oldlinux-files/docs/CHANGES-0.97-root

CHANGES IN THE LINUX v0.97 ROOT DISKETTE
Jim Winstead Jr. - 4 August 1992

This file mostly contains info about the changes in the root diskette
from Linux v0.96 to Linux v0.97.

BUGS

	'mount' is broken in strange ways, particularly in passing
	options '-o whatever'.  I'm working on this.

CHANGES

With the release of Linux v0.95a, the maintenance of the root diskette
has been assumed by Jim Winstead Jr. (jwinstea@jarthur.Claremont.EDU).

This continues with the release of the Linux 0.97 release diskette.
The changes between the Linux 0.97 and Linux 0.96 root diskettes are
detailed below, and the changes in earlier releases are summarized
after that:

	-	many small binaries were added, including: 

			cmp cut date env find head id install logname nice
			nohup pathchk printenv printf sed setserial sort sum
			tac tee tr tty uname uniq wall wc who whoami write yes

		(Some of these may have been on previous root disks -
		I don't have the motivation to double check that.  In any
		case, they are definitely on 0.97.  :)

	-	ps, w, uptime, and related utilities were removed.
		Because these programs rely very closely upon the
		kernel being used, they can be outdated quite quickly.

	-	migrated mount/umount/swapon from /bin to /etc.
		This conforms to common usage (only root can use these
		programs), and current standards.

	-	moved 'rootdev' to /usr/bin and renamed to 'setroot'.
		This reflects more common usage of the utility - it is no
		longer needed for inserting the root device in /etc/mtab, but
		it is still useful to change the root device of a kernel image.

	-	removed /lib/libhard.2.2.2 and moved /lib/libsoft.2.2.2 to
		/lib/libm.2.2.2, instead of using a symlink.

	-	upgraded efdisk and renamed to fdisk.
		efdisk was upgraded to v0.93, from Owen LeBlanc's MCC 0.96c
		interim release, with some small changes from me to support the
		-l flag, allowing it to completely replace fdisk.

	-	fixed compress to work with long filenames.
		Previous versions of compress would refuse to compress files
		with names longer than 12 characters - this was hardcoded in
		the source the FSF makes available.

	-	brought device names up to standards.
		Fixed some device names according to decisions made on
		the Linux Standards discussion list, particularly
		renaming /dev/lp* to /dev/par*, 'hard' /dev/fd*
		devices, /dev/bm (bus mouse), and fixing the numbering
		of /dev/ttys*.

	-	revised /etc/group.
		/etc/group now contains only the 'standard' group names
		discussed in the Linux Standards list.  Of special note is the
		renaming of the 'bin' group to 'obsolete'.

		Using the 'bin' group as a means of identifying executables is
		not recommended.  That is what the executable bits are designed
		to do.

	-	revised /etc/passed.
		/etc/passwd was changed as a result of the new /etc/group, and
		to eliminate unnecessary usernames - many groups were removed
		because using uid != 0 for important files is a security hole
		on NFS-mountable drives

	-	changes file permissions and ownerships.
		This was done to reflect changes in /etc/group and /etc/passwd.

	- 	fixed up the install script where it was broken.
		All known major bugs were fixed.  Particularly where /usr was
		concerned.

	-	fixed the install documentation to refer to pax.

	-	minor gaffes from 0.96 fixed (/etc/getty linked with
		shared libs, correct file ownerships, etc)

If you have questions, problems, or complaints about the root
diskette, either post to comp.os.linux, or send mail to me at
jwinstea@jarthur.Claremont.EDU. 

If you have questions, problems, or complaints about the boot diskette
or the kernel itself, post to comp.os.linux or send mail to Linus
Torvalds at torvalds@cc.helsinki.fi.

Remember, the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.

SUMMARY

This section very briefly summarizes previous changes.

0.95a -> 0.96
	- reintroduced GNU bash as /bin/sh
	- replaced GNU tar (/bin/tar) with POSIX pax utility
	- all-new and improved installation script
	- split /etc/rc into /etc/rc and /etc/rc.local
	- new mount/umount/swapon with auto-mounting - uses /etc/fstab
	- recompiled all utilities with shared libraries (gcc 2.2.2)
	- added /dev/MAKEDEV - device creation script
	- all new /etc/termcap using "tc=con-unk" entries

FUTURE CHANGES

I'm already anticipating some changes for future releases, so here's
a sneak preview:

-	the install script will be improved.  The current one was
	written rather rapidly, so there are parts of it I'm not
	entirely happy with.

-	I'd like to write an update script that will allow people who
	have already installed Linux to update their binaries from the
	latest root disk.  The install script could serve as a base
	for this, but is a little destructive at present.  (It would
	simply copy over old binaries, etc.)

-	program to allow the 'intro' login to be more interactive, and
	will also serve more general purposes (it will be a generic
	curses-based file-selector with support for file descriptions).

-	the documentation on disk will be cleaned up, and possibly
	added to.

-	fill in the gaps in the MAKEDEV script.  (SCSI tapes, more pty
	devices.)

-	the release after the extended filesystem is added to the
	Linux kernel, the root disk will use it.  That means v0.98, if
	things go according to current plans.  This is to allow time
	for bugs in the extended filesystem to filter out, and for the
	new mkfs and fsck to stabilize.  (For those that don't know,
	the extended filesystem supports 4 terabyte partitions and long
	filenames, and is currently in testing.)

Again, mail your questions, comments and suggestions about the root
diskette to me at jwinstea@jarthur.Claremont.EDU.