Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site kosman.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!hjuxa!wcom!kosman!install
From: install@kosman.UUCP (Kevin O'Gorman)
Newsgroups: net.news.b
Subject: Re: Posting of 2.10.3 "problems"
Message-ID: <25@kosman.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Apr-86 21:47:17 EST
Article-I.D.: kosman.25
Posted: Wed Apr  2 21:47:17 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Apr-86 11:28:54 EST
References: <194@daemen.uucp> <1958@saber.UUCP> <2958@amdahl.UUCP> <3400@sun.uucp>
Organization: Anarm Software Systems, Hillsdale, NJ
Lines: 43

In article <3400@sun.uucp>, shannon@sun.uucp (Bill Shannon) writes:
> This is ridiculous.  Why are so many sites running 2.10.3 "alpha"
> software?  This can hardly be called an alpha test.  It's been
> running for years it seems.  What we've done is invent another
> level to the numbering scheme.  First there was version 1, then
> version 2, then 2.1, then 2.2, ... then 2.10, then 2.10.1, then
> 2.10.2, then 2.10.3 alpha, then 2.10.3 beta, ....  Somebody
> ought to learn how to run a beta test and how to release software.
> It will never be perfect, just do a good job, release it, and get
> on with the next version.
> 
> Tired of waiting for 2.11,
> 
> 		Bill Shannon

Well, I'm running 2.10.3 and had no idea it wasn't "released" until I saw
this series of articles.

My question is: given I know who gave me the sources to make for this
machine, where did they *originally* come from. (Yes, I know this displays
lots of ignorance, but then I have plenty since I'm new to usenet, UNIX,
and this machine).  I want to know because I have several ideas about what
would be useful for folks like me on the UNIX PC, I'm willing to do the work
to make the changes, but I have no idea how to get them more widely
distributed once I do.

My ideas:
1. Since most UNIX PC users don't get the "development kit", they don't have
a cc and cannot make *any* modifications at the source level.  This includes
changing the Organization Name, which according to the documentation must be
changed in the localize.sh.  It would make sense to have the option to make
a version which would read the organization from a file in /usr/lib/news and
then one binary would do for all, much as the NOTIFY stuff is done now.

2. The UNIX PC is happiest if the new "shared library" feature is used, which
requires some changes in how the ld program is invoked.  This saves on setup
time for each process, swapping, and disk space for the binaries.

What do I do with these ideas (no jokes, please)?

Answers, help, and flames to
				Kevin O'Gorman
				...{ihnp4,hjuxa}!wcom!kosman!install