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From: cwr@pnet01.cts.com (Will Rose)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: In praise (?) of older Minix...
Message-ID: <9049@crash.cts.com>
Date: 5 May 91 07:16:01 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 37

There was a recent question about upgrading from 1.1->1.5 via the net,
or from a PH upgrade.  I bought the 1.2->1.3 upgrade, since I had little
experience, and then took the net on from there...  the only real change
was the move to a compiler with separate I&D spaces, and I *think* the
first compiler that had this was 1.3, and that was another reason why I
forked out.  Since the compiler is purely copyright, you have to buy it
from PH (or whoever sells the compiler sources).  Presumably if you're
cross-compiling or using Gnu, gnuuu.... problem! (Sorry.  Very sorry.)

Updating from < 1.2 would probably be no fun at all.  I installed 1.2 on
my hard disk using a 1.3 kernel, then recompiled 1.2, then installed the
PH 1.3 update and compiled that.  Bits of 1.2 like ttys and hard drive
support were still fairly flakey.  I bought a machine with a very
standard spec. specifically to run Minix, and 1.2 still wouldn't fire up
out of the box.  Someone else built me a 1.3 kernel, and once  I had the
HD available I learned to rebuild the system without much difficulty.

Updating without 12MB of HD space is not practical.  Better 15-20MB.

I think if I were starting from 1.3, and a position of ignorance, I 
would risk upgrading from the net *provided* Minix recognised my HD.
Upgrading from earlier versions, or with floppies only, I'd try to
buy the finished version from PH and then learn how to mess about 
with it.

Hope this helps - Will.

PS: Fred - I've had no ack, and I'm out of here until 22 May. Good luck.
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