Linux problems (with 1.3.75 kernel)

[LIH at cliffy.polaroid.com (Hsin-Yu Sidney Li)]

> 
> Sidney,
> 
> I just read about your Linux problems in the BCS Linux mailing list.
> Sorry I don't have any suggestions, but I'm wondering if you upgraded
> to kernel 1.3.x from 1.2.x?  If so, why did you upgrade?  I'm running
> 1.2.13 now and have had no problems - I don't see any reason to upgrade
> right now since it looks like it will be a *major* pain (especially since
> my Linux host is "online" on the Internet running WWW...  it would be
> a sizable chunk of downtime!)  Then again, if you need device drivers
> that aren't in the 1.2.x kernels, but are in the 1.3.x, then it makes
> perfect sense.
> 
> Just curious (and probably waiting for kernel 1.4.x!),
> Eric Hansen
> Cambridge, MA
> -- 
> Eric J. Hansen .............................. http://www.worldmachine.com/eric
> Developer, Worldmachine Technologies ............ mailto:eric at worldmachine.com
> 

Eric,

I am also running kernel 1.2.13 on my other (main) Linux box.  The one
running 1.3.75 is used as a "public access" workstation for our group,
and I also use it to test new softwares.  (Not many people use it
anyway; they all have their own PC/Windows and Macs)

Anyway, the reason I got into 1.3.75 was because I needed to compile
and run some software (I think it was octave or scilab), but needed a
ELF libc library to use them.  I therefore upgraded to the latest
libc, libm, etc., and had to also upgrade to a newer gcc (2.7.2).  All
was well, until somebody wanted me to compile a kernel for him (with
specific drivers), and I discovered that I couldn't compile the 1.2.13
kernel anymore with the new gcc.  (BTW, I did apply the ELF patch to
1.2.13, and got it to compile once with gcc-2.7.0 -- I think -- and an
older libc).  At this point, there were already too many things
depending on the new libc, so I figured I might as well upgrade the
kernel.  All went well, and I fixed the procps stuff (ps, w, top,
etc.).  But then I discovered the problems with lpr/lpd and netstat.
Looks like I'm stuck for now.  Fortunately, everthing else seems to
work.  I can run telnet, ftp, netscape, etc.  As for printing, I have
disabled lpr for now (so as not to accidentally lock up the printer
again), and ftp the output files to my other Linux box for printing.
I could probably even automate this, but it's probably not worth the
trouble.

Really, the transition from a.out to ELF is a pain (I had to upgrade
all the X and Openwin programs in one shot).  Backward compatibility
is always a problem of course.  Witness the mess that the DOS legacy
has done.  Anyone want to speculate how Microsoft would have handled
the a.out to ELF transition?

Sidney Li
lih at polaroid.com