Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!ogicse!plains!overby From: overby@plains.UUCP (Glen Overby) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: The Upgrade Process Summary: no easy way out Message-ID: <3867@plains.UUCP> Date: 24 Mar 90 00:15:39 GMT References: <14589@nigel.udel.EDU> <589@fsu.scri.fsu.edu> Reply-To: overby@plains.UUCP (Glen Overby) Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo Lines: 91 In article <589@fsu.scri.fsu.edu> nall@sun8.UUCP (John Nall) writes: >So the original thesis still holds: there should be an easier method for >someone who is a bona-fide purchaser of Minix to upgrade without having >to wait for P-H to officially begin selling a new version. I have no >problem with P-H getting a profit from the upgrade - that should not be >any problem so long as the upgrade is through an approved source. A >mere matter of putting serial numbers of Minix boot disks should take >care of who is genuine and who is not... Since P-H holds the strings (Copyright) on Minix, I doubt anyone will want to summon their lawyers by selling a full copy of a newer version of Minix than what P-H themselves are selling. The truth of this will only be told when someone asks, and how are you going to explain to their lawyers where you got a newer release of Minix than they have? That'll take some explaining on Andy's part, and I doubt the answer will be looked highly upon, nor may the results be that desirable (i.e. we probably won't get free upgrades over the net anymore!). OK, maybe this is jumping to quick conclusions, but keep it in mind -- you're dealing with business types and (worse) lawyers. It takes a while to move things thru big companies, which is apparently why releasing new versions takes so long. Other than the delay, what is the objection of waiting for P-H? The money involved isn't (relatively) that much; I can name a lot of products which want as much as P-H was selling the upgrade kit (sources only) for. I think upgrades of most Unix systems are more than the purchase cost of Minix. Updating from the net is a "sink or swim" technique (sounds a lot like going to college). Either you figure it out (pay in your time) or wait and buy it after it's released (pay in iddle time and money). And if you sink, the rest of the stuff on the net won't help you much, either, since it's the same kind of cdiffs. And it's not as well organied! OK, so let's work on improving what we have. What are the problems with the upgrades? Why is it difficult? Andy posts uuencoded, compressed shars of context diffs for each directory. The prospective upgrader has to learn : (1) how to get the upgrade (if you're not on the internet, you'll find dealing with listserv to be an, uh, enlightening experience). (2) how to get the file to wherever you're going to work on it (like downloading it to Minix) (3) how to decode the file (uudecode | uncompress | unshar) (4) how to apply the diffs (patch <*.cdiff) and there's no way about it. A tutorial could help a few people. What problems remain? (1) new files (2) eliminated files (3) moved files a solution to this would be to have "release notes" which detail exactly what to mv or rm. Then there are the glitches, most of which can be tracked down to human or program failure. We have the same programs Andy uses to create the releases, yet there are still unexplainable problems (remember mined1.c?). Some people (of which I am one of) have shell scripts wich can execute a full upgrade rather painlessly (and mindlessly). But everybody likes doing things "their own way" wich makes a universal solution impractical. After the dust settles, some kind person collects everything and puts together a nice net-package (Vincent Broman did this for 1.1-1.2 and 1.2-1.3, and Andrew Cagney is working on it for 1.3-1.5.5). So what are some possible solutions? (1) Distribute all the sources (and new boot disks) This will require dealing with Prentice-Hall. This is left as an exercise for the entreprenure :-) (2) Distribute a cleaned-up diff set has been done (maybe not extremely clean, but "better") (3) Redistribute what Andy posts we've been doing this all along It's always going to take some brainpower and time to upgrade from the net, not to mention using non-AST stuff from the net. There will also always be people asking for special hand-holding, even if you tell them EXACTLY what commands to type in. -- Glen Overby uunet!plains!overby (UUCP) overby@plains (Bitnet)