Bugs and warnings
=================

The MCC Interim release of Linux assembles code from many sources.
Even after the release and the documentation have been frozen, the file
`Bugs+Warnings' is updated.  Please read it carefully.

I have fixed many bugs, but I am certain I have created others.  I
would appreciate any bug reports or fixes.  Please send them by E-mail
to me at `LeBlanc@mcc.ac.uk'.

  1. This distribution, even when it is used to upgrade an existing
     system, *must* be installed from the boot and root disks.  If you
     try to install MCC packages without using the boot and root disks,
     they will probably not work properly.

  2. As of release 1.0+, MCC Interim Linux does not install correctly on
     a minix file system unless it accepts filenames of up to 30
     characters in length.  The `mkfs' command on the root disk does
     not allow you to create a minix file system with the 14-character
     limit on file name length.

  3. The Linux NFS implementation is limited by the size of the memory
     which the kernel can allocate for buffers.  Heavy reading or
     writing of files in an NFS-mounted file system may cause the
     kernel to hang unless you specify the options
     `rsize=1024,wsize=1024' either on the `mount' command or in the
     entry in `/etc/fstab'.

  4. Older versions of the SysVinit package allowed root to enter
     single user mode without a password, but required the root password
     when the system was booted in single user mode.  In attempting to
     restore this behaviour, I have introduced a new bug.  After you
     boot the system in single user mode, you can change to another run
     level, but if you as root change back to single user mode without
     rebooting, you must type in the root password again.

  5. The `more' command does not work properly under X.

  6. The root and boot disks, as well as the installed system, contain
     device files for eight partitions on each disk.  If you need more
     partitions, you must use `MAKEDEV' or `mknod' to create additional
     device files in the installed `/dev' directory.

  7. It is not our policy to make extensive modifications to the Linux
     kernel.  Bugs in the current kernel may be fixed in later versions
     of the kernel.

  8. After the package is released, small bugs are often discovered.
     The Bugs+Warnings file may be consulted for further information.

Log of changes and reported bugs:

1.  28 March 12:00 (BST)  Revised the boot and root disks slightly to
    merge /tmp/install into /tmp/bootinstall and clean up messages.
    'df' doesn't work properly during ramdisk installation.  See 2.

2.  29 March 12:00 (BST)  Revised the boot and root disks to fix
    /tmp/bootinstall so that 'df' works during ramdisk installation.
    Added 'vlock' to the distribution.

3.  29 March 12:00 (BST)  Changed 'install.mail' so that it puts
    '-smtp_debug' into /etc/smail.conf, fixing a security hole.

4.  29 March 12:00 (BST)  Released new versions of ipide and wd
    packages to include kernels compiled from the new kernel source.

5.  31 March 11:30 (BST)  Recompiled all four kernels (cdrmboot,
    nocdboot, ipide, wd) without tape support.  Too many problems
    were reported with Ethernet cards with IRQ 5.

6.  31 March 11:30 (BST)  Replaced root/base disk with one which
    creates /dev/tty0.  If your installation is missing /dev/tty0,
    do this:

        cd /dev
        ./MAKEDEV tty0

7.  9 April 9:15 (BST)  Changed the timezone package to make GMT0BST
    work properly.  If you have an older version, do this:

        ln -s GB-Eire /usr/lib/zoneinfo/GMT0BST

8.  9 April 9:15 (BST)  Created the contributions directory.  See the
    00-contents file there for more information.  Moved documents to
    the documentation directory.

9.  22 April 14:15 (BST)  New releases of emacs and info to cooperate
    properly with the dvips package.  If you have older versions, just
    be sure to install dvips last.

10.  10 May 10:00 (BST)  Several reports reached me in a short time of
    problems caused by the ext2 file system programs included with the
    1.0+ MCC distribution.  To alleviate this, I have (1) included a
    later version of mkfs.ext2 on the root disk, (2) added a new
    e2fsp05a package, and (3) modified the baseman and manpages packages
    so that they do not overwrite the new man pages.  This introduces a
    new bug, in that mkfs of an ext2 file system from the root disk
    does not actually run badblocks (though it appears to do so).

    (A)  If you already have MCC interim 1.0+, just get the new e2fsp05a.tgz
        file, and give the command 'mccinstall e2fsp05a.tgz'.

    (B)  If you are getting a new copy of the distribution, note that the
        new package should be installed, though it is not mentioned in the
        documentation.  If you have 5.25 inch floppies, it fits on disk 2,
        along with gcca and mail.  If you have 3.5 inch floppies, you must
        shift files about a bit:

        Disk 4: info, lp, manpages
        Disk 5: gpp, mail, patches, timezone
        Disk 8: e2fsp05a, gprof, linux