inst, dsmd, tpmd, rts, ext XENIX Runtime (286) 2.3.2 inst, dsmd, tpmd, rts, ext Development System(386) 2.3.1 soft Development System(286) 2.2.1 soft CGI 1.1.0 cgi Text Processing 2.3.0 text Manual Pages 2.3.0 man VP/ix 1.2.0 vpix TCP/IP Runtime 1.2.0 tcprt TCP/IP Development 1.0.1 tcpdev Streams Runtime 1.0.0 streamsrt Streams Toolkit 1.0.0 streamstk Int'l Supplement(386) 2.1.0 sup.os Int'l Supplement(286) 2.0.0 sup.os The perms column lists files found in the /etc/perms directory. The `#rel=' line in these files will tell you what version you have. QA5. Where can I get XENIX fixes? SCO provides Support Level Supplements (SLS) at no charge. They may be downloaded by anonymous uucp from SCO's `sosco' machine. To retrieve a shopping list of available SLSs, add one of the following to your `/usr/lib/uucp/Systems' file: # Telebit (PEP) modem sosco Any ACU 19200 14084291786u gin:-BREAK-gin:-BREAK-gin: uusls # Hayes V-Series modem sosco Any ACU 19200 14084274470 gin:-BREAK-gin:-BREAK-gin: uusls # 1200 or 2400 bps modem sosco Any ACU 300-2400 14084253502 gin:-BREAK-gin:-BREAK-gin: uusls European folks might prefer to use `scolon' instead. From within the UK, try: scolon Any ACU 300-19200 0923210911u \ gin:-BREAK-gin:-BREAK-gin: uusls word: bbsuucp Outside the UK, replace the leading zero with the country code. A 9600bps Trailblazer answers this line. Delete the `u' at the end of the phone number if you aren't using a Telebit modem. Files are as on `sosco' but tend to be a week or so behind. Also, replace `sosco' with `scolon' `sosffm' in the examples below. In Germany, you can use: sosffm Any ACU 300-9600 069-50910736 \ "" \r ogin:-BREAK-ogin: uusls sword: bbsuucp This modem supports V.32 transfers, but not PEP. We've been told this system is often behind the other sites. Add to your `/usr/lib/uucp/Permissions' file: # REQUEST files only - i.e. cannot send to sosco. # rmail required to get bounced mail and error messages. MACHINE=sosco SENDFILES=yes REQUEST=no COMMANDS=rmail:uucp \ WRITE=/usr/spool/uucppublic:/tmp To retrieve an SLS listing to your machine as /tmp/info: uucp sosco\!/usr/spool/uucppublic/SLS/info /tmp/info This file also provides directions on retrieving, unarchiving, and uncompressing the SLSs. There is also a `descriptions' file with additional details on the available SLSs. SLSs are also available on `uunet'. For example, to get the `info' file, run: uucp uunet\!~/vendor/sco/SLS/info /tmp/info Most of these machines also have Enhanced Feature Supplements (EFSs), games and graphics programs, and new termcap and terminfo terminal definitions in addition to SLS. Look for an `info' or `README' file one directory up from the `SLS' directory for more info. QA6. I'm using an older XENIX/386 version. What fixes do I need? Development System - 2.2.X or older An upgrade to 2.3.1 must be purchased from SCO. - 2.3.1 Install `lng244'. Operating System - 2.2.X or older An upgrade to 2.3.4 must be purchased from SCO. - 2.3.0 or 2.3.1 SCO would like you to purchase a 2.3.4 upgrade. The `xnx137' fix would get you to 2.3.2, but SCO does not provide it any longer. - 2.3.2 Install `xnx296a' to get to version 2.3.3. If you have VP/ix and installed update UFJ, then your kernel is already at 2.3.3. None the less, you still want `xnx296a'. The `xnx296a' update is also known as UFN, and replaces UFJ and UFM. UFM was also known as the `xnx155b' update. You must install the development system before `xnx296a'. `xnx296a' provides you with most of the important fixes in 2.3.4. You will lack some of the nice enhancements such as updated man pages and the Korn shell. SCO preconfigures the kernel for a very minimal system. You should tune the kernel for your exact system configuration. See the "Tuning Kernel Parameters" chapter in the System Administrator's Guide. QA7. Does SCO have a BBS? Yes. The SOS Support BBS is $95/year. This is a good deal. You can: - download fixes, suggestions, and hints. - keyword access to the support problems database. - retrieve product info, release status, and hardware compatibility. - get support via email. - subscription to quarterly Discover newsletter. You can dial-in with a terminal program such as `cu' -- uucp is not required. Access is read-only, but most questions can be answered by the support database. SCO currently doesn't provide SOS access to most overseas users. You might also consider joining the ``SCO Developer Alliance Associates Program.'' This costs $100/year, and also provides access to the BBS. Contact devrel@sco.com for additional information. ****************************************************************************** ************************* General XENIX Questions ************************** ****************************************************************************** QB1. Can't boot. My system used to work. Check the A: drive. If there is a floppy in there your system might spew garbage on the monitor or hang during boot. If this problem occurs right after rebuilding a new kernel, go read the FAQ on disks bigger than 1024 cylinder. QB2. Configure(ADM) fails when I modify my system name. If you select a site name of two, three, or four characters, `configure' will fail with an error message: space.asm(XXX): error A2050: Value out of range If the development system is installed, there is a workaround. Do the following: - cd /usr/sys/conf - Edit `xenixconf'. Search for the `nodename' line and enter the desired system name between the double quotes. For example, for machine name = `foo' this line should read: nodename "foo" - Similarly, edit the `master' file and correct the `nodename' line. For machine name = `foo' it should read: nodename NODE "foo" - Run `make'. This will rebuild the kernel data files and then link a new kernel. - Run `./hdinstall' to install the new kernel. Reboot the system, and the new node name should be in effect. To verify this, run `uname -a' after rebooting. This bug has been fixed in 2.3.4. QB3. I upgraded XENIX. Now I get `parity error' panics. Starting with XENIX 2.3.3, memory parity errors are detected by the kernel. In previous versions, parity errors would cause the system to go silently flaky, but continue running. Now, when a parity error occurs, the machine will panic saying: PANIC: memory failure - parity error If you get this error after installing an update, XENIX didn't break your machine -- it's been broken all along. The most likely cause of this error truly is memory problems. Run a good memory diagnostic overnight to try to locate the problem. Keep the cover on the computer while running diagnostics; heat tends to push a marginal memory chip into failure. This problem can also be caused by a marginal power supply. XENIX boxes often have more power hungry peripherals than your run of the mill MS-DOS PC. For example, suspect the power supply if the panics occur as soon as the tape drive starts spinning. QB4. Login fails without prompting for password. If /dev/tty is missing or incorrect, you will get a `Login incorrect' message without ever being prompted for a password. For security reasons, the `login' program goes directly to /dev/tty to ensure the password comes from the keyboard. Your `tty' device should look something like: crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 3, 0 Oct 24 04:09 /dev/tty If necessary, use the `mknod' command to recreate it. QB5. Can I use `gcc' instead of buying the SCO Development System? No. It takes more than a compiler to produce executable programs. You might be able to pick up bits and pieces (like `make' and `yacc') from various places, but not the header files and libraries. You can't compile programs without them, and the only way to get them is with the Development System. QB6. Program `foobar' dumps core with a stack overflow. [XENIX 286] XENIX/286 programs request a fixed amount of space for the stack in the executable file header. A program that exceeds this limit will crash with a core dump. To fix, change the header to ask for more stack space. You can recompile your programs with the `-F' flag to increase the stack size. You can change the stack size of existing programs by running `fixhdr' with the `-F' flag. This is not a problem on 80386 binaries that use a variable stack. QB7. Spell cannot initialize hash table. The `spell' script (included in the optional Text Processing package) uses an 8086 binary. It needs to stuff a bunch of data into a single 64K segment. If you exceed this limit, you will get an error saying something like: table = malloc(0xc848) fails sbrk(0) = 0x3868 spell: cannot initialize hash table You can usually get enough space for `spell' to run by clearing out your environment first. To do this, add the following line near the top of the `/usr/bin/spell' script: unset `env | sed -e '/^PATH=/d' -e '/^PS1=/d' -e 's/=.*//'` QB8. Will my laser printer work with the Text Processing Package? XENIX `troff' is based on a version written long before the advent of laser printers. The only thing old troff understands is C/A/T typesetters. Chris Lewis's `psroff' allows old troff to work with various devices, including Postscript and LaserJet printers. Version 3.0 is available from the comp.sources.unix archives. For production work, consider purchasing a device independent troff. Some of the suppliers of `ditroff' are Elan, Image Network, Leverage, and SoftQuad. Another alternative is the `groff' package by the Free Software Foundation. You can find it in any of the FSF archives -- but you will need `g++' to compile it. You will still need a backend program to use a LaserJet with `groff'. Some possibilities are `psroff' and `dvi2xx' on ftp.wu-wien.ac.at. QB9. Where is crypt? The DES encryption algorithm, the basis for `crypt', is categorized by the US Government as munitions. (Three cheers for the cold war!) SCO removes the crypt(S) procedure and crypt(C) command from XENIX so it may be exported. US domestic customers may contact SCO to obtain SLS LNG190B. If you simply need a crypt(S) procedure to compile programs that do password checking, you may get the SLS LNG255B `International Crypt SLS' from any of the aforementioned archive sites. This provides a crypt(S) procedure that supports encryption but not decryption, and it does not include the crypt(C) command. A number of non-domestic archive sites, for example the European GNU mirror sites, carry `crypt' replacements which were developed outside the US to avoid this export silliness. QB10. How can email handle `internet' addresses or use a `smart host'? Neither the SCO XENIX mail transport (/usr/lib/mail/execmail) nor the mail program (/usr/bin/mail) can handle so-called `internet' addresses (e.g. joe@acme.com). Nor can they use a `smart host' system to route your email to its final destination. If you want to add these features, you need to install a replacement transport and reconfigure the mailer to use this transport. For simple uucp connectivity, we recommend smail2.5 (archive name `smail3' published in comp.sources.unix volume 11). If you also need network connectivity (e.g. SMTP mail) then you'll need a more full-featured mailer such as smail3.1, sendmail, or MMDF. Although smail2.5 fits right into the SCO mail system, some modifications and installation tricks are required. Both Chip Salzenberg (see the comp.sources.misc archives) and Chip Rosenthal (contact chip@chinacat.unicom.com) have provided solutions. Whatever approach you use, you must tell /usr/bin/mail to pass messages off to execmail for delivery rather than handling them itself. Do this by adding a line which says `set execmail' to the /usr/lib/mail/mailrc file. You might also think about adding a nice, full-screen mailer program such as Elm or Mush. ****************************************************************************** ********************** Disk and Filesystem Questions *********************** ****************************************************************************** QC1. Can I use a disk bigger than 1024 cylinders? Yes. However, your root filesystem cannot extend beyond the 1024th cylinder, because that's as far as the BIOS can reach when booting the system. The BIOS is bypassed after XENIX boots, so cylinders beyond 1024 can be accessed once XENIX is running. It is not necessary to use a sector translation mode controller to reduce the number of cylinders. The translation mode is very slow. Early SCO documentation wrongly claimed large disks weren't supported. This is the source of confusion over this issue. QC2. Why won't XENIX recognize my SCSI disk? Not all versions of XENIX support SCSI and those that do won't run all SCSI adapters. First, verify your N1 floppy says `Type: 386GT' and not `Type: 386AT'. The AT version of XENIX (now obsolete) does not include any SCSI support. The GT version supports a limited number of SCSI host adapters. The Adaptec AHA-154x is supported. We've also used compatibles such as the Bustek BT-542B. 2.3.4 also supports WD1009V-SE1/2 and WD-7000-FASST2. If you've got something different, you probably need to get a driver from the board vendor. The `SCO Hardware Compatibility Guide' (contact SCO sales for one) should be consulted whenever you have any hardware compatibility questions. Some typical installation mistakes are: - SCSI ID jumper for the root (boot) hard disk must be ID=0. - The BIOS must be set for drive C:=NONE in the CMOS setup program. - I/O port, memory address, or interrupt misconfiguration/conflict. - Terminating resistors installed only at ends of ribbon cable. - The parity jumper should be enabled on all drives and controllers. A word on terminating resistors: Terminators must be installed on the two devices at the end of the SCSI chain. If you have no external devices then one end of the chain will be the SCSI adapter -- so it gets terminators. The last device on the ribbon cable also needs terminators. The terminators must be removed from everything else on the SCSI chain. Note: If you are using XENIX 386GT 2.3.1-2.3.3 you should install xnx252b for ISA or xnx150 for MCA. This is an improved SCSI driver that yields a significant performance improvement. QC3. Where is the `/u' filesystem I created? When you create filesystems during the install procedure or with `mkdev hd', the filesystem is initialized but it isn't configured into the system. To perform that final step you need to run `mkdev fs'. For example, if you created a `/u' filesystem, run: mkdev fs /dev/u /u QC4. `WARNING!! - mounting: <usr> as <news>' message when booting. Due to a bug in the `mkdev fs' program, filesystems mounted below the root directory are labeled wrong. For example, if you mount a device `/dev/news' onto directory `/usr/spool/news', then you will get a warning message when going into multi-user mode. That's because `mkdev fs' labels the filesystem with the first component in the pathname (`usr' in this example) when it really should be the last component in the pathname (`news' in this example). This message is merely an annoyance and will not hamper system operation. To eliminate the warning, relabel the filesystem with the last component of the mount directory. For the above example, you may change the label from `usr' to `news' by running the command: fsname -s news /dev/news QC5. `POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR' when running `fsck'. If `fsck' says `POSSIBLE FILE SIZE ERROR I=nnnn' don't panic. It almost always means `fsck' found a `sparse file', not a true filesystem error. A sparse file has holes in it. They are created when a program skips over sections of a file it is writing. The XENIX filesystem fills in those sections with zeros. The XENIX filesystem doesn't even both allocating disk blocks for the sections full of zeros, thus creating a sparse file. The complaint occurs because `fsck' calculates the number of disk blocks needed to store the file, counts up the number of disk blocks actually used by the file, and complains that the two don't match. When you get a file size error from `fsck' you should note both the `I=nnnn' inode number logged in the message and the filesystem which was being checked. You can see what the file is by running the following command: ncheck -i <nnnn> <fsname> where <nnnn> is the number logged in the error message and <fsname> is the pathname of the filesystem device, e.g. `/dev/u'. Chances are the file will either be a dbm(S) database file (in which case ignore the complaint, it's expected) or a `core' dump (in which case delete the `core' file). QC6. Is disk fragmentation curable? Not easily. However, the steps to slow down fragmentation are pretty simple. XENIX maintains a list of available disk blocks. As files are deleted, the released blocks are appended to this free list. Ideally, one would allocate adjacent blocks for new files. However, blocks are added to and removed from the free list without regard for location. Eventually, new files will be created with their data blocks scattered all around the disk. This fragmentation is undesirable because it slows down disk accesses.