Subject: More Linux/SGI status

From: Miguel de Icaza <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 17:41:38 -0500

Hello guys,

   Ralf's fixes to the dynamic linker fixed the Xt applications.  Now,
only the PAM remains to be fixed.

   So, where do we stand now?  So, the only bits missing now are:

	1. me finishing the support for the X server.  just a hack
	   here and there.

	1.b. Getting the other important bits of the RRM code in the
	   kernel. 

	2. me fixing the mouse.

	3. Would it be possible to negotiate with SGI management 
	   the posibility of shipping the IRIX runtime libraries and
	   the X server as found on IRIX with a Linux disrtibution?

	4. A nice, easy-to use install program.  Taking the existing
	   Red Hat/Mustand install program and port it should be
	   pretty easy. 

Cheers,
Miguel.

---

From: Ralf Baechle <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 16:28:07 -0700 (PDT)

Hi,

> only the PAM remains to be fixed.

The PAM problem is also a dynamic linker problem.  It's (I hope) one the
last major showstopper class bugs that prevent just building a
Linux/MIPS distribution from 95% unchanged source packages - and
fullfilling all the promises to those loading hardware to me ...

Btw, I stopped the mega load test (Running many compilers and tools in
parallel) I posted recently after some more hours because the machine ran
out of swap, some processes died therefore and load < 100 isn't that
interesting ...

System call latencies were pretty lousy bad for MIPS kernel because
we were using a syscall handler written in C.  I rewrote the entire
thing in assembler and now we're as fast as a MMX Pentium accounting
for the different clock rates.  Pretty nice, because we actually have
to save/restore many more registers and deal with a more complex
system call convention.  Seven nops left to eleminate ...

> 	   the X server as found on IRIX with a Linux disrtibution?

Bad point in time, it has been pointed out to me that SGI's stock
was doing pretty bad ;-)

> 	   Red Hat/Mustand install program and port it should be

  Ralf

---

From: [email-masked] (Ariel Faigon)
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 16:56:35 -0700 (PDT)

:
:
:	3. Would it be possible to negotiate with SGI management 
:	   the posibility of shipping the IRIX runtime libraries and
:	   the X server as found on IRIX with a Linux disrtibution?
:

My take on this is that since whoever bought that Indy
already paid for the OS including the X server and other
binaries there should be no reason why not to allow
them to run it on top of linux.

Putting it in a distribution that anyone can download
however is different and would require management approval
could someone on the list ask their directors about this?

-- 
Peace, Ariel

---

From: "William J. Earl" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 17:30:41 -0700

Miguel de Icaza writes:
...
 > 	   the X server as found on IRIX with a Linux disrtibution?
...

      Perhaps Ariel can check on this, but I suspect that there are licensing
problems.  Each SGI system comes with a license to use one copy of the
software, where the fees which SGI must pay for each copy are bundled
in the cost of the system.  That is, if you have a system, the system 
includes the license.  The licenses involved include more than just
the basic UNIX and NFS licenses.  For example, the X server includes
optional Display Postscript support licensed from Adobe.  

      You could consider a scheme for automatically extracting the parts
you need from an IRIX distribution CD.  That is, the system normally
comes with the CD for the software (although that may be lost for an older
system), and the user has the right to use the CD on that system.
If the linux installation were willing to mount that CD and pull out
the components, the user model would not be too awkward (although obviously
not as nice as having one distribution).  If you were able to run the
IRIX inst on linux, you could extract it from the CD and ask it
to pull the files from the distribution.  (There is a miniroot EFS file
system image on the CD, and inst is on that image; the rest of the distribution
is in packed data files decoded by inst.)

---

From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 08:32:43 +0100 (BST)

> 	   Red Hat/Mustand install program and port it should be

The big install problem is repartitioning an EFS system without damaging
the EFS. There seem to be tools to do it via tape from reading the CD's.

Once my SGI appears cranking out a distribution set is still my first goal

Alan

---

From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 08:39:19 +0100 (BST)

> them to run it on top of linux.

Thats simple until someone builds a clone SGI box. RedHat rpms
actually have some provision for a tool called rhmask which 
requires you have some "original" to generate the new rpm. Anyway
we don't want to encourage folks not to make the Linux version
kick the backside of any SGI original item..

---

From: "William J. Earl" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 10:46:29 -0700

> kick the backside of any SGI original item..

      It makes no sense to clone an SGI box, since there is no
long-term standard hardware profile.  That is, the combination
of hardware and system software provides a consistent model, but
the hardware/software interface changes each generation, both
in graphics and in I/O.  For people building MIPS-based linux boxes,
starting with the XFree86 source base, and adding good OpenGL support,
is a better model than trying to use Xsgi.  Using Xsgi (and libGL.so)
is simply an expedient way to get graphics support for linux on an
SGI box.

---

From: Ralf Baechle <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 21:48:25 -0700

> Once my SGI appears cranking out a distribution set is still my first goal

I asked Ariel, your box is on it's way.  I hope the transport guys
hurry as I'm getting pretty close to a useable distribution.  Appended
is a list of the RPMs which I'm currently using.  They're mostly from
the RedHat 4.9 aka Mustang distribution.  There are just a few things
left to fix to build the entire distribution:

 - rpm just returns to the shell prompt after short time for some packages.
   Haven't yet tried to figure out what's the problem.
 - some packages containing shared libraries link them against libc.  While
   this is the right thing to do it will break with the binutils 2.7 we're
   still using.  Fix: finally upgrade to binutils 2.7.
 - some other packages depend on the presence of X11 for at least building.
   Among them for example tcsh.  Should be fixed rsn as Miguel had some
   X clients up.
 - A couple of other packages contain real bugs, usually pretty trivial
   things.
 - yet other package don't build because they depend on other packages that
   don't build, need to be ported to MIPS (Kaffee, eg.) or that are just
   useless on a MIPS box like for example Lilo.

I'll start to upload the SRPM packages listed below plus little endian
binaries.  All in all that's over 150mb, so don't hold the breath.

  Ralf

MAKEDEV-2.2-10.src.rpm SysVinit-2.71-3.src.rpm TheNextLevel-1.1-3.src.rpm
adduser-1.7-2.src.rpm amd-920824upl102-8.src.rpm apache-1.1.3-4.src.rpm
ash-0.2-9.src.rpm at-2.9b-3.src.rpm autoconf-2.12-2.src.rpm
automake-1.2-1.src.rpm bash-1.14.7-2.src.rpm bc-1.03-6.src.rpm
bc-1.04-1.src.rpm bdflush-1.5-6.src.rpm biff-0.10-1.src.rpm
bind-4.9.5p1-3.src.rpm bison-1.25-1.src.rpm bison-1.25-2.src.rpm
bm2font-3.0-6.src.rpm bm2font-3.0-7.src.rpm bootp-2.4.3-3.src.rpm
bootparamd-0.10-1.src.rpm bootpc-061-3.src.rpm byacc-1.9-4.src.rpm
byacc-1.9-5.src.rpm caching-nameserver-1.1-1.src.rpm cdecl-2.5-4.src.rpm
cdp-0.33-7.src.rpm christminster-3-3.src.rpm colour-yahtzee-1.0-4.src.rpm
control-panel-2.6-1.src.rpm cpio-2.4.2-5.src.rpm cproto-4.4-5.src.rpm
cracklib-2.5-2.src.rpm crontabs-1.5-1.src.rpm ctags-1.5-2.src.rpm
cvs-1.9-2.src.rpm dev-2.5.2-1.src.rpm dhcpcd-0.65-1.src.rpm
dialog-0.6-8.src.rpm diffstat-1.25-2.src.rpm diffutils-2.7-7.src.rpm
e2fsprogs-1.10-0.src.rpm ed-0.2-6.src.rpm efax-0.8a-4.src.rpm
eject-1.4-4.src.rpm etcskel-1.3-2.src.rpm ext2ed-0.1-9.src.rpm
f2c-19960205-9.src.rpm faq-4.0-1.src.rpm fetchmail-2.2-3.src.rpm
file-3.22-6.src.rpm filesystem-1.3-1.src.rpm fileutils-3.16-3.src.rpm
findutils-4.1-13.src.rpm finger-0.10-2.src.rpm flex-2.5.4-2.src.rpm
fort77-1.14a-2.src.rpm fortune-mod-1.0-4.src.rpm fstool-2.5-1.src.rpm
ftp-0.10-1.src.rpm fwhois-1.00-6.src.rpm gawk-3.0.2-2.src.rpm
gencat-022591-4.src.rpm gettext-0.10-2.src.rpm gettext-0.10-5.src.rpm
getty_ps-2.0.7h-5.src.rpm giftrans-1.11.1-5.src.rpm git-4.3.16-2.src.rpm
gnuchess-4.0.pl77-2.src.rpm grail-0.3b2-1.src.rpm grep-2.0-6.src.rpm
groff-1.10-9.src.rpm gzip-1.2.4-9.src.rpm hdparm-3.1-3.src.rpm
helptool-2.3-1.src.rpm howto-4.2-3.src.rpm imap-4.1.BETA-6.src.rpm
indent-1.9.1-6.src.rpm indexhtml-4.2-1.src.rpm initscripts-3.16-1.src.rpm
intimed-1.10-3.src.rpm intimed-1.10-4.src.rpm ircii-2.8.2-7.src.rpm
ircii-2.8.2-8.src.rpm jdk-1.0.2.2-3.src.rpm joe-2.8-8.src.rpm
kbd-0.91-10.src.rpm ldp-4.2-1.src.rpm less-321-4.src.rpm
lha-1.00-5.src.rpm linuxdoc-sgml-1.5-7.src.rpm logrotate-2.3-4.src.rpm
lout-3.08-1.src.rpm lout-3.08-2.src.rpm lpr-0.19-1.src.rpm
lrzsz-0.12.14-2.src.rpm lynx-2.6-3.src.rpm m4-1.4-7.src.rpm
macutils-2.0b3-5.src.rpm mailcap-1.0-3.src.rpm mailx-5.5.kw-7.src.rpm
make-3.75-2.src.rpm man-1.4j-2.src.rpm man-pages-1.15-1.src.rpm
mb-5.0-7.src.rpm mgetty-1.1.5-3.src.rpm mingetty-0.9.4-4.src.rpm
minicom-1.75-3.src.rpm mkdosfs-ygg-0.3b-5.src.rpm mkisofs-1.10rel-1.src.rpm
mkisofs-1.10rel-2.src.rpm mktemp-1.4-2.src.rpm modemtool-1.1-2.src.rpm
modutils-2.1.55-1.src.rpm mount-2.6h-1.src.rpm mpage-2.4-2.src.rpm
mt-st-0.4-3.src.rpm mtools-3.6-2.src.rpm mtools-3.6-3.src.rpm
mutt-0.81e-3.src.rpm mysterious-1.0-2.src.rpm ncftp-2.3.0-6.src.rpm
ncompress-4.2.4-7.src.rpm ncurses-1.9.9e-4.src.rpm nenscript-1.13++-9.src.rpm
net-tools-1.32.alpha-2.src.rpm netkit-base-0.10-2.src.rpm nls-1.0-2.src.rpm
ntalk-0.10-1.src.rpm open-1.3-5.src.rpm open-1.3-6.src.rpm
p2c-1.20-8.src.rpm pam-0.57-3.src.rpm pamconfig-0.51-2.src.rpm
pamconfig-0.51-3.src.rpm passwd-0.50-8.src.rpm patch-2.1-5.src.rpm
pdksh-5.2.12-2.src.rpm perl-5.003-9.src.rpm pidentd-2.5.1-6.src.rpm
pine-3.96-1.src.rpm pinfocom-3.0-4.src.rpm pmake-1.0-5.src.rpm
popt-1.0-1.src.rpm portmap-4.0-4.src.rpm ppp-2.2.0f-4.src.rpm
procinfo-0.9-2.src.rpm procmail-3.10-11.src.rpm psacct-6.2-2.src.rpm
psmisc-11-5.src.rpm pwdb-0.54-5.src.rpm rcs-5.7-5.src.rpm
rdate-0.960923-2.src.rpm rdist-1.0-6.src.rpm readline-2.1-1.src.rpm
redhat-release-4.8-1.src.rpm rhmask-1.0-2.src.rpm rootfiles-1.5-1.src.rpm
routed-0.10-1.src.rpm rpm-2.4.7-1glibc.src.rpm rsh-0.10-1.src.rpm
rusers-0.10-1.src.rpm rwall-0.10-1.src.rpm rwho-0.10-1.src.rpm
samba-1.9.16p11-4rh.src.rpm scottfree-1.14-3.src.rpm screen-3.7.2-3.src.rpm
sed-2.05-7.src.rpm setconsole-1.0-1.src.rpm sh-utils-1.16-6.src.rpm
shadow-utils-970616-4.src.rpm sharutils-4.2-7.src.rpm slang-0.99.37-2.src.rpm
slang-0.99.38-1.src.rpm sliplogin-2.1.0-7.src.rpm slrn-0.9.3.2-2.src.rpm
sox-11g-5.src.rpm stat-1.5-6.src.rpm statnet-2.00-4.src.rpm
statserial-1.1-8.src.rpm symlinks-1.0-6.src.rpm sysklogd-1.3-16.src.rpm
taper-6.7.4-3.src.rpm tcp_wrappers-7.5-2.src.rpm tcpdump-3.3-2.src.rpm
telnet-0.10-1.src.rpm tetex-0.4pl8-5.src.rpm textutils-1.22-2.src.rpm
tftp-0.10-2.src.rpm time-1.7-2.src.rpm timed-0.10-1.src.rpm
timetool-2.3-1.src.rpm tin-1.22-7.src.rpm tmpwatch-1.2-2.src.rpm
traceroute-1.4a5-2.src.rpm tracker-4.3-5.src.rpm tree-1.0-4.src.rpm
trojka-1.1-8.src.rpm ttcp-1.4-1.src.rpm tunelp-1.3-6.src.rpm
umb-scheme-3.2-3.src.rpm unarj-2.41a-4.src.rpm units-1.0-6.src.rpm
unzip-5.12-6.src.rpm uucp-1.06.1-11.src.rpm vixie-cron-3.0.1-15.src.rpm
vlock-1.0-6.src.rpm which-1.0-6.src.rpm words-2-3.src.rpm
wu-ftpd-2.4.2b15-2.src.rpm ypbind-3.0-2.src.rpm yppasswd-0.9-1.src.rpm
zip-2.1-2.src.rpm zlib-1.0.4-1.src.rpm zsh-3.0.2-2.src.rpm

---

From: Eric Kimminau <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 09:07:02 -0400

I am still having problems just getting our Indy to boot linux. I am in
a completely SGI environment with no PC already running linux to boot
from. 

Is there anyone else using this type of environment that has done a
basic HOWTO for getting up and running? If you have the basics, I
PROMISE to document it fully with graphics, images, etc. Ill do it in an
HTML form which will immediately be placed on linus.linux.

Thanks,
                    Eric.

P.S. I haven't made much progress because I haven't spent much time on
it. I hoping this is going to dramatically change over the next several
days.

-- 
Eric Kimminau                           System Engineer/RSA
[email-masked]                     Silicon Graphics, Inc
Voice: (248) 848-4455                   39001 West 12 Mile Rd.
Fax:   (248) 848-5600                   Farmington, MI 48331-2903

                 VNet Extension - 6-327-4455
              "I speak my mind and no one else's."
       http://www.dcs.ex.ac.uk/~aba/rsa/perl-rsa-sig.html

    When confronted by a difficult problem, solve it by reducing 
    it to the question, "How would the Lone Ranger handle this?"

---

From: Alex deVries <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 11:39:29 -0400 (EDT)

> HTML form which will immediately be placed on linus.linux.

I can think of only one way of doing it...

Stick your kernel in /, and boot it.  That kernel would have to have the
EFS file system enabled so that you could mount a local disk with a Linux
image as /.  Then, partition your other disk, and install RPM's to your
heart's content.

The better way of doing this, though, is to stick all the RPM's on a SCSI
disk on an ext2 partition.  Make a Linux ramdisk (no ARC or anything
else... just the usual Linux ramdisk as found in Sparc and i386) with a
base filesystem.  From that, partition your second disk, and install RPMs.

I'm working on the ramdisk stuff... 

- Alex

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From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 20:08:28 +0100 (BST)

> image as /.  Then, partition your other disk, and install RPM's to your

NFSroot is another possible way...

Alan

---

From: Alex deVries <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 16:16:44 -0400 (EDT)

> NFSroot is another possible way...

But, I believe the problem was that he had no other machine to NFS root
off of.

- Alex