Re: New disciple

[Roger Ivie <IVIE@cc.usu.edu> writes:]

> - I can only run the supplied DOS MAKE once; after that I get
> 'packed file is corrupt' and have to reboot before I can run
> it again. This makes building everything a bit, um, difficult.
> Is there a better DOS MAKE that folks are using?

I've never had problems. My copy is 21315 bytes long. Is this the same
make you're using? Also, what version of djgpp?

> - After unpacking vista_fs.tz and standalone.tz, I had a number
> of problems. I copied the root passwd entry and cloned it to
> a different account name, but it was behaving as if the env
> server wasn't working; the path didn't seem to be getting passed
> to children. Running make would give me 'gcc: invalid'.

This would be in a FAQ, if we had a FAQ. The problem is that the "root" ID
gives you lots of power, but it doesn't work well when objects are created.
It has to do with the fact that servers usually use your 0'th ability when
creating the default protection label for an object (file, whatever). The
root label, having a zero length, conflicts with this.

> - I then cloned one of the example user accounts and modified it.
> Now the path works correctly, but the default directory doesn't
> work write. The compiler can't find header files in the default
> directory and ld can't create an output file in the default
> directory.

I believe GCC looks for header files in /vsta/vsta/include. Is this
directory present? I hope you're not trying to do cc's running the
standsh from the standalone environment! The full installation uses
init/login, and gives you several amenities, like $HOME, $USER, mounts
from /vsta/etc/fstab for your /tmp filesystem, namer, ....

Standalone, once it has proven that VSTa will understand your hardware,
should be tossed in favor of the full installation.

>As with the other new disciple, I don't know what to expect. I may not have
>everything set up correctly. I have used neither Plan 9 nor QNX...

The root account has bitten before. I've just deleted it from the master
file, so it'll be gone for the next release. djgpp's wandering path has
made it hard for people to run the "full" configuration, since that
currently requires that you rebuild from source under DOS. Perhaps paired
with a native build capability, it would be appropriate to offer a fully
functional binary installation?

If I did it, v1.3 would be installed by:

        - Copy the source files into your DOS filesystem under /vsta
                ...Includes server binaries with the source under /vsta
                ...Includes a pre-built kernel in os/make/vsta
        - Copy the pre-built commands/files to /bin, /lib, /etc
        - Go to /vsta/boot and invoke go.bat
        - Log in as vandys, password test. (I won't have you arrested! :->)
        - cd to /vsta/vsta
        - make

Of course, you don't have to build the world unless you want to. You can
just run, building things in the tree as needed.

Would folks like this? I'm nearly there--I have to do that rename() work,
and then add makefiles so you can build everything from the top. Should I
hold off v1.3 as long as needed to get this? Send me private E-mail unless
there's an issue you'd like to air on the list.

                                        Regards,
                                        Andy
                                        vandys@cisco.com

p.s. My port of GNU C is a 1.X flavor; the code won't be as optimized until
    somebody can port 2.X.
Received on Mon Mar 14 16:39:47 1994