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From: cagney@chook.ua.oz (Andrew Cagney - aka Noid)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re:  requested clarification of minix issues
Message-ID: <1025@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au>
Date: 9 Jun 90 04:38:45 GMT
References: <9006081924.AA02248@hplwbc.hpl.hp.com>
Sender: news@ucs.adelaide.edu.au
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Sorry about being a bit `minix technical'

From article <9006081924.AA02248@hplwbc.hpl.hp.com>, by culberts@hplwbc.hpl.hp.com (Bruce Culbertson):
> The latest Minix version is 1.5.10.  It is supposed to be stable
> for quite some time because Dr. Tanenbaum has other things to
> do.

To the end user, this version is a significant improvement over 1.3
	- many more commands (115 -> 160)
	- Much improved libc & include.
	- Additional software including UUCP is available for ftp/fetchfile.
It has also seen a re-merge of the st & ibm versions. They are now
identical except for the kernel proper. In addition, there is a 386 32bit
version arround. (Again only the kernel is changed)

> beware).  You can get 1.5.10 by buying some version from Prentice-Hall,
> getting an upgrade kit from an archive, and applying a million diff's.

Fair comment. The process is very time consuming. In addition, the the less
UNIX/C experience you have the slower it will be.

> My port is based on 1.3.  I intend to upgrade it to 1.5.10, but I
> don't know when.  I might have a look at it this weekend.

Two key area's are effected
	1. None of the existing 1.5 versions (ibm 386 atari mac amiga)
	   understand single pages. The 386 32bit version for instance
	   has taken a simple minded approach and allocates contigious memory
	   to a process. The MM process would again need modifying to support
	   page level allocation.
	2. The Kernel, in places,  was given a rewrite. This this includes
	   how the kernel initially interacts with the MM & FS
So to guess :-) I expect most of the work to be in the MM & Kernel. I'd also
expect there to be a significant amount of work required. Most of it being
the booring job of rearanging things so they interact correctly with the
1.5 MM & FS. Not a job for one weekend :-(.

> latest version.  The important thing is that you have the right
> sources for the OS image, which you get from the above procedure.

I don't know about the legalities of your distribution method but your
justification is spot on. The last thing someone wants to be doing is
spending weeks developing the cross developement environment, compiling
MINIX, fixing compiler bugs...

Having the patches available for ftp may also be useful. This would allow
others (eg us here) with older NS32 versions of minix to catch up.


				Andrew Cagney