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NetBSD-FAQ
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1995-01-27
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Info file: FAQ.info, -*-Text-*-
produced by `texinfo-format-buffer'
from file `NetBSD-Amiga-FAQ.A4.texinfo'
using `texinfmt.el' version 2.32 of 19 November 1993.
File: FAQ.info, Node: Top, Next: WHATIS, Prev: (dir), Up: (dir)
Introduction
************
About this document (Please Read!)
==================================
History
-------
Original document by Mike Schwartz `mykes@shell.portal.com'
Idea of using TeXInfo by Carsten Hammer
`chammer@dave.hrz.uni-bielfeld.de'
Second revision (completely rewritten) by Guenther Grau
`/S=Grau/OU2=P1/OU=JNB1/O=Siemens/P=SCN/A=TELKOM400/C=ZA/@x400.scn.de'
Third revision (restructured) by Tim Walls
Currently maintained by Tim Walls `tjw1@doc.ic.ac.uk'
Copyright
---------
Copyright (C) 1993,1994 Guenther Grau
This edition Copyright (C) 1994,1995 Tim Walls
Distribution
------------
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
except that this permission notice must be stated in a translation
approved by Tim Walls `tjw1@doc.ic.ac.uk'.
Work in progress
----------------
This document is *work in progress*. I am in the middle of
`rationalising' the TeXInfo node names etc., and it is possible I have
missed some links; there are also a few sections that need tidying up.
If you notice any errors, bugs etc. (missing links, grammatical errors,
plain lies ;-) please mail me - `tjw1@doc.ic.ac.uk'.
Introduction
============
Welcome to the NetBSD-Amiga-FAQ!
This document contains a bunch of useful infomation about NetBSD on the
Amiga. It was mainly created - and is regularly updated - for people,
who never used NetBSD on the Amiga before, but it contains a lot of
valuable information for all users, especially in the last chapter. This
last chapter contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and
their respective answers.
In general the people on the Internet are very helpful, so if you have a
problem when using NetBSD, don't be shy and ask for help. But ...
*BE SURE YOU HAVE READ AN UP-TO-DATE VERSION OF THIS FAQ FIRST!!!*
It is really annoying and time consuming, if a lot of people ask the
same questions and we have to answer them over and over again.
*Note INFORM::, for information
on how to get an up-to-date version of this document. Also, please
redistribute this FAQ, so that it is easier for people who are
interested in NetBSD to find it.
Please write all comments, suggestions, spelling corrections, etc. to
the current maintainter of the FAQ. This will help to keep this FAQ
up-to-date and useful. Thank you for reading the FAQ, because that's why
I put so many hours of work into it! You will find the name and the
email-address of the current maintainer of this document on the second
page. Later on all references to the author of this FAQ will be name-
and address-less, for the ease of maintainance. If you ever need to
contact the author, see the second page for his name and email-address.
One last thing before we start: If you find this document useful and
want to thank me for maintaining it, feel free to send me an email. If
you want to send me any money or other donations, contact me under the
above email-address for my address.
* Menu:
* WHATIS:: What is NetBSD?
* NEEDED:: What do I need to run NetBSD?
* INFORM:: Where can I find more information on NetBSD?
* KERNEL:: How do I build a kernel myself?
* OTHERS:: What other Unixes exist for the Amiga?
* FAQ&AS:: Frequently Asked Questions (and answers!)
-- The Detailed Node Listing ---
What is NetBSD?
* WHATIS.NAMEOF:: The name of the game
* WHATIS.WHOISW:: Who is working on the port?
What do I need to run NetBSD
* NEEDED.CPUFPU:: What CPU/FPU do I need?
* NEEDED.MEMORY:: How much memory do I require?
* NEEDED.DISKSP:: How much disk space do I need?
* NEEDED.OTHERS:: Are there any other hardware requirements?
Where can I find more information on NetBSD?
* INFORM.USENET:: UseNet news
* INFORM.FTPANO:: Anonymous FTP
* INFORM.WWWHYP:: World Wide Web
* INFORM.IRCHAT:: Internet Relay Chat
* INFORM.E-MAIL:: Electronic Mailing Lists
* INFORM.PRIVAT:: In the last resort...
Frequently Asked Questions and their answers
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL:: Installation problems
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS:: New system teething troubles
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR:: Hardware/driver problems
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL:: Anything else!
File: FAQ.info, Node: WHATIS, Next: NEEDED, Prev: Top, Up: Top
What is NetBSD?
***************
This chapter contains general information about NetBSD.
* Menu:
* WHATIS.NAMEOF:: The name of the game
* WHATIS.WHOISW:: Who is working on the port?
File: FAQ.info, Node: WHATIS.NAMEOF, Next: WHATIS.WHOISW, Prev: WHATIS, Up: WHATIS
The name of the game
====================
NetBSD is a Unix-like operating system. It is very portable and runs on
multiple architectures such as Amiga, HP, Mac, Sun3, Sparc, PC,
... It is developed by people all around the world on the
Internet. Therefore it is called NetBSD. It has all the features you
would expect in a modern Unix, including true multitasking, virtual
memory, shared libraries, demand loading, shared copy-on-write
executables, proper memory management and TCP/IP networking.
For a complete description of a Unix-like operating system, please refer
to some introductionary books about Unix. If you have access to Usenet,
get any of the comp.unix.* Newsgroups FAQ.
*Note INFORM::, for information on
how to get more and detailed information on NetBSD.
File: FAQ.info, Node: WHATIS.WHOISW, Prev: WHATIS.NAMEOF, Up: WHATIS
Who is working on the port?
===========================
NetBSD was ported to the Amiga by Markus Wild (mw@eunet.ch), who also
initially ported GCC to AmigaDOS and who did the ixemul.library. Once
NetBSD-Amiga was useable, a lot of people joined in and contributed a
lot to the project. I don't want to list any names, because I am sure I
would forget some brave soul. The maintainer of the "projects" file
produces a list of projects being worked on. Consult this file for more
information about who is working on what.
*Note INFORM::, for information on
how to get this file and how to contact the developers.
File: FAQ.info, Node: NEEDED, Next: INFORM, Prev: WHATIS, Up: Top
What do I need to run NetBSD
****************************
This chapter describes the hardware related topics of NetBSD. It will
explain, what kind of hardware you need to be able to run NetBSD on your
Amiga.
In general, there are two major requirements your system must fulfill to
be able to run NetBSD. You must have an apropriate CPU and enough
memory. To comfortably run NetBSD you should dedicate some harddiskspace
to NetBSD.
* Menu:
* NEEDED.CPUFPU:: What CPU do I need?
* NEEDED.MEMORY:: How much memory?
* NEEDED.DISKSP:: And what about diskspace...?
File: FAQ.info, Node: NEEDED.CPUFPU, Next: NEEDED.MEMORY, Prev: NEEDED, Up: NEEDED
Which CPU is needed?
====================
It depends heavily on the type of CPU your system has, whether or not
NetBSD runs on your Amiga. NetBSD, as any other modern Unix-derivate,
too, must have a memory-management-unit (MMU) to be able to run. This
is needed as all the programs that run under Unix are separated from
each other, so no program can do any harm to any other.
You need to have one of the following processors (CPUs) to be able to
run NetBSD:
* 68020 with 68851 (MMU)
* 68030
* 68040
Note, that it is very important that you have a *real* CPU, i.e. not an
EC-version. These versions are missing the MMU-part of the chip and are
therefore cheaper. It is not possible to simply add a 68851 (MMU) to
these chips. You have to replace your CPU, if possible, or you have to
buy a seperate CPU-board or accelerator-board equipped with one of the
*real* CPUs mentioned above to be able to run NetBSD.
Also note, that you currently need a floating-point-unit (FPU) to be
able to run NetBSD. The kernel itself, that is the core part of NetBSD,
does not need an FPU, but some of the essential utilities do. However,
other ports of NetBSD on other architectures have an FPU-emulator
implemented in the kernel, so they can do without an FPU. So, if someone
implements an FPU-emulator for NetBSD on the 680x0-architecture, the
need for a seperate FPU will eventually vanish, but for now you need an
FPU.
File: FAQ.info, Node: NEEDED.MEMORY, Next: NEEDED.DISKSP, Prev: NEEDED.CPUFPU, Up: NEEDED
How much memory do I need?
==========================
Theoretically, you only need 2MB of FAST-RAM and 1MB of CHIP-RAM. The
1MB CHIP-memory is only needed due to the way NetBSD is currently
booted. If someone rewrites the program that loads the kernel into the
memory, it would be possible to boot the kernel with 512KB CHIP-RAM.
Currently the kernel is loaded into the CHIP-memory and then copied into
the largest chunk of fast memory found. Therefore 2MB is the bare
minimum and will not allow you to do anything useful, but booting.
Note that the complete GENERIC kernel (including drivers for every
device supported) is over 1MB in size; you can't load this kernel with
only 1MB of CHIP RAM, 2MB is required. The basic INSTALL kernel will
load with 1MB CHIP fine however.
It is possible to run NetBSD in a low memory situation, because it uses
a mechanism called paging. It writes currently unused parts of programs
to the disk, thus freeing some memory for other parts. Writing to and
reading from disk is very slow, compared to the execution of programs in
memory, so the system will be too slow to be useable. So, to have an
actual useable system, you should have at least 4MB of FAST-RAM,
preferably more. When you want to use X-Windows, a graphical user
interface on top of NetBSD, you probably need about 6MB or even more to
do anything useful.
Non contiguous memory
---------------------
With the Amiga's architecture being what it is, it is often the case
that the memory map will have "holes" in it - say, 1MB of CHIP RAM,
followed by a gap, 4MB of 16bit RAM, a gap, and then in (very) high
memory a block of 32bit RAM; this is often the case with 68000 machines
upgraded to an 030 or above.
The current NetBSD kernel can only use contiguous memory; typically, the
loader program will choose the largest contiguous block of memory. This
is important to note - the machine described above could have 8MB of
non-CHIP memory (assuming there is 4MB of 32bit RAM), but NetBSD can
only use 4MB of it (typically the 32bit RAM has a higher priority, so it
will be used in preference).
Patches to allow the kernel to use non-contiguously mapped memory
*do* exist, but at the time of writing are not `publicly'
released. (Would anyone like to upload their patches to the ftp site?
If so, let me know!). In the situation above, there is a tradeoff -
extra memory vs. slower execution (16bit memory can degrade performance
considerably) - a better solution would be to add extra 32bit store.
File: FAQ.info, Node: NEEDED.DISKSP, Prev: NEEDED.MEMORY, Up: NEEDED
How much diskspace do I need?
=============================
Theoretically, you can do without any harddiskspace. It is possible to
boot NetBSD from floppy-disks, but you cannot do any useful work with
such a setup. To get an actually useable system, you will need to
dedicate some harddiskspace to NetBSD. It is planned to create a
NetBSD-CD it the not so far away future. Once it is available you can
work with NetBSD from the CD-ROM. But then again, CD-ROMs are a lot
slower then harddisks, so if you want to go for maximum speed, you will
need some harddiskspace for NetBSD. How much you actually need depends
heavily on what you want to do with NetBSD.
8MB of hard disk space will be sufficient to boot NetBSD and play around
with it a bit. A small, but complete working system needs about 50 to
80MB. It should be clear, that the more goodies you want to add, the
more space you need. Once it is available, you should definitely
consider the NetBSD-CD a good source for programs. Having the seldom
used binaries executed directly from the CD can save you a lot of
harddiskspace.
To prevent you from running out of memory, you should use about twice
your RAM amount just for a swap partition on your drive (or about three
times if you intend to use the X-Windows system). That is where NetBSD
writes the parts of running programs which are currently not used to
free up some main-memory for other programs.
*Note INFORM::, for information on
how to get the file `compatibility-list'. It contains information about
the supported harddisks.
* Menu:
* NEEDED.OTHERS:: Are there any other hardware requirements?
File: FAQ.info, Node: NEEDED.OTHERS, Prev: NEEDED.DISKSP, Up: NEEDED.DISKSP
What other hardware requirements are there?
-------------------------------------------
There are no other hardware requirements to run NetBSD, but you are free
to use additional devices, provided they are supported.
There is a general scheme on how NetBSD deals with devices. To get a
device working with NetBSD you have to provide a so called 'driver' for
this device. This is a hardwaredependent part of the kernel, which knows
how to access the particular device. There are already device-drivers
for the most commonly used devices, but there are still some
device-drivers to be written.
*Note INFORM::, for information on
how to get the files `compatibility-list' `projects'. The
former contains information about which devices already work with
NetBSD. The latter is a list of projects currently being worked on. The
file `wish-list' documents the devices, which are currently
*not* supported.
It is a difficult task to add support for a new device. So you need to
have good programming skills and need to know a lot about how the kernel
deals with devices. If you think that you are an experienced programmer
and want to add support for a new device, you need to be able to
recompile the kernel yourself. *Note KERNEL::, for information on how to
do this. *Note INFORM::, for information on how to get in contact with
other developers.
A tape drive is recommended for NetBSD, as for any other operating
system, too. You should do regularly backups in order to be able to
restore the data you might have accidentially destroyed. Especially when
you are doing kernel-development, chances are, that you may trash your
harddisk. The system is normally quite stable, so doing backups is not a
must but a sensible option.
A CD-ROM-drive is recommended, too, because it allows you to save a lot
of harddiskspace, when you run keep most of the seldom used things on
the CD.
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM, Next: KERNEL, Prev: NEEDED, Up: Top
Where can I find more information on NetBSD?
********************************************
This chapter contains information on how to get more information on
NetBSD. There are several ways to get the desired information. Chose the
one which uses the least resources. To do this, simply use the first
method described here which is appropriate for you.
* Menu:
* INFORM.USENET:: UseNet news
* INFORM.FTPANO:: Anonymous FTP
* INFORM.WWWHYP:: World Wide Web
* INFORM.IRCHAT:: Internet Relay Chat
* INFORM.E-MAIL:: Electronic Mailing Lists
* INFORM.PRIVAT:: In the last resort...
* INFORM.READIT:: Useful books
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.USENET, Next: INFORM.FTPANO, Prev: INFORM, Up: INFORM
UseNet News
===========
If you have access to Usenet, subscribe to the news-groups
`comp.os.386bsd.announce'. Despite the term *386* in the name of this
group, announcements for all flavors of *BSD are discussed here. The
latest version of the `NetBSD-Amiga-FAQ', the document you are currently
reading, and the BSD-FAQ, which is maintained by Dave Burgess
(burgess@s069.infonet.net), are posted regularly to this group. You
should also subscribe to the other `comp.os.386bsd.*' groups to take
part in active discussion or simply for posting questions.
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.FTPANO, Next: INFORM.WWWHYP, Prev: INFORM.USENET, Up: INFORM
Anonymous FTP
=============
If you don't have access to Usenet, but have the possibily to get files
from the Internet with the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), then get the
latest FAQ from `rtfm.mit.edu'. This is the place where all FAQs from
all news-groups are collected and archived.
Additional information is available on `ftp.uni-regensburg.de'. Look
into the directory `/pub/NetBSD-Amiga/docs'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.WWWHYP, Next: INFORM.IRCHAT, Prev: INFORM.FTPANO, Up: INFORM
World Wide Web
==============
This document should also be available via the World Wide Web (Mosaic,
Netscape etc.); at the time of going to press, exactly where isn't known
:*). Keep an eye on the mailing lists mentioned below for details of
new revisions of the FAQ etc.
The following URLs point to sites that hold information or files
relating to NetBSD, including this FAQ. (Note that the `uni-regensburg'
is the home site for all NetBSD-Amiga specific files).
* http://www.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/tree/Departments/
IMMD-IV/Persons/roessler/NetBSD-Amiga/index.html
* ftp://ftp.uni-regensburg.de/pub/NetBSD-amiga/.index.html
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.IRCHAT, Next: INFORM.E-MAIL, Prev: INFORM.WWWHYP, Up: INFORM
Internet Relay Chat
===================
If you have access to irc (internet relay chat), try to join the
channels `#amiga' or `#amigager'. Discussions on the former one are in
English, on the latter one in German. These channels are not dedicated
to NetBSD, but you are likely to find some of the developers and users
of NetBSD there.
A dedicated NetBSD channel also exists, suprisingly called `#NetBSD'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.E-MAIL, Next: INFORM.PRIVAT, Prev: INFORM.IRCHAT, Up: INFORM
Electronic Mailing Lists
========================
There are several mailing-lists available for NetBSD. To get information
on these mailing-lists, use your favourite mailer and send the following
message:
To: majordomo@netbsd.org
Subject: Don't care, isn't processed.
help
end
You will receive an answer that might look like this:
Return-Path: <Majordomo-Owner@netbsd.org>
...
To: s_grau@ira.uka.de *<-- This will be replaced with your email-address.*
From: Majordomo@netbsd.org
Subject: Majordomo results
Reply-To: Majordomo@netbsd.org
>>>> help
This is Brent Chapman's "Majordomo" mailing list manager.
It's been hacked some by cgd, Revision 1.8.
It understands the following commands:
subscribe <list> [<address>]
Subscribe yourself (or <address> if specified) to the
named <list>.
unsubscribe <list> [<address>]
Unsubscribe yourself (or <address> if specified) from
the named <list>.
which [<address>]
Find out which lists you (or <address> if specified) are on.
who <list>
Find out who is on the named <list>.
info <list>
Retrieve the general introductory information for the named <list>.
lists
Show the lists served by this Majordomo server.
help
Retrieve this message.
end
Stop processing commands (useful if your mailer adds a signature).
Commands should be sent in the body of an email message to
"Majordomo@netbsd.org".
Commands in the "Subject:" line NOT processed.
If you have any questions or problems, please contact
"Majordomo-Owner@netbsd.org".
If you send the command `lists' to majordomo, you will currently receive
a mail like this:
...
>>>> lists
Majordomo@netbsd.org serves the following lists:
amiga
amiga-dev
amiga-x
core
current
current-users
m68k
macbsd-development
macbsd-general
netbsd-bugs
netbsd-help
netbsd-ports
netbsd-users
port-hp300
port-i386
port-m68k
port-pmax
port-sparc
port-sun3
portable-ppp
source-changes
sun-lamp-users
tech-install
tech-kern
tech-net
tech-ports
tech-userlevel
Use the 'info <list>' command to get more information
about a specific list.
NOTE: Most of these mailing lists are archived. Do not
send things to them if you do not wish your messages to be
archived.
>>>> end
END OF COMMANDS
The `amiga' list is for a general discussion of Amiga-related
problems. You can send beginners questions, *not* answered in the FAQ to
this list. The `amiga-dev' list is dedicated to discussions between
developers. *Do not post any beginners questions here!* This will hinder
the discussion about the kernel development. The X-Window-System on
NetBSD-Amiga is discussed on `amiga-x'. Note, that there is a seperate
FAQ for X. It should be posted regularly on this list. The
`NetBSD-Amiga-FAQ' is sent regularly to the `amiga'-list.
It is highly recommended to get on the `current-users' and on the
`amiga' lists, because this is the best way to get in contact with the
developers. To do so, your email would look like this:
To: majordomo@netbsd.org
Subject: None
subscribe amiga
subscribe current-users
end
You will receive an answer-mail from majordomo, that he successfully
processed your subscription and that you are on the desired
mailing-lists. Note that there is some traffic on these lists, so expect
a few mails more to arrive dayly in your mailbox. It is recommended, but
not required, that you get on a list, before sending any mail to it,
because most of the answers are simply sent to the list and not to the
sender.
*Be sure to have read the latest version of this document, before
sending any mail to these lists!*
To send any mail to the lists, simply replace majordomo in the address
with the list you want to address. For eaxmple, if you would like to
write a mail to the amiga-list, send your mail to `amiga@netbsd.org'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.PRIVAT, Next: INFORM.READIT, Prev: INFORM.E-MAIL, Up: INFORM
Private Email
=============
If, and only if, all of the above fails, contact one of the developers
or the FAQ-maintainer in a personal email. So, if you cannot get hold of
a copy of the latest FAQ, feel free to contact the current maintainer of
this FAQ. He will be happy to send you a recent copy.
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.READIT, Next: INFORM.READIT.BSDSMM, Prev: INFORM.PRIVAT, Up: INFORM
Useful books
============
There aren't many books which can help you with (say) possible kernel
bugs or installation problems, but administering any Unix system is not
a trivial task. Luckily, there is plenty of paper out there about the
assorted jobs that befall a Unix sysadmin.
Sadly, however, I don't have the time or money to go out and buy them
all myself - so if you have a book you'd like to mention (good or bad),
mail me with the details.
* Menu:
* INFORM.READIT.BSDSMM:: 4.4BSD System Managers Manual
File: FAQ.info, Node: INFORM.READIT.BSDSMM, Prev: INFORM.READIT, Up: INFORM.READIT
4.4BSD System Managers Manual
-----------------------------
This is a nicely produced reference book (which we've come to expect
from O'Reilly - complete with the magic lay-flat binding, and tab marks
at the edges of the pages), which consists of two broad sections. In
the first section are reproductions of the complete BSD4.4 man(8) pages
(ie. all those relating to system administration). Before you shout
"I've already got those on disk", this is useful for two reasons:
Firstly, some of us like to have a book by the keyboard and an
uncluttered screen, and secondly a complete permuted index of the pages
is included.
The second section is a (disparate) collection of papers detailing a
whole host of topics, from setting up name-servers to the inimitable
`sendmail'. The papers are all somewhat terse, but usually contain a
pointer to the information you want somewhere;
This is certainly not the kind of book you sit down to read in a spare
five minutes; but I have referred to it enough in emergencies to
recommend it. Its probably best to have a look through it in the shop,
though, to see if the style suits you.
* Name: 4.4 System Managers Manual
* Publisher: The USENIX association and O'Reilly & Assosciates, Inc.
* ISBN: 1-56592-080-5
File: FAQ.info, Node: KERNEL, Next: OTHERS, Prev: INFORM, Up: Top
How do I build a kernel myself?
*******************************
Introduction
============
Theoretically you have two options here. You can build the kernel under
AmigaDOS or under NetBSD itself. Initially NetBSD was compiled under
AmigaDOS, of course, but now almost everybody works under NetBSD
itself. It is highly recommended that you build the kernel under NetBSD,
because you save a lot of HD-space on the Amiga side and, the more
important reason, the possibility that other developers can help you
with the problems that might occur is much higher. The only sensible
reason for compiling under AmigaDOS is that you cannot run NetBSD,
because NetBSD doesn't support your harddisk-controller, and you want to
develop a driver for your controller.
So, if you want to compile NetBSD under AmigaDOS, get the document
`RECOMPILE'. Although it is old, it contains some advice for this, but
again, I strongly recommend that you do any kernel-development under
NetBSD itself.
Compiling a new kernel under NetBSD
===================================
*This section is work-in-progress, and necessarily sketchy
at the moment! I'll write something more coherent once I've pushed this
revision of the FAQ outta the door - Tim*
For more general information on compiling the NetBSD kernel, refer to
the 386BSD-FAQ; there is a complete chapter related to the subject.
Configuring the kernel
----------------------
To build the new kernel under NetBSD, make sure you have the compiler
package and the kernel source tree installed. Details of where you can
find the kernel source will be included just as soon as I can remember
where I found it (Anyone want to send me some information I could
include about the mystic intricacies of sup?).
Change to the directory `/sys/arch/amiga/conf'. This is where the
*configuration file* for the kernel lives. This file details exactly
what options (eg. CD file systems) you want installed, and what hardware
you have. The easiest way to configure your new kernel is to copy the
file GENERIC, and name it after <your kernel name>. (My machine is
called `Babylon', so my kernel config file is named BABYLON too). Edit
this file, commenting in/out options you do/don't want. It should be
pretty clear from the comments what you can safely remove and what you
definately shouldn't.
Once you have tailored the config file to your system, you need to ask
the system to build a makefile for you. This is done with the program
`config.new'. Type the following command
config.new BABYLON
(substituting your kernel name for BABYLON, obviously ;-). The program
`config.new' will create a directory `../compile/BABYLON' (or whatever),
and place a customised kernel makefile & header files in there. If all
goes to plan, you should get a message along the lines of `Don`t forget
to run make depend'.
Compiling your kernel
---------------------
You are now about ready to compile! Change directory to the compile
directory for your kernel (eg. `../compile/BABYLON'), and type
make depend
The computer will take a short while sorting out some computery stuff it
has to do (to be technical about it ;-), and now is probably as good a
time as any to start making the buckets of coffee you will inevitably
need for the full kernel recompile. When the make finishes, you can set
the system off building your kernel with
make
If this is your first kernel compile, the estimated time is "Forever".
Particularly if you don't have too much memory to spare; however, it is
feasible to do a kernel compile in only 4MB - I have ;-).
*Several cups of coffee later*
Assuming you only had coffee (and nothing more, say, alcoholic...), you
should be able to use your new kernel once the compilation has finished.
The kernel will be named `netbsd' in your compile directory.
When you successfully build and installed a new kernel, you can reboot
your computer into the new kernel with the following command:
cp netbsd /dev/reload
*Do not* delete your old kernel etc. until you have fully
tested the new one; bear in mind that once you reboot into the new
kernel, commands like ps wont work unless you copy the new kernel image
over the one in `/netbsd'.
*Note FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.DEVICE::, for information on how to create
device-files, if the file `/dev/reload' doesn't exist.
File: FAQ.info, Node: OTHERS, Next: FAQ&AS, Prev: KERNEL, Up: Top
NetBSD - Linux - Amiga-Unix - Minix
***********************************
Currently there are four possibilies to run Unix on the Amiga.
The first one is Amiga-Unix. This is a commercial unix from
Commodore. It is neither sold nor supported any more.
The second unix on the Amiga was Minix from A.S. Tanenbaum, a very
famous operating system professor. It runs on every Amiga and does not
support memory protection and some other features needed to get the real
unix feeling. It is commercial, too. It's major aim is to be an
operating system to play around with. It was developed for the computer
science students Tanenbaum held lectures for.
The third available unix on the Amiga was NetBSD. It gives you almost
anything you might want to expect from a free unix clone. It is being
developed on several platforms, and therefore has a reasonable amount of
developers supporting it. It was designed to be as portable as possible,
as all machnine-dependent code is separated. Currently there are ports
to the Amiga, Intel-based PCs, HP-300 (680x0-based), Macs(680x0-based),
Sun3, Sun-Sparcs and some other platforms. NetBSD-Amiga has a
binary-compatibility-mode for Sun3-SunOS-binaries. Of course, this means
only binary-compatible with static linked binaries, unless you have the
original SunOS shared-libs available. The far end aim is, that all
NetBSD-implementations will be binary-compatible on the same
processor. That means, that there will be NetBSD-m68k-binaries, that run
on the Amiga, the Macs, the HP-300 and the Sun3. This shows some of the
possibilities of NetBSD. NetBSD-Amiga is part of the NetBSD-current
sources, so any platform independent improvement will be an improvement
for NetBSD-Amiga as well. The new features from 4.4BSD are already
incorporated into NetBSD. NetBSD contains a lot of other fancy features,
other unix-based operating systems are missing, e.g. cpu-time- or
disk-quotas. NetBSD is copyrighted software, but you are free to use,
modify and distribute it. Note that it is *NOT* under the GPL (General
Public License, the Gnu Copyright (-left)) and the developers of NetBSD
want it to keep this state. Therefore it is not possible to include any
software which is under the GPL into the kernel. NetBSD is available in
source, but anybody is free to take the current sources and provide them
together with his own binaries, i.e. you don't have to provide the
sources of your own work. This offers the opportunity for software
developers to keep the source of the programs they sell. This is not
possible under GPL, where you must provide the source. However, it is
appreciated if you also release the source of your derived work to the
public. If nobody releases his sources, the free software will soon
disappear.
The fourth available unix on the Amiga is Linux. It was designed to run
on Intel-based PCs. However, Hamish MacDonald did a major rewrite of the
sources, so that it is now possible to run Linux on the Amiga. It is now
quite useable, but it is not as stable and mature as NetBSD, but this
situation might change in the future. The major-drawback with
Amiga-Linux is, that it isn't incorporated in the Linux-source-tree.
That means that every change, made in the Intel-PC-Unix, must be ported
to the Amiga, whereas most of the changes in the NetBSD-source are made
to the unique source-tree for all platforms.
Everybody has to decide by themselves, which unix is best for them. For
now I can say, that using NetBSD is the best way to go, as Linux still
has some more nasty bugs in it and is missing a lot of the functionality
you might want to use, but this can change in the future.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS, Prev: OTHERS, Up: Top
Frequently Asked Questions and their answers
********************************************
This chapter contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and
thir answers. It is divided into three sections.
*Note INFORM:: for information on where to find the files and documents
mentioned in the answers.
* Menu:
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL:: Installation questions
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS:: New system problems
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR:: Hardware and driver problems
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL:: Everything else!
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.GETBSD, Prev: FAQ&AS, Up: FAQ&AS
Installing a new system
=======================
Installing the system is probably the most painful part of running
NetBSD-Amiga; this section should hopefully answer most of the questions
which will arise, in conjunction with the installation document (*Note
INFORM::).
* Menu:
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.GETBSD:: How do I get NetBSD?
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INSTAL:: How do I install it?
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.M68040:: Does it run on the 68040?
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.AUTOMU:: How can I boot into multiuser mode?
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.ASKROO:: NetBSD asks me for a root device!
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.IXEMUL:: I need ixemul version 39.46!
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.NOMULT:: NetBSD refuses to go multiuser
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DMAERR:: Help! I keep getting cksum errors
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INITER:: Netbsd gives me "FATAL error: console..."
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DISTRI:: Which distribution should I use?
* FAQ&AS.INSTAL.PRODMA:: Does NetBSD run with the PROTO chip?
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.GETBSD, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INSTAL, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
How do I get NetBSD?
--------------------
The first thing you should do is find the file `getting-NetBSD',
which details exactly where to find all the files you'll need. You
can probably find it the same place you found this FAQ.
*Note INFORM:: for details.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INSTAL, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.M68040, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.GETBSD, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
How do I install NetBSD?
------------------------
There is another document you should read, called (I seem to remember)
something logical like `INSTALL'; once again, you should be able to find
it wherever you found this FAQ. *Note INFORM:: for details.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.M68040, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.AUTOMU, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INSTAL, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
Does NetBSD run on the 68040?
-----------------------------
Thanks to Michael L. Hitch (`osymh@montana.edu'), yes it does!
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.AUTOMU, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.ASKROO, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.M68040, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
How can I autoboot into MultiUser mode
--------------------------------------
The `loadbsd' program has a number of options to control the boot
process - type
loadbsd -?
to see all the options. The one you need in particular (for the current
version of LoadBSD, anyway) is `-a'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.ASKROO, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.IXEMUL, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.AUTOMU, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
NetBSD always asks me for a root device
---------------------------------------
Make sure you are using the latest kernel and version of `LoadBSD'.
Note that `LoadBSD' has an option, `-b', to explicitly force it to ask
for the root device on boot - make sure you aren't running `LoadBSD'
with that option enabled!
Also, ensure that your hard disk (in particular DOSType IDs etc.) is
configured properly so that NetBSD can locate the root partition
correctly.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.IXEMUL, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.NOMULT, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.ASKROO, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
Where can I find ixemul.library version >= 39.46
------------------------------------------------
Well, you don't strictly speaking need it; If LoadBSD pops up a
requester asking you for version 39.47, click *OK* and `LoadBSD' will
continue using version 39.45.
If you don't have any version of `ixemul.library' (where have you been
living? :-), have a look on an Aminet site.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.NOMULT, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DMAERR, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.IXEMUL, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
NetBSD refuses to boot into MultiUser mode
------------------------------------------
Make sure the line which reads
name_server=NO
in the file `/etc/netstart' does indeed read *NO*; `named' will hang the
machine if there is no network attached when it starts.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DMAERR, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INITER, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.NOMULT, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
I keep getting cksum errors when I try to install!
--------------------------------------------------
This (and other bizarre symptoms) could be the result of a bug in your
SCSI host adapter's DMA controller or ROM - I have seen this with an
A2091. (It also seems to depend on the phase of the moon and other
sundry factors). The solution is to switch DMA transfers off in the
kernel. To do this using `binpatch' (see FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT for
details) type
binpatch -s _sbic_no_dma=0x1 kernelfile
(not forgetting to replace `kernelfile' with the name of your kernel
image!). You should now be able to boot & install using programmed-IO
(PIO) instead of DMA.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INITER, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DISTRI, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DMAERR, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
NetBSD tells me: init FATAL error: console: Interrupted system call
-------------------------------------------------------------------
You forgot to install `libexec/getty'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DISTRI, Next: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.PRODMA, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INITER, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
Which distribution should I use?
--------------------------------
At the time of writing, there are two principle distributions you could
look at, `NetBSD-1.0' and `NetBSD-Current'. Which you choose really
depends on what sort of system you are looking to run. If you want a
stable, out-of-the-box, install-and-forget type system, go for the
`NetBSD-1.0' distribution. The `NetBSD-Current' distribution is for the
OS hackers amongst you; it is in a state of constant change, but as a
result it'll be the first place to find neat new features etc. The
choice is yours!
*Note INFORM:: for information on where to find the relevant
files.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.PRODMA, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DISTRI, Up: FAQ&AS.INSTAL
Does NetBSD run with the PROTO-Chip?
------------------------------------
Yes; the only problem which may occur is that some hard drives do not
like to be enabled in sync mode; it depends on your kernel patches, the
hard drive, controller etc. etc. if you'll find this problem. To
disable Sync mode in the kernel is a binpatch job, and involves
*something like* (I'm not sure of the exact symbol name, I'll update
this later) patching the symbol `_inhibit_sync' to zero.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.SUROOT, Prev: FAQ&AS.INSTAL, Up: FAQ&AS
Teething troubles
=================
If you think its all over once you've finished the installation, you're
mistaken! There are numerous little things that need tweaking and
configuring before you can sit down and let the system run itself.
Happily, once these things are set up, very little further work is
necessary, bar day to day adding of users, adding new services etc.
* Menu:
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.SUROOT:: I cannot su to root
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.UPTIME:: I have no uptime command
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ENHANC:: What packages can I install?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.XWINDO:: Can I install X windows?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NETWRK:: And networking?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ADOSFS:: Can I access AmigaDOS files?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.DEVICE:: How do I create device files?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.USRADM:: How do I add/change users?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.REBOOT:: How can I reboot into NetBSD?
* FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NOKMEM:: ps doesn't appear to work.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.SUROOT, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.UPTIME, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
Why can't I `su' to root?
-------------------------
For a user to switch user (`su') to root, they must be a member of the
group `wheel'. Make sure that in the `/etc/group' file there is a line
like
wheel:*:0:root,tjw1
The comma-separated list indicates which users are members of the
`wheel' group - add any users you wish to be able to `su' to root here;
note that although the user still requires root's password, the wheel
group should really be restricted to system administrators only.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.UPTIME, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ENHANC, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.SUROOT, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
Where is the `uptime' command?
------------------------------
Make the following link:
ln -s /usr/bin/w /usr/bin/uptime
you can now use the `uptime' command as expected.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ENHANC, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.XWINDS, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.UPTIME, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
What packages can I install to enhance NetBSD?
----------------------------------------------
Since NetBSD is basically a flavour of Unix, more or less anything
written for Unix can probably be ported (or already has been) to NetBSD;
the list is enormous! *Note INFORM::for details of mailing lists and
newsgroups to subscribe to.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.XWINDS, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NETWRK, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ENHANC, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
What about X-Windows?
.....................
X servers for NetBSD-Amiga are available for the standard custom chips,
and also available (or in development) for a number of graphics cards.
*Note INFORM::, as usual, for details of how to find the
`NetBSD-Amiga-X-FAQ'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NETWRK, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ADOSFS, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.XWINDS, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
...And networking?
..................
Networking is an integral part of the BSD system, and
already a part of your kernel; support is currently
available for serial IP protocols (SLIP, PPP) over the
built-in serial port, and also some ethernet cards.
*Note INFORM:: for information on locating the excellent
`NetBSD-Amiga-Networking-FAQ'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ADOSFS, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.DEVICE, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NETWRK, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
Can I access AmigaDOS files from NetBSD?
----------------------------------------
The ADOS file system driver for NetBSD-Amiga can currently mount
AmigaDOS file systems read-only; support for writing to AmigaDOS
partitions may be added at a later date. For more information on how to
mount AmigaDOS filesystems, see the `mount' and `mount_ados' man pages.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.DEVICE, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.USRADM, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ADOSFS, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
How do I create device files?
-----------------------------
There is a shell script (in the `/dev' directory) called `MKDEV' which
creates device files for any of the standard device drivers. To create,
say, the `view00' device, type (from a root shell)
cd /dev
MKDEV view00
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.USRADM, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.REBOOT, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.DEVICE, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
How do I create accounts and change user information?
-----------------------------------------------------
There are two utilities which allow you to edit the password database in
relative safety - `vipw' and `chpass'. `vipw' allows you to edit the
master password file directly, to add new users and manually change user
information, and `chpass' lets you alter information such as password
expiry dates, group IDs etc. for a given user. You should always use
these two utilities to edit the password database because of the
password shadowing system used by NetBSD.
Adding a new user
.................
The easiest way to add a new user is to run the `vipw' command to edit
the master password file, and add a new entry with the user's username
and userid (which must be unique), but all other fields left blank. Now
run the `chpass' command, specifying the new user's name, eg.
chpass tjw1
You can now edit the user's password, finger information, group
etc. etc. in comfort.
For more information on the `vipw' and `chpass' commands, see the
relevant manual pages.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.REBOOT, Next: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NOKMEM, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.USRADM, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
How can I reboot straight into NetBSD?
--------------------------------------
Do the following (as root):
mv /sbin/reboot /sbin/reboot.amiga
echo "cp /vmunix /dev/reload" >/sbin/reboot
You can now use the `reboot' command to reboot into NetBSD, and
`reboot.amiga' to reboot into AmigaDOS.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NOKMEM, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.REBOOT, Up: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS
Why doesnt the `ps' command work?
---------------------------------
For programs that use the kernel symbol table to retrieve information
(like `ps'), you must make sure that there is a copy of your kernel
image named `/vmunix'. You may also want to make a link from this file
to `/netbsd'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SERTTY, Prev: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS, Up: FAQ&AS
Hardware, drivers and binpatching
=================================
This section details certain specific hardware problems you may run
into. *Note INFORM:: for details of how to obtain the file
`compatibility-list'; this lists the devices known to work with NetBSD.
The file `projects' details drivers which are being worked on.
* Menu:
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SERTTY:: How do I connect a serial terminal
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR.RETINA:: Does NetBSD work with the Retina?
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR.IDEHDS:: Can I use IDE drives?
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT:: How do I use binpatch?
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR.TAPEDR:: Tapedrive problems
* FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SUNTAP:: Reading Sun tape cartridges
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SERTTY, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.RETINA, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR, Up: FAQ&AS.HARDWR
How do I get a serial terminal to work correctly?
-------------------------------------------------
The file `/etc/ttys' tells `init' which ports to run a `getty'
(ie. login) program on. Edit the file, and (supposing you had a
19200bps vt100 terminal on the serial port) add or edit a line to read
tty00 "/usr/libexec/getty std.19200" vt100 on insecure
`tty00' indicates the internal serial port, the `std.19200' tells
`getty' what serial parameters to use - look in `/etc/gettytab' for
details of other speeds etc. - and the `vt100' indicates what terminal
emulation to use; look in `/usr/share/misc/termcap' for details of other
terminal emulation names.
Note the `insecure' entry - this means that you (or an imposter, more
importantly) cannot boot up in single-user (ie. root access) mode via
that terminal without the root password. Normally the only terminal
regarded as secure would be the local screen.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.RETINA, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.IDEHDS, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SERTTY, Up: FAQ&AS.HARDWR
Does NetBSD work with the Retina video card?
--------------------------------------------
A qualified yes! With a Retina card, NetBSD tries to open a screen with
a resolution of approximately 800 by 600, with a display rate of 75KHz.
Not all monitors are capable of handling such a high display rate -
indeed, it could cause some damage - so it comes highly reccomended that
you use `binpatch' to set the symbol `_retina_default_mon' to one of the
following values depending on the resolution/refresh rate your monitor
can handle:
* `0x01 -- 640x512 at 31.5kHz'
* `0x02 -- 768x600 at 38kHz'
*Note FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT:: for details of using
`binpatch'.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.IDEHDS, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.RETINA, Up: FAQ&AS.HARDWR
Can I use IDE hard drives?
--------------------------
Yes; thanks to Michael L. Hitch (`osymh@montana.edu') for making it
possible.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.TAPEDR, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.IDEHDS, Up: FAQ&AS.HARDWR
How do I use binpatch?
----------------------
What is binpatch, anyway?
.........................
`binpatch' is a very useful little utility which allows you to change
the value of variables in a compiled binary (in particular, the NetBSD
kernel) without needing to recompile; it uses the symbol table
information included in the binary to locate where the variable's value
is stored, and directly modifies it. This is very useful for setting
certain flags in the kernel necessary to make it boot on your system
(until you are in a position to compile a kernel to your own
requirements!).
You should be able to find the `binpatch' program for AmigaDOS
from the same site you downloaded the `loadbsd' program etc. -
*Note INFORM:: for details.
Patching the kernel
...................
In order to patch the kernel, you need to know basically two things -
the name of the symbol (eg. `_retina_default_mon') and the value to
patch it to. Armed with this information, it is basically just a case
of running the binpatch with the name of the kernel file. For example,
assuming a kernel image named `netbsd',
binpatch -s _retina_default_mon -r 0x02 netbsd would patch the
kernel to boot intil a Retina screen of resolution 768 by 600 at 38kHz.
Other options
.............
There are a few more `advanced' options you can call binpatch with;
these are detailed below.
* `-s' -- Specify the symbol of the variable (as above).
* `-a <addr>' -- Explicitly specify the address of the location to
patch.
* `-b' -- Patch only a byte value.
* `-w' -- Patch a word value (2 bytes).
* `-l' -- Patch a longword value (4 bytes).
* `-r <val>' -- The value to replace the old value.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.TAPEDR, Next: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SUNTAP, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT, Up: FAQ&AS.HARDWR
Tapedrive problems
------------------
This FAQ deals with a number of problems tapedrive owners may experience
with NetBSD - and more importantly suggests a few workarounds! As far
as I know, at the time of writing no tape drive has been found that
cannot be made to work with NetBSD.
The first thing to point out is that for some tape drives NetBSD reports
that the tape drive is not supported on boot - ignore this message it is
lying!
Problem 1
.........
You may find that if you boot NetBSD immediately after using `btn' in
AmigaDOS to write a file to the tape, that `tar' reports some error when
trying to read from the tape.
The reason is that NetBSD doesn't send SCSI IDs 4 and 5 a reset command,
since they are assumed to be tape drives, and sending a reset can cause
some drives to spend a lot of time resetting/rewindind. The solution is
to power cycle the tapedrive before or after booting NetBSD, forcing it
to reset.
Problem 2
.........
If you write small files to the tape, there may appear to be nothing on
the tape when you attempt to read them back - this can occur with tapes
written from either NetBSD or AmigaDOS. The solution is simply to
append a fairly large file to the end of the tape. For example, if I
wanted to write the file `vmunix' to the tape, I would use the command
tar cvfp /dev/rst0 vmunix rootfs.gz (assuming `rootfs.gz' is fairly
large) instead of
tar cvfp /dev/rst0 vmunix
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SUNTAP, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.TAPEDR, Up: FAQ&AS.HARDWR
Reading Sun tape cartridges
---------------------------
Reading tapes created by Sun machines is another source of some
confusion. The original Sun Archive tape drive is capable of
reading/writing two tape formats, QIC-11 and QIC-24. To maximise your
chances of being able to read the tape, use QIC-24 format; the command
tar -cvf /dev/rst8 Will create a QIC-24 formatted tape.
But the Sun has an Archive Viper drive
......................................
Although the Archive Viper hardware can read/write a variety of formats,
the Sun will only let you use one -- QIC-150. All the tape drive
devices (`/dev/rst0', `/dev/rst8', `/dev/rst16' etc.) will therefore
produce a QIC-150 tape.
So how do I tell the difference?
................................
Don't bother - just use `/dev/rst8' for all data cartridge systems (if
it isn't a 4mm or 8mm tape, it probably is a data cartridge).
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.HEADER, Prev: FAQ&AS.HARDWR, Up: FAQ&AS
Miscellaneous questions
=======================
Some of these could probably live in the "New Systems" section, I had a
hard time deciding (which probably means I shouldn't have bothered); but
in general, this is stuff which didn't fit anywhere else.
* Menu:
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.HEADER:: Can I update header files automatically?
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.DEBUGR:: Is there a debugger for NetBSD?
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BUGREP:: How do I report bugs?
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BBCLCK:: Why can't NetBSD update my clock?
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.TERMCP:: vi complains about `/etc/termcap'
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.AUTOWR:: How do I change the console to autowrap?
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.METAKY:: Can I get a Meta-Key for Emacs?
* FAQ&AS.MISCEL.KEYMAP:: My keymap is wrong!
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.HEADER, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.DEBUGR, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
Can I update header files automatically?
----------------------------------------
When new kernel sources are released, it is likely that certain kernel
structures will hace changed. Keeping track of the changes by hand is a
pain - an easier way is to make symbolic links into the kernel source
tree.
In particular, the files under `/usr/include/machine' and
`/usr/include/sys' are often changed. To replace these files with the
ones from your kernel source tree, simply make symbolic links as shown
below:
cd /usr/include
mv sys sys.old
mv machine machine.old
ln -s /usr/src/sys/sys sys
ln -s /usr/src/sys/arch/amiga/include machine
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.DEBUGR, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BUGREP, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.HEADER, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
Is there a debugger for NetBSD?
-------------------------------
The GNU debugger `gdb' is available for NetBSD (indeed, I believe it is
in the standard comp* distribution package).
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BUGREP, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BBCLCK, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.DEBUGR, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
How do I report bugs?
---------------------
If you think you have discovered a bug, and you are sure its not your
mistake, the best thing to do is to mail on of the mailing lists (*Note
INFORM:: for details). Try to include as much information as possible -
the configuration of your machine, the output you saw, the exact
circumstances etc.; if possible try to isolate the bug as far as is
possible (ie. don't just say `my machine crashes', try to explain what
causes it to crash!).
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BBCLCK, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.TERMCP, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BUGREP, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
Why can't NetBSD update the clock?
----------------------------------
NetBSD is capable of reading the battery-backed clock, but at the moment
it cannot update it; the principle reason is the added complexity
introduced because different models of Amiga require different
treatment. However, it shouldn't be too hard to add if someone has the
time - keep an eye on the mailing lists for information.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.TERMCP, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.AUTOWR, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BBCLCK, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
vi complains about `/etc/termcap'
---------------------------------
This is due to a bug in the termcap library; it is looking for the file
in `/usr/share/misc/termcap', but if it can't find it, produces an error
relating to `/etc/termcap'.
The solution is simply to copy (or leave) the termcap file in
`/etc/termcap', and make a symbolic link from `/usr/share/misc/termcap'
to it.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.AUTOWR, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.METAKY, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.TERMCP, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
How do I change the console to autowrap?
----------------------------------------
Use the command `echo -n "^[[?7h"'. Alternatively, you can change the
autowrap default in the file `ite.c' to 1, and recompile the kernel.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.METAKY, Next: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.KEYMAP, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.AUTOWR, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
How do I get a Meta-Key for Emacs?
----------------------------------
Executing the commands `stty cs8 -istrip -parenb' will allow you to use
any of the Amiga keys as a meta-key.
File: FAQ.info, Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.KEYMAP, Prev: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.METAKY, Up: FAQ&AS.MISCEL
My keymap is all wrong!
-----------------------
There is a little program called `loadkmap' which allows you to change
the keyboard map. The maps are edited in the form of a simple C file -
a german keymap `din-kbdmap.c' is supplied. It should be relatively
trivial to edit this to your requirements. To install the German
keyboard, for example, you would type the following commands
cd /sys/arch/amiga/stand/loadkmap
gcc din-kbdmap.c -o din-kbdmap
./din-kbdmap >din
./loadkmap din x
Tag table:
Node: Top173
Node: WHATIS4687
Node: WHATIS.NAMEOF4950
Node: WHATIS.WHOISW5812
Node: NEEDED6498
Node: NEEDED.CPUFPU7149
Node: NEEDED.MEMORY8657
Node: NEEDED.DISKSP11256
Node: NEEDED.OTHERS12953
Node: INFORM14912
Node: INFORM.USENET15647
Node: INFORM.FTPANO16290
Node: INFORM.WWWHYP16785
Node: INFORM.IRCHAT17529
Node: INFORM.E-MAIL18030
Node: INFORM.PRIVAT22378
Node: INFORM.READIT22772
Node: INFORM.READIT.BSDSMM23397
Node: KERNEL24751
Node: OTHERS29147
Node: FAQ&AS32858
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL33419
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.GETBSD34490
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INSTAL34865
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.M6804035242
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.AUTOMU35488
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Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.IXEMUL36481
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.NOMULT36982
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DMAERR37372
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.INITER38163
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.DISTRI38461
Node: FAQ&AS.INSTAL.PRODMA39225
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS39814
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.SUROOT40881
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.UPTIME41496
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ENHANC41795
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.XWINDS42250
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NETWRK42639
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.ADOSFS43102
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.DEVICE43582
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.USRADM43991
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.REBOOT45195
Node: FAQ&AS.NEWSYS.NOKMEM45618
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR46027
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SERTTY46822
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.RETINA47858
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.IDEHDS48641
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.BINPAT48896
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.TAPEDR50717
Node: FAQ&AS.HARDWR.SUNTAP52272
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL53287
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.HEADER54162
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.DEBUGR54940
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BUGREP55244
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.BBCLCK55852
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.TERMCP56376
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.AUTOWR56882
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.METAKY57227
Node: FAQ&AS.MISCEL.KEYMAP57529
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