+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Release Notes on 386BSD
+ W. Jolitz
+
+
+_\b3_\b8_\b6_\bB_\bS_\bD _\bR_\be_\bl_\be_\ba_\bs_\be _\b0._\b0:
+
+ This is 386BSD Release 0.0, the first edition from the
+386BSD project. It comprises an entire and complete UNIX-
+like operating system for the Intel 80386/486 based IBM PC,
+and is based almost entirely on the NET/2 release from the
+University of California, which contained much of the ear-
+lier freely redistributable and modifiable 386BSD source
+code done by William F. Jolitz and contributed to the Uni-
+versity of California at Berkeley for distribution.
+
+ Originally conceived by Bill and Lynne Jolitz in 1989,
+the 386BSD project is an attempt to foster new research and
+development in operating systems and networking technology
+by broadening access to base technology. In cooperation with
+the University of California, an advanced operating system
+was redesigned by William F. Jolitz to work on common
+386-based PC's for use by smaller colleges and other groups
+that did not have the resources to otherwise obtain it. In
+addition, starting with the NET/2 release, this software has
+been released in a form that does not require license agree-
+ments, non-disclosure, or other controls that would limit
+it's use in undergraduate teaching programs.
+
+ Unlike NET/2, 386BSD Release 0.0 is a complete and
+operational system, including binaries and an executable
+installation system, but still available under the same
+"freely redistributable" terms of the original NET/2
+release. Our forthcoming book on the internals of 386BSD
+will complete the picture for educational and research pro-
+grams to make use of this technology with students with the
+necessary academic freedom.
+
+ We have been writing a series of articles about 386BSD
+that have appeared in _\bD_\br. _\bD_\bo_\bb_\bb_\bs _\bJ_\bo_\bu_\br_\bn_\ba_\bl since January of
+1991. Future announcements, and information on 386BSD may be
+found within its covers. The DDJ BBS should have copies of
+binary and source code when available. Also, you can contact
+us via the magazine.
+
+_\bC_\bo_\bn_\bt_\be_\bn_\bt_\bs:
+
+ Release 0.0 consists of:
+
+Source Distribution
+ A collection of 8 or 10 high-density floppy disks,
+ which is a multi-volume compressed TAR format archive
+ of the source language files with which to recreate the
+ system. When extracted, the files consume
+
+
+3\b38\b86\b6B\bBS\bSD\bD R\bRE\bEL\bLE\bEA\bAS\bSE\bE N\bNO\bOT\bTE\bES\bS 1\b1 M\bMa\bar\brc\bch\bh 1\b19\b99\b92\b2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ approximately 31 MB of space. In addition, at least 28
+ MB of space is taken up by the binary files created
+ when recompiling.
+
+Binary Distribution
+ A collection of 6 or 8 high-density floppy disks, also
+ in compressed multi-volume TAR form, containing the
+ executable, data, and documentation files of a working
+ 386BSD system, including C and C++ compilers and
+ libraries. When extracted, the files occupy approxi-
+ mately 20 MB of disk space. Note that at least 5 MB of
+ swap space, plus an operating reserve of another 10% of
+ the total accumulated disk space mentioned should be
+ considered as minimum to operate this system.
+
+Distribution Installation Floppy System
+ A single floppy system is provided, again on a high-
+ density diskette. This completely standalone system
+ manages to allow a potential 386/486 based PC to be
+ qualified for use with 386BSD, simply by attempting to
+ boot it as an ordinary floppy. Once operational, it can
+ be used to configure the PC's hard disk and load the
+ binary floppy distribution. In addition, this floppy
+ provides a means to rescue and repair the software on
+ the hard disk in the event of a calamity.
+
+Difference Floppy
+ A single 360 KB MS-DOS floppy containing all the dif-
+ ferences and new files necessary to make the NET/2 tape
+ operational, for those who already have the tape and
+ wish to "do it themselves". It also serves to illus-
+ trate just what is necessary to make the NET/2 tape
+ usable and worthwhile.
+
+ Release 0.0 does not contain any proprietary code, nor
+any encryption software. It was created from NET/2, GNU and
+other public software, and our creative minds.
+
+_\bS_\bc_\bo_\bp_\be _\ba_\bn_\bd _\bG_\bo_\ba_\bl_\bs _\bo_\bf _\bt_\bh_\bi_\bs _\bR_\be_\bl_\be_\ba_\bs_\be:
+
+ This release was motivated by the fact that access to
+386BSD has not been provided to all interested parties on a
+timely basis by the University or other sources, as we had
+originally intended. Thus, we have done a minimalist ver-
+sion to demonstrate feasibility, provide accessibility, and
+assure our readers and supporters that this project will be
+finished, available to all, and not just appropriated by
+private concerns. Since it is minimalist by design, many
+features, utilities and other functionality will be desir-
+able to add, although the system is complete enough to be
+self-sufficient and self-developing.
+
+
+
+
+3\b38\b86\b6B\bBS\bSD\bD R\bRE\bEL\bLE\bEA\bAS\bSE\bE N\bNO\bOT\bTE\bES\bS 2\b2 M\bMa\bar\brc\bch\bh 1\b19\b99\b92\b2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ In addition, we have not repaired numerous known bugs
+present -- we have merely attempted to work around them and
+in spite of them. Also, new subsystems created after the
+NET/2 tape and contributed to Berkeley have not been added
+back in, because we did not want to blur the distinctions of
+what is required to make NET/2 operational, and because CSRG
+will not allow us access to this contributed work, although
+other groups have been allowed access. Future releases
+hopefully will remedy these nuisances. We also expect the
+involvement of a wider community of users will aid us in
+improving future releases of 386BSD.
+
+_\bD_\be_\bv_\bi_\bc_\be_\bs _\bS_\bu_\bp_\bp_\bo_\br_\bt_\be_\bd _\bi_\bn _\bt_\bh_\bi_\bs _\bR_\be_\bl_\be_\ba_\bs_\be:
+
+ This release is intended to support a minimal 386/486
+SX/DX ISA(ATBUS) system, with the traditional hard and
+floppy disk controller (MFM,ESDI,IDE). Also, the usual dis-
+play adapters (MDA/CGA/VGA/HGC) are supported, along with
+the communications ports (COM). Ethernet controllers sup-
+ported are Western Digital 8003EB, 8003EBT, 8003S,
+WD8003SBT, 8013EBT, and Novell NE2000. Clones also appear to
+work quite well. Tape drive support is available for QIC-02
+controllers as well, allowing use of 3M cartridges of QIC-60
+through QIC-150 format.
+
+ As configured on the binary distribution, the system
+requires a floating point coprocessor (387 of any make),
+hard disk and controller, floppy disk drive (either 5.25 or
+3.5 high density only), and display adapter. If the serial
+port or a Western Digital Ethernet card (port 0x280, IRQ 3,
+iomem 0xd000) is present, the system can make use of it as
+well.
+
+ It is recommended that the system have at least 2MB of
+memory or more, but it will run on much smaller systems to a
+limited degree by paging (the C++ compiler uses about 1 MB
+of memory in operation). A 4 MB system with an 200 MB+ IDE
+disk is a comfortable configuration, although by sharing the
+sources via NFS, networked systems with 40 MB drives are
+quite useful.
+
+_\bM_\ba_\bc_\bh_\bi_\bn_\be_\bs _\bT_\be_\bs_\bt_\be_\bd:
+
+ At the moment, this software has only been tested on
+the following configurations:
+
+Toshiba laptop clone, 386SX/387SX, 3MB RAM, VGA LCD(Cirrus),
+ Megahertz T2LL Ethernet, Conners CP3100 IDE 100MB drive.
+
+Compaq DeskPro, 386/387, 9MB RAM, Compaq VGA, ESDI Maxtor 8380 drive(type 38),
+ WD8003EBT Ethernet, Compaq QIC-150 cartridge drive.
+
+
+
+
+3\b38\b86\b6B\bBS\bSD\bD R\bRE\bEL\bLE\bEA\bAS\bSE\bE N\bNO\bOT\bTE\bES\bS 3\b3 M\bMa\bar\brc\bch\bh 1\b19\b99\b92\b2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Please fill out the enclosed registration form and sur-
+vey so we can add more to this test base list. It is expect-
+ed that all Compaq, Toshiba, Chips and Technology-based, and
+OPTI-based systems should work with little trouble. See up-
+coming DDJ articles on installation troubles for further in-
+fo. We can be contacted for limited help with the system,
+but, realize that this work is currently unfunded and we can
+only devote a tiny amount of time to it. As a hint to fixing
+troubles, defeating options like shadow ram or RAM BIOS is
+an excellent place to start.
+
+_\bI_\bn_\bs_\bt_\ba_\bl_\bl_\ba_\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn _\bP_\br_\bo_\bc_\be_\bd_\bu_\br_\be_\bs:
+
+ Currently, the system does not coexist with MS-DOS, but
+requires the entire machine. SINCE IT IS STILL EXPERIMENTAL
+SOFTWARE, YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED AT ANYTIME TO LOSE DISK
+DRIVE CONTENTS, so you had better save backup dumps offline
+of any information you wish to be preserved (1 in 100 of you
+will do this, of course, but you were warned).
+
+ First, make a copy of all of the diskettes and save
+them away. Make many copies of the distribution installation
+diskette, and salt them away in various places, as it is im-
+possible to recover the system without one otherwise.
+
+ The distribution installation diskette has predefined
+shell variables that correspond to the device name for the
+floppy drive ($FD), the raw device name ($RFD), the amount
+of storage ($FTRK) per track (in kilobytes), and the disktab
+entry type ($FT). These are present to parameterize the dif-
+ferences between 3.5 inch and 5.25 inch versions of the boot
+floppy.
+
+ Format the drive, if it is not already. Determine the
+geometry (sectors/track, tracks/cylinder, number of cylin-
+ders, etc), and create a disktab entry describing the disk
+drive in the /etc/disktab file on the floppy. This can be
+done by allowing the floppy to be written to (it defaults to
+disabling writing) by the command:
+
+mount -u $FD /
+
+ You can edit the file with the _\be_\bl_\bv_\bi_\bs editor, a clone of
+the encumbered Berkeley _\bv_\bi text editor done by Steve Kirk-
+endall. You may wish to use one of the existing disktab en-
+tries as a template for a new entry you are making. Please
+include any disktab entrys you make in the survey form so we
+can include them in the next release. Note: after you have
+written the disk, please execute the "sync" command so that
+the file will be forced back to the diskette.
+
+ Next, use the _\bd_\bi_\bs_\bk_\bl_\ba_\bb_\be_\bl command to write a bootstrap
+and disk label data structure on the hard disk itself. This
+
+
+3\b38\b86\b6B\bBS\bSD\bD R\bRE\bEL\bLE\bEA\bAS\bSE\bE N\bNO\bOT\bTE\bES\bS 4\b4 M\bMa\bar\brc\bch\bh 1\b19\b99\b92\b2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+will destroy any information present on the beginning cylin-
+der of the hard disk drive. A sample disklabel command:
+
+disklabel -r -w wd0 cp3100 (label winchester drive 0 as a conners 3100)
+disklabel -r wd0 (display the label on winchester drive 0)
+
+
+ Next, create empty filesystems for the root (partition
+a of the drive) and usr (partition h) with the _\bn_\be_\bw_\bf_\bs com-
+mand:
+
+newfs wd0a (root partition high level format)
+newfs wd0h (usr partition high level format)
+
+
+ Mount the root partition and transfer the contents of
+the distribution installation floppy to the hard drive. This
+step frees up the floppy for use in loading the multi-volume
+distribution while running off the hard disk drive:
+
+mount /dev/wd0a /mnt (associate the mnt directory with the new root filesystem)
+(cd /; tar -cf - .) | (cd /mnt; tar -xf -) (copy floppy to hard disk)
+sync (flush out written blocks)
+
+ Reboot the system by the traditional cntrl-alt-del
+three-fingered reset, and remove the floppy and set it
+aside. The system should now come up off the hard disk
+drive. Next, we load the distribution by inserting the first
+floppy (volume 1 of the binary distribution) and typing:
+
+mount /dev/wd0h /usr (make usr filesystem available, as it will also be loaded)
+mr $FTRK $RFD | tar -xzf - (floppy extract compressed floppy archive)
+
+
+ A prompt will ask for successive floppies to be insert-
+ed into the drive. At the conclusion, the "sync" command
+should be used, and the system rebooted. The installation is
+now complete, and the same procedures may be used at this
+point to extract the source distribution if desired.
+
+_\bO_\bp_\be_\br_\ba_\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn:
+
+ At the moment, 386BSD comes up single user, and re-
+quires manual starting of the system daemons, as well as
+filesystem checks. In use, one would minimally wish to type
+after booting:
+
+fsck -p
+mount -a
+update
+/etc/netstart
+
+
+
+
+3\b38\b86\b6B\bBS\bSD\bD R\bRE\bEL\bLE\bEA\bAS\bSE\bE N\bNO\bOT\bTE\bES\bS 5\b5 M\bMa\bar\brc\bch\bh 1\b19\b99\b92\b2
+
+
+
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+
+ This will improve in forthcoming versions of 386BSD.
+Be aware that the user is running as the super-user, and
+care should be taken given the maximum privileges present.
+
+_\bK_\bn_\bo_\bw_\bn _\bb_\bu_\bg_\bs:
+
+ Many bugs and unimplemented portions of the system ex-
+ist and can be annoying. The most irritating are the tty
+driver bugs that are related to boundaries in the ring
+buffers, which cause the input queue to become truncated or
+wrapped, as well as freezing the input queue when a transi-
+tion to RAW mode occurs near a boundary (generally, the
+first time the command "more" prompts). Usually, hitting
+control-C clears this situation.
+
+ Sometimes, an endless end-of-file on input from the
+terminal occurs that may require the system to be reset.
+There is a pipe bug, believed to be in the block I/O code,
+that breaks large pipe transfers into ~3 KB maximum sized
+chunks. Occasionally, a missing interrupt bug causes the
+system to jam waiting for an interrupt that has been
+botched. Init does not handle signals and process groups
+correctly, nor does it support multiuser operation (you can
+start up other users by hand, or over the network as incom-
+ing terminal sessions!). Execve will not run shell scripts,
+nor will it work with arglists greater than 2 KB. There is
+no facility for program debugging (e.g. ptrace). Raw DMA
+transfers to non-page aligned, non-consecutive within 64 KB
+physical boundaries don't work correctly. The console ter-
+minal emulator destroys screen contents occasionally. A re-
+dundant swap free fragment bug is present under intensive
+paging operations, and resource constipation due to hundreds
+of processes on tiny machines does occur. Operation on less
+than 2MB may be erratic or impossible due to a base page
+memory botch present.
+
+ All of these bugs are understood. Some of the fixes re-
+quire redesign while others require code from the article
+series!, but we are sure more are present. Bug fixes will
+be put into subsequent versions.
+
+_\bK_\be_\by _\bM_\bi_\bs_\bs_\bi_\bn_\bg _\bU_\bt_\bi_\bl_\bi_\bt_\bi_\be_\bs:
+
+ Among the most annoying missing utilities are: awk,
+grep, sort, diff, test, and expr. The utility software has
+been cudgeled to ignore these for the moment, but eventually
+these must be rectified. All of the NET/2 utilities have
+been made to work with 386BSD, including those not present
+in this release due to space considerations. You will find
+it fairly painless to add software to this base system,
+which is still at heart a full 32-bit POSIX compliant oper-
+ating system with program development environment.
+
+
+
+3\b38\b86\b6B\bBS\bSD\bD R\bRE\bEL\bLE\bEA\bAS\bSE\bE N\bNO\bOT\bTE\bES\bS 6\b6 M\bMa\bar\brc\bch\bh 1\b19\b99\b92\b2
+
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+
+
+ Note also that DES encryption and Kerberos have pur-
+posely been left off the system to allow for international
+use, as 386BSD incorporates software (such as NFS) which has
+been done by researchers in other countries and contributed
+to Berkeley. For those international readers who have con-
+sidered obtaining the NET/2 tape from UCB, it might interest
+them to know that an export license (GTDA) has been granted
+for a version of the NET/2 tape.
+
+_\bF_\bu_\bt_\bu_\br_\be
+
+ Your interest, involvement, and support in this project
+and its goals will determine the future of 386BSD and suc-
+cessive releases. We would like to take this much further,
+but we need considerable assistance of all kinds to allow
+386BSD to grow further. We realize the shortcomings of Re-
+lease 0.0, but are intensely proud of what we have accom-
+plished in providing you with a chance to become involved
+with a system that has enough tools to develop itself.
+
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projects / unix-history / commitdiff