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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!uunet!usc!rpi!usenet.coe.montana.edu!terra2!osynw
From: osynw@terra2.oscs.montana.edu (Nathan Williams)
Subject: Project List for 386BSD 9/92
Message-ID: <1992Sep7.230241.19404@coe.montana.edu>
Summary: one person's opinion
Keywords: patience is a good thing
Sender: osynw@terra.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 23:02:41 GMT
Lines: 74
Here are some things I think are required to make 386BSD more stable.
Some are being worked on, some are not.
1) The disk drivers need to be updated.
There have been so many patches and bugs to the SCSI and other
disk drivers, that I didn't know where to start. Could someone
(Bill or Lynne) post their current version of the as.c, wd.c,
asboot, wdboot drivers so that we can start fresh again.
* If you think you have a good version of the driver with most of the
necessary patches, send me email and I'll include it in the bug report.
[I believe that there is being work done on the SCSI driver, and
tih@barsoom.mhh.no has a pretty good wd driver]
2) Install needs some work.
Install does a great job, and it was wonderful for getting some
people started, but #1, the swap space isn't big enough, and
#2, since it doesn't explain what it does, people can't put
386BSD on their machines if install doesn't work.
I think an install document something akin to what Chris D. did
when 386BSD was first released would be nice. A little more
explanation as to what is being done. A layman's explanation of
disklabel, newfs, MBR's, and all that fun stuff would make installing
386BSD less of a black art and more understandable to the new
users.
3) A good working com driver. Since Chris's version has a copyright
on it, would someone who has a good version with the spl code
fixed in it volunteer their version for inclusion.
4) We need good copies of
a) init.c - I have at least three patches, and so should I
apply all three patches and call that version the
'blessed' version, or use Mark Tinguely version from
0.0 instead.
b) kern_execve.c - Again, this one has had lots of patches
here and there. The 0.1 version didn't have much
functionality, though the final 0.0 version did. Should
we make one a 'blessed' version?
c) other mulitple patched files.
5) Find out why 386BSD will not boot on certain kinds of hardward.
I would hope that by fixing 1 and documenting 2, we
could eliminate many of the problems that people are
having booting up 386BSD 0.1.
6) Any/all kinds of documentation on the changes between 4.3 - 4.4
BSD. There is some documentation included in the distribution
in the etc(??) group, but it's pretty scarce and deals mostly
with the VAX.
I hope that the group could help the Jolitz out by taking the best version
of what we have (assuming that they don't violate the BSD standard), and
make them the unofficial user's version. That way, the more important
jobs can be worked on by those who have better knowledge of them.
(Re-writing the paging routines, ...)
Anyhow, these are my opinions on what needs to be done for
all/most users to be helped out. Tell me what you think, if
you agree/disagree, etc.
There are more things that should be done, but *I* think that if
we could fix these particular problems, many people would benefit.
Nate
--
osynw@terra.oscs.montana.edu | A hacker w/out a home. Anyone interested
work: (406) 994-5991 | in a used Sys. Admin., with alot of
home: (406) 586-0579 | good hacks left?