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diff --git a/contrib/top/README b/contrib/top/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000..82631a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/contrib/top/README @@ -0,0 +1,178 @@ + TOP + Version 3.4 + + William LeFebvre + and a cast of dozens + + +If you do not want to read this entire file, then at least read +the section at the end entitled "KNOWN PROBLEMS". + +If you are having any problems getting top to work, please read the +file "FAQ" *before* contacting me. Thank you. + +"top" is a program that will give continual reports about the state of +the system, including a list of the top cpu using processes. Version 3 +of "top" has three primary design goals: provide an accurate snapshot of +the system and process state, not be one of the top processes itself, be +as portable as possible. + +Version 3 has many bug fixes from version 2.5, and it has also been +reorganized in a major way to make it easy to port to other platforms. +All system dependent code is now contained in one file. + +Top now includes a configuration script called "Configure". It helps +the installer choose the correct parameters for this particular +installation. This script MUST be run before attempting to compile top. + +Top requires read access to the memory files "/dev/kmem" and "/dev/mem" +as well as the system image "/vmunix". Some installations have these +files protected from general access. These sites would have to install +this program in the same way that programs such as "ps" are installed. +In addition, on those Unix variants that support the proc filesystem +(such as SVR4 and Solaris 2), top requires read access to all the files +in /proc: typically dictating that top be installed setuid to root. + +CAVEAT: version 3 of top has internal commands that kill and renice +processes. Although I have taken steps to insure that top makes +appropriate checks with these commands, I cannot guarantee that these +internal commands are totally secure. IF YOU INSTALL top as a SETUID +program, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! I realize that some operating +systems will require top to run setuid, and I will do everything I can +to make sure that top is a secure setuid program. + +Configure will ask you to input values for certain parameters. Before +each parameter, Configure will display a description of what the +parameter does. Read the description and choose an appropriate value. +Sometimes a default will appear in brackets. Typing just return will +choose the default. + +System support now takes the form of "modules". Adding support for +a different architecture requires only adding a module. Configure +asks which module to use when it is configuring top. See the file +"Porting" for a description of how to write your own module. + +To compile and install "top", read the file "INSTALL" and follow the +directions and advice contained therein. + +Once you have created a binary for one particular type of machine, you +can reconfigure for another type with "./Configure modulename" where +"modulename" is replaced with the appropriate module name. All other +parameter values are kept the same. Note that in some cases this may +not be appropriate. + +If you make any kind of change to "top" that you feel would be +beneficial to others who use this program, or if you find and fix a bug, +please send me the change. + +Be sure to read the FAQ enclosed with the distrubution. It contains +answers to the most commonly asked questions about the configuration, +installation, and operation of top. + +AVAILABILITY + +The latest version of "top" is now being made available via anonymous +FTP from the host "ftp.groupsys.com" in the directory "/pub/top". +Additional modules will be made available in the directory +"/pub/top/m". The site "eecs.nwu.edu" will continue to house copies +of the distribution as well. + +Here are HTML links for the two best "top" archive sites: + +<A HREF="ftp://ftp.groupsys.com/pub/top>Top archive (groupsys.com)</A> +<A HREF="ftp://eecs.nwu.edu/pub/top>Top archive (eecs.nwu.edu)</A> + +New releases will be posted to comp.sources.unix as they become +available. Sites which arhive that newsgroup will also contain copies +of the distribution. + +KNOWN PROBLEMS: + +Gnu CC + +Compiling via Gnu CC continued to be the source of most of the +questions I receive. By far the most common mistake made by those +attempting to compile top with Gnu CC is out of date include files. +When the operating system is upgraded, the include files that are part +of the gcc package MUST also be updated. Gcc maintains its own +include files. Even a minor OS upgrade can involve changes to some of +the kernel's internal data structures, which are defined in include +files in "sys". Top is very sensitive to these changes. If you are +compiling with gcc and experience any sort of strange problems, please +make sure the include files you are using are up to date BEFORE +sending me a bug report. Look in the gcc source distribution for the +shell script "fixincludes". + +HP/UX 10.10 + +In their infinite wisdom, the folks at HP have decided that mere mortals +such as you and I don't need to know what the kernel's proc structure looks +like. To that end, they have removed all useful content from the include +file <sys/proc.h> in version 10.10. As a result, top will not compile +under 10.10. What HP is trying to accomplish with this move is to force +iconoclasts such as myself to use "pstat" for collecting all process +information. I have no immediate solution for this problem, but hope to +obtain a sufficiently complete definition of "struct proc" at some point in +the near future. Stay tuned. + +DIGITAL UNIX 4.0 (DECOSF/1 V4.0) + +A user has reported that idle processes are not displayed regardless +of the flags used when invoking top. We have not had time to track +this problem down. + +DECOSF/1 V3.0 + +There is a bug either in the module, in utils.c, or in DEC's optimizer that +is tickled by the decosf1 module when compiled under V3.0 (and perhaps +earlier versions). Top compiled using DEC's compiler with optimization +will consistently produce a segmentation fault (in format_next_process +while calling sprintf). To work around this problem, either compile top +with gcc or turn off optimization (compile without -O). We think that +one of the bugs fixed in utils.c fixed this problem as well, but we are +not certain. + + +System V R 4.2 + +Load average and memory displays do not work. The problem has been +traced down to a potential bug in the "mem" driver. The author +of the svr42 module is working on a fix. + + + +GRATITUDE + +My perpetual thanks to all the people who have helped me support top +on so many platforms. Without these people, top would not be what it +is. Here is a partial list of contributors and other individuals. + + Robert Boucher <boucher@sofkin.ca> + Marc Cohen <marc@aai.com> + David Cutter <dpc@grail.com> + Casper Dik <casper@fwi.uva.nl> + Charles Hedrick <hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu> + Andrew Herbert <andrew@werple.apana.org.au> + Jeff Janvrin <jeff.janvrin@columbiasc.ncr.com> + Torsten Kasch <torsten@techfak.uni-bielefeld.de> + Petri Kutvonen <kutvonen@cs.helsinki.fi> + William L. Jones <jones@chpc> + Tim Pugh <tpugh@oce.orst.edu> + Steve Scherf <scherf@swdc.stratus.com> + Phillip Wu <pwu01@qantek.com.au> + +(My apologies if I missed anyone.) + + +AUTHOR + + William LeFebvre + Group sys Consulting + wnl@groupsys.com + + + U.S. Mail address: + William LeFebvre + 170 Colton Crest Drive + Alpharetta, GA 30202 + (770) 813-3224 |