Announcing 386BSD Release 0.1
William F. Jolitz
386BSD Release 0.1
"Cut the Tape"
14 July 1992
(Bastille Day)
"Vive la Revolution"
The success of UNIX lies not so much in new inventions but rather
in the full exploitation of a carefully selected set of fertile ideas,
and especially in showing that they can be keys to the implementation
of a small yet powerful operating system.
-- Thompson & Ritchie, "The UNIX Time-Sharing System", CACM 1974.
We are pleased to announce the official release of
386BSD Release 0.1, the second edition of the 386BSD operat-
ing system created and developed by William and Lynne Jolitz
and enhanced further with novel work and contributions from
the dedicated 386BSD User Community. Like its predecessor,
386BSD Release 0.0, Release 0.1 comprises an entire and com-
plete UNIX-like operating system for the 80386/80486-based
AT Personal Computer.
386BSD is intended to foster new research and develop-
ment in operating systems and networking technology by pro-
viding this base technology in a broadly accessible manner.
As such, like its predecessor, 386BSD Release 0.1 is freely
redistributable and modifiable.
As with any BSD release, there is still much more to
do. Please remember to send in your REGISTRATION file, so we
can add you to the SIG and regular mailing lists. We also
encourage everyone to use the SOFTWARE.FORM for software
contributions and the BUGNFIX.FORM for fixes to the system,
as it saves us time.
Features of 386BSD Release 0.1
386BSD Release 0.1 is intended to be widely used by
those interested in "pushing the envelope" towards the for-
mation and development of innovative ideas in computer tech-
nology. As such, we have spent considerable time developing
a system which is simple to partition and install and
emphasizes stability and completeness.
Among the many new features of 386BSD:
* New "Tiny 386BSD" System Installation Floppy
* Simplified installation procedures.
* 386BSD partitioning for use on an MS-DOS system.
* Compressed, multivolume CPIO dump format
binary/source/other distribution sets on MS-DOS flop-
pies.
* 387 emulation.
* SCSI support.
* CD-ROM support.
* NFS, TCP/IP and full networking.
* New 386BSD "Fix-It" System Maintenance Floppy.
* New "Additional User Software" MS-DOS floppy dump.
We hope that while you browse through 386BSD Release 0.1,
you will take a moment to look at the CONTRIB.LIST file to
see the many people who have made this release possible.
Installation Procedures and New Partitioning Feature
Installation procedures have been simplified -- so much
so that die-hard BSD fans just cannot believe their eyes.
Simply follow the INSTALL.NOTES information available on the
Tiny 386BSD installation floppy to partition, install, down-
load, and extract the rest of the distribution. If you have
special configuration requirements, you can use the "Fixit"
floppy and follow traditional BSD installation procedures.
WE RECOMMEND YOU CHOOSE ONE APPROACH OR THE OTHER, BUT NOT
BOTH!
If you presently have Release 0.0 on your drive, we
recommend that you backup your work and reformat your drive.
We also urge you to take advantage of the 386BSD "partition-
ing" feature if you can. You will be surprised how con-
venient it really is to use. Now you can run MS-DOS, 386BSD
and two other systems on your PC for the price of one drive
-- a bargain!
Careware Charity Drive
The Careware Program is a charity effort which the edi-
tors of DDJ have been running as a service to the community.
Simply put, readers who send in a floppy and SASE mailer can
receive at no charge a copy of a featured piece of software.
In addition, if the reader so desires, he can send along a
dollar or two for a charity designated by the developer of
the software. It's that simple.
As part of the DDJ Careware charity drive, we are mak-
ing available to the editors of DDJ the latest version of
our "Tiny 386BSD" installation floppy, with all proceeds
benefiting the Childrens Support League of the East Bay (see
the CAREWARE.INFO file). Some of the agencies which have
received funds from CSL in the past include those using com-
puters to communicate with disabled children, providing
respite weekends for abused children, counciling bereaved
children, and setting up safe after-school play areas for
children in impoverished neighborhoods.
Even though we have made this software freely available
-- with no contribution required for the use of 386BSD -- we
hope that the 386BSD User Community will choose to partici-
pate in this charity drive and help these children. Simply
put, by sending a dollar or two along with your software
request, you directly benefit a child.
To participate in the Careware program, send a high-
density error-free formatted floppy and SASE mailer to: Tiny
386BSD, DDJ, 411 Borel Avenue, San Mateo, CA. 94402 USA.
While a dollar or two may seem like a trivial amount,
it does add up. The Brevard County Food Bank in Florida has
received over $3,000 in the past year alone from supportive
users of D-Flat, and the Vermont Association for the Blind
and Visually Disabled has received over $100 in the past
month from X-Sharp users. For these charities, a dollar or
two has made a difference!
Now it's our turn. Just like the generous users of D-
Flat and X-Sharp, we believe that each person in the 386BSD
User Community is quite willing to meet the challenge and
help a child.
New Newsgroup and SIGs Forming
There are many newsgroups forming which discuss 386BSD.
One should check out M&T Online (the DDJ newsgroup), Com-
puserve, and BIX for 386BSD discussion forums.
On the INTERNET/USENET, we are hoping to establish our
own newsgroup called "comp.os.386bsd". This newsgroup would
reside alongside the "comp.os.mach" and "comp.os.linux"
newsgroups. Already there are over 100,000 copies of Release
0.0, and we hope to add to this number with the new and
improved Release 0.1. Please help us to establish this
newsgroup devoted to the "freely available" 386BSD system,
by asking your news coordinator to subscribe to it. We do
not recommend using comp.unix.bsd, since 386BSD, like linux
and mach, is not a "comp.unix" system.
There are also a number of 386BSD special interest
groups forming, including those interested in discussing
shared libraries, filesystems, networking, windowing sys-
tems, gigabit networking, and so forth. Also, a number of
projects are getting underway focussing on improvements in
the kernel and utilities. If you are interested in learning
about any of these groups, please fill out and send in the
REGISTRATION form and we will put you on the SIG mailing
list (along with the general 386BSD mailing list and user-
directory file).
Patches to the System
An official patch system and unofficial patch system
have been created (see the ROADMAP file). The first official
set of patches will be out later this coming week. We will
also be sending out an errata list which lists found bugs
which are not currently covered by the latest patches.
Technical Information We are trying to Obtain:
We are also interested in obtaining new information to
assist us in subsequent releases. Lack of adequate document-
ation limits us at the moment, so even the contribution of
a spare copy or photostat of accurate technical documentation
would be helpful. Among our specific needs are documentation
on Novell NE-1000/2000, 3COM 3C503, IDE command set (Connors),
and PS/2 Microchannel documentation (specifically PS/2 ABIOS
(IBM PN 68X2341, 15F2161), Options and Adapters TR (P/N
6322509), SCSI Adapters (P/N 68X2397, 68X2365), Mouse (P/N
68X2229)). In general, if you notice a shortcoming in a driver,
be certain we can use better technical documentation on the
device. Any help you can offer will be appreciated.
Where We Can Be Reached
We can be contacted via Compuserve email (CIS
76703,4266 or 76703...@compuserve.com), BIX (wjolitz), or
via the internet at ljo...@cardio.ucsf.edu, and through DDJ
and UNIX Magazin (Europe). Please be patient with responses,
as the 386BSD user group base is growing daily, and some-
times responses are a bit delayed. However, we do want to
hear from you.
Thank you for all your patience, support, and encouragement.
We wouldn't have done it without you!
Bill and Lynne Jolitz.
Randall Atkinson
>own newsgroup called "comp.os.386bsd". This newsgroup would
>reside alongside the "comp.os.mach" and "comp.os.linux"
>newsgroups. Already there are over 100,000 copies of Release
>0.0, and we hope to add to this number with the new and
>improved Release 0.1. Please help us to establish this
>newsgroup devoted to the "freely available" 386BSD system,
>by asking your news coordinator to subscribe to it. We do
>not recommend using comp.unix.bsd, since 386BSD, like linux
>and mach, is not a "comp.unix" system.
Folks,
BSD _is_ more of a UNIX (tm)-like system than A WHOLE LOT of the
existing comp.unix.* newsgroups. Creating comp.os.386bsd is
nonsensical. I could see creating comp.unix.bsd.386 and renaming
comp.unix.bsd to comp.unix.bsd.misc, but the above proposal for
comp.os.386bsd flies in the face of USENET custom and practice.
Moreover, short of moderating the newsgroup to prevent it, one
should fully expect that articles about BSDI's 386 product will be
posted to the proposed new newsgroup (regardless of name) simply
because a large chunk of the net users don't pay much attention to
what they are doing.
I understand that my words aren't politically correct to some,
but a reality check is very much in order here. To be frank,
the amount of political religion in this newsgroup is unusually high
even be USENET standards. Maybe creating talk.politics.bsd would
be more in order just to move it elsewhere.
Garrett Wollman
>by asking your news coordinator to subscribe to it. We do
>not recommend using comp.unix.bsd, since 386BSD, like linux
>and mach, is not a "comp.unix" system.
Sorry, but this argument is bogus. A few points:
1. comp.unix.bsd was created to handle the overflow from
comp.unix.sysv386 after BSDI (yes, big, bad BSDI) announced their
product.
2. AIX sure as hell isn't ``comp.unix'' either, but the newsgroup
is called `comp.unix.aix'.
3. As far as everybody who is not employed by AT&T and its
licensees is concerned, BSD *is* UNIX, whether it actually contains
AT&T code or not.
Now, if you wanted to claim that the 386BSD-related traffic in
comp.unix.bsd is drowning out all the people who are interested in
other forms of BSD, I would have sympathy for that argument. It would
then make sense to create `comp.unix.bsd.jolix'. The last thing we
need is more confusion between 386BSD and BSD/386.
-GAWollman
--
Garrett A. Wollman = wol...@emba.uvm.edu = UVM is welcome to my opinions
= uvm-gen!wollman =
That's what being alive is all about. No deity, no higher goal
exists, than to bring joy to another person. - Elf Sternberg
Bill Gunshannon
|>
|> 3. As far as everybody who is not employed by AT&T and its
|> licensees is concerned, BSD *is* UNIX, whether it actually contains
|> AT&T code or not.
|>
I believe that AT&T has started a lawsuit against BSDI that is going to
put an end to this idea real quick. If it don't say AT&T, it ain't UNIX.
bill
--
Bill Gunshannon | If this statement wasn't here,
bi...@platypus.uofs.edu | This space would be left intentionally blank
bi...@tuatara.uofs.edu | #include <std.disclaimer.h>
Brett McCoy
>In article <1992Jul20.1...@uvm.edu>, wol...@trantor.emba.uvm.edu (Garrett Wollman) writes:
>|>
>|> 3. As far as everybody who is not employed by AT&T and its
>|> licensees is concerned, BSD *is* UNIX, whether it actually contains
>|> AT&T code or not.
>|>
>
>I believe that AT&T has started a lawsuit against BSDI that is going to
>put an end to this idea real quick. If it don't say AT&T, it ain't UNIX.
I'm curious how this stands up against the common usage law. When
does UNIX come up for trademark/copyright renewal? It's my
understanding that when a word becomes common usage to describe a
general idea and not a specific product the rights of that trademark
are lost and anyone can use it to describe their product. I'd say
that UNIX is pretty much a common usage term used to describe a way
of doing things more than a specific product from a specific vendor.
++Brett;