Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sparky!uunet!uunet!kolstad
From: kols...@BSDI.COM (Rob Kolstad)
Subject: Beta status for BSDI's BSD/386
Message-ID: <1992Mar19.045844.10474@uunet.uu.net>
Keywords: BSD Unix, Commercial, Update
Sender: use...@uunet.uu.net (UseNet News)
Nntp-Posting-Host: bsdi.com
Organization: UUNET Communications Services
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 04:58:44 GMT
Re: BSD/386 Beta (Release 0.3) shipment
March 18, 1992
Noting the incredible amount of enthusiasm over the various Berkeley kernels
right now, I figured it is an ideal time to update everyone on the status of
BSDI's BSD/386 product.
This short blurb describes the current state of BSD/386 beta shipments.
BSDI completed alpha testing with 32 tapes of Release 0.2 in the field. All
customers who installed it are up and running. We had no reports of problems
like ``Well, it just won't work''.
Ten pre-beta tapes were shipped on Tuesday, February 25, 1992. Final testing
and verification were performed. Problems with installation and execution of
those 10 tapes have been resolved. Large-scale tape reproduction has begun.
The remaining ~100 beta tapes have been shipped to both domestic and
international customers.
Release 0.3 fixes almost every known panic, fixes many utilities, enhances
installation (though this is an intermediate step), includes SCSI support
(for the Adaptec 1542B adaptor -- for disks and for tapes), includes a new
implementation of floating point emulation, and also supports on-line floppy
formatting. All source is now under release control (using CVS). We can now
cut releases mostly automatically (with little human intervention).
Of course, Release 0.3 is a Beta Release. As such, it is liable to have
hidden or mysterious problems. Its installation documentation is much
improved but some customers will find their configurations are a bit tricky
for this release and may have to do some work to get it to run. We expect
most of the 0.3 customers to boot with absolutely no problems.
Things went well in the first two weeks of beta with the exception of a SCSI
configuration problem and a problem in the new tape driver. New kernels are
shortly on their way to our customers.
By way of example of the system's stability, we are now tracking 653 active
bugs in our bug tracking system -- most of which have already been resolved.
BSD/386 Release 0.3 is distributed only on QIC-150 tapes (for which we
support a SCSI interface and a WangTek 5150PK QIC-02 interface). If you have
placed an order for some other medium, we won't ship it unless you tell us
that you can accept QIC-150 tapes.
BSD/386 is a Berkeley-based kernel release. Those who are completely
unfamiliar with Berkeley releases (or unfamiliar with UNIX operating systems
in general) can purchase some BSD documentation from USENIX. They offer a
fine set of BSD manuals for $70 or so; call them at 510-528-8649. The
BSD/386 distribution includes most of the needed manual pages online. Of
course, we include release notes and installation instructions.
BSDI plans to ship a Gamma [0.4] release sometime before the final production
release in June. More on that in the future.
Alpha and beta customers receive free telephone support and upgrades through
60 days after production shipment.
BSDI's new bug tracking system is in production. This new system should
enable us to access any bug quickly. It is hoped that this speed will enable
us to ensure that bugs get fixed promptly and that we can talk to you very
intelligently about the status of your bug perchance you should call.
Requests For Enhancement will, of course, take a bit longer.
The Beta release supports many kinds of peripherals, but it does *NOT*
support EISA-specific peripherals. Here's a chart that explains what
hardware supported:
Requirements for Release 0.3:
CPU: 386, 386sx, 486
4 MB memory min (without X) [You can run in 1 MB, but your
performance suffers dramatically]
[The kernel weighs in at just under half a MB]
8 MB memory min (with X, same performance comment)
[FPU no longer required -- software emulation for those without one]
(For X:) VGA-compatible display color
PC keyboard
Dual sided high density 3 1/2 inch floppy controller and drive
[REQUIRED FOR BOOTING]
Disks (choose one or both lines):
IDE/ESDI/RLL/MFM hard disks
60MB for base system, man pages, compilers, and swap
45MB more for X binaries
(some reformatting and parameterization may be necessary)
SCSI disks (w/Adaptec 1542B)
QIC-150 cartridge tape (choose one):
Local WangTek 5150PK QIC-02 (we get ours from Computown of
Milpitas (408) 262-1200 $580 (controller & drive))
Local SCSI Maynard/Archive 2150S (w/Adaptec 1542B)
Remote access via a supported ethernet card to a networked UNIX
box with with a QIC-150 drive
The following hardware is optional and supported:
FPU: 387, 387sx or equivalent Cyrix chip (486 has on-chip FPU)
High density 5 1/4 inch floppy controller and drive (max. one
floppy controller per system)
Adaptec 1542B
SCSI disks (some reformatting and parameterization may be necessary)
SCSI tapes
[but no other SCSI adaptors; Adaptec 1740 MIGHT work in 1542B mode]
Memory to 16MB for ISA machines; much larger for EISA (not in 0.3, tho)
Ethernet
Western Digital 8003 Ethernet/Starlan adapter:
WD8003E, WD8003EBT, WD8003S, WD8003SBT, WD8013EBT
and WD8013EP
Novell NE2000
Standard PC serial (aka COM) ports, including NS16550AF UARTs
(up to 4 ports with reconfiguration)
1200-9600 baud serial mice (e.g., Logitech))
*NO* Multiport serial cards yet (working on it!)
SVGA displays (usually requiring about 1 MB of memory for high res.)
SuperVGA Cards for X11r5 Max Res ChipSet
-------------------------------------------------------
Compuadd Hi-Rez card w/1meg 1024x768 ET4000
Diamond SpeedStar 1024x768 ET4000
EIZO MD-10 800x600 ET3000
GENOA 5300/5400 800x600 ET3000
GENOA 6400 800x600 GVGA
Optima Mega/1024 1024x768 ET4000
Orchid ProDesigner 800x600 ET3000
Orchid ProDesigner II/1024 1024x768 ET4000
Paradise VGA Professional 640x480 PVGA1A
Paradise VGA 1024 640x480 WD90C00
Sigma Legend 1024x768 ET4000
STB PowerGraph w/1meg 1024x768 ET4000
Swan SVGA with VCO chip 1024x768 ET4000
TRICOM Mega/1024 1024x768 ET4000
The Orchid co-processor is *not* supported.
Standard configuration:
Device Port IRQ DRQ
---------------------------------------------------
Floppy 0x3f0 6 2
1st hard disk 0x1f0 14
2nd hard disk 0x170 15
First com port 0x3f8 4
Second com 0x2f8 3
WD Ethernet 0x280 9/2 (iomem=0xd0000)
Novell Ethernet 0x320 9/2
Tape 0x300 5 1
Adaptec 1542B 0x330 11 5
Contact Jeff Polk (p...@bsdi.com) for further information.
Rob
--
/\ Rob Kolstad Berkeley Software Design, Inc.
/\/ \ kols...@bsdi.com 7759 Delmonico Drive
/ / \ 719-593-9445 Colorado Springs, CO 80919
|