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diff --git a/Documentation/Changes b/Documentation/Changes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cb2b141 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/Changes @@ -0,0 +1,396 @@ +Intro +===== + +This document is designed to provide a list of the minimum levels of +software necessary to run the 2.6 kernels, as well as provide brief +instructions regarding any other "Gotchas" users may encounter when +trying life on the Bleeding Edge. If upgrading from a pre-2.4.x +kernel, please consult the Changes file included with 2.4.x kernels for +additional information; most of that information will not be repeated +here. Basically, this document assumes that your system is already +functional and running at least 2.4.x kernels. + +This document is originally based on my "Changes" file for 2.0.x kernels +and therefore owes credit to the same people as that file (Jared Mauch, +Axel Boldt, Alessandro Sigala, and countless other users all over the +'net). + +Current Minimal Requirements +============================ + +Upgrade to at *least* these software revisions before thinking you've +encountered a bug! If you're unsure what version you're currently +running, the suggested command should tell you. + +Again, keep in mind that this list assumes you are already +functionally running a Linux 2.4 kernel. Also, not all tools are +necessary on all systems; obviously, if you don't have any ISDN +hardware, for example, you probably needn't concern yourself with +isdn4k-utils. + +o Gnu C 3.2 # gcc --version +o Gnu make 3.79.1 # make --version +o binutils 2.12 # ld -v +o util-linux 2.10o # fdformat --version +o module-init-tools 0.9.10 # depmod -V +o e2fsprogs 1.29 # tune2fs +o jfsutils 1.1.3 # fsck.jfs -V +o reiserfsprogs 3.6.3 # reiserfsck -V 2>&1|grep reiserfsprogs +o xfsprogs 2.6.0 # xfs_db -V +o pcmciautils 004 # pccardctl -V +o quota-tools 3.09 # quota -V +o PPP 2.4.0 # pppd --version +o isdn4k-utils 3.1pre1 # isdnctrl 2>&1|grep version +o nfs-utils 1.0.5 # showmount --version +o procps 3.2.0 # ps --version +o oprofile 0.9 # oprofiled --version +o udev 081 # udevinfo -V +o grub 0.93 # grub --version + +Kernel compilation +================== + +GCC +--- + +The gcc version requirements may vary depending on the type of CPU in your +computer. + +Make +---- + +You will need Gnu make 3.79.1 or later to build the kernel. + +Binutils +-------- + +Linux on IA-32 has recently switched from using as86 to using gas for +assembling the 16-bit boot code, removing the need for as86 to compile +your kernel. This change does, however, mean that you need a recent +release of binutils. + +System utilities +================ + +Architectural changes +--------------------- + +DevFS has been obsoleted in favour of udev +(http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/hotplug/) + +32-bit UID support is now in place. Have fun! + +Linux documentation for functions is transitioning to inline +documentation via specially-formatted comments near their +definitions in the source. These comments can be combined with the +SGML templates in the Documentation/DocBook directory to make DocBook +files, which can then be converted by DocBook stylesheets to PostScript, +HTML, PDF files, and several other formats. In order to convert from +DocBook format to a format of your choice, you'll need to install Jade as +well as the desired DocBook stylesheets. + +Util-linux +---------- + +New versions of util-linux provide *fdisk support for larger disks, +support new options to mount, recognize more supported partition +types, have a fdformat which works with 2.4 kernels, and similar goodies. +You'll probably want to upgrade. + +Ksymoops +-------- + +If the unthinkable happens and your kernel oopses, you may need the +ksymoops tool to decode it, but in most cases you don't. +In the 2.6 kernel it is generally preferred to build the kernel with +CONFIG_KALLSYMS so that it produces readable dumps that can be used as-is +(this also produces better output than ksymoops). +If for some reason your kernel is not build with CONFIG_KALLSYMS and +you have no way to rebuild and reproduce the Oops with that option, then +you can still decode that Oops with ksymoops. + +Module-Init-Tools +----------------- + +A new module loader is now in the kernel that requires module-init-tools +to use. It is backward compatible with the 2.4.x series kernels. + +Mkinitrd +-------- + +These changes to the /lib/modules file tree layout also require that +mkinitrd be upgraded. + +E2fsprogs +--------- + +The latest version of e2fsprogs fixes several bugs in fsck and +debugfs. Obviously, it's a good idea to upgrade. + +JFSutils +-------- + +The jfsutils package contains the utilities for the file system. +The following utilities are available: +o fsck.jfs - initiate replay of the transaction log, and check + and repair a JFS formatted partition. +o mkfs.jfs - create a JFS formatted partition. +o other file system utilities are also available in this package. + +Reiserfsprogs +------------- + +The reiserfsprogs package should be used for reiserfs-3.6.x +(Linux kernels 2.4.x). It is a combined package and contains working +versions of mkreiserfs, resize_reiserfs, debugreiserfs and +reiserfsck. These utils work on both i386 and alpha platforms. + +Xfsprogs +-------- + +The latest version of xfsprogs contains mkfs.xfs, xfs_db, and the +xfs_repair utilities, among others, for the XFS filesystem. It is +architecture independent and any version from 2.0.0 onward should +work correctly with this version of the XFS kernel code (2.6.0 or +later is recommended, due to some significant improvements). + +PCMCIAutils +----------- + +PCMCIAutils replaces pcmcia-cs (see below). It properly sets up +PCMCIA sockets at system startup and loads the appropriate modules +for 16-bit PCMCIA devices if the kernel is modularized and the hotplug +subsystem is used. + +Pcmcia-cs +--------- + +PCMCIA (PC Card) support is now partially implemented in the main +kernel source. The "pcmciautils" package (see above) replaces pcmcia-cs +for newest kernels. + +Quota-tools +----------- + +Support for 32 bit uid's and gid's is required if you want to use +the newer version 2 quota format. Quota-tools version 3.07 and +newer has this support. Use the recommended version or newer +from the table above. + +Intel IA32 microcode +-------------------- + +A driver has been added to allow updating of Intel IA32 microcode, +accessible as a normal (misc) character device. If you are not using +udev you may need to: + +mkdir /dev/cpu +mknod /dev/cpu/microcode c 10 184 +chmod 0644 /dev/cpu/microcode + +as root before you can use this. You'll probably also want to +get the user-space microcode_ctl utility to use with this. + +Powertweak +---------- + +If you are running v0.1.17 or earlier, you should upgrade to +version v0.99.0 or higher. Running old versions may cause problems +with programs using shared memory. + +udev +---- +udev is a userspace application for populating /dev dynamically with +only entries for devices actually present. udev replaces the basic +functionality of devfs, while allowing persistent device naming for +devices. + +FUSE +---- + +Needs libfuse 2.4.0 or later. Absolute minimum is 2.3.0 but mount +options 'direct_io' and 'kernel_cache' won't work. + +Networking +========== + +General changes +--------------- + +If you have advanced network configuration needs, you should probably +consider using the network tools from ip-route2. + +Packet Filter / NAT +------------------- +The packet filtering and NAT code uses the same tools like the previous 2.4.x +kernel series (iptables). It still includes backwards-compatibility modules +for 2.2.x-style ipchains and 2.0.x-style ipfwadm. + +PPP +--- + +The PPP driver has been restructured to support multilink and to +enable it to operate over diverse media layers. If you use PPP, +upgrade pppd to at least 2.4.0. + +If you are not using udev, you must have the device file /dev/ppp +which can be made by: + +mknod /dev/ppp c 108 0 + +as root. + +Isdn4k-utils +------------ + +Due to changes in the length of the phone number field, isdn4k-utils +needs to be recompiled or (preferably) upgraded. + +NFS-utils +--------- + +In 2.4 and earlier kernels, the nfs server needed to know about any +client that expected to be able to access files via NFS. This +information would be given to the kernel by "mountd" when the client +mounted the filesystem, or by "exportfs" at system startup. exportfs +would take information about active clients from /var/lib/nfs/rmtab. + +This approach is quite fragile as it depends on rmtab being correct +which is not always easy, particularly when trying to implement +fail-over. Even when the system is working well, rmtab suffers from +getting lots of old entries that never get removed. + +With 2.6 we have the option of having the kernel tell mountd when it +gets a request from an unknown host, and mountd can give appropriate +export information to the kernel. This removes the dependency on +rmtab and means that the kernel only needs to know about currently +active clients. + +To enable this new functionality, you need to: + + mount -t nfsd nfsd /proc/fs/nfsd + +before running exportfs or mountd. It is recommended that all NFS +services be protected from the internet-at-large by a firewall where +that is possible. + +Getting updated software +======================== + +Kernel compilation +****************** + +gcc +--- +o <ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gcc/> + +Make +---- +o <ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/make/> + +Binutils +-------- +o <ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/devel/binutils/> + +System utilities +**************** + +Util-linux +---------- +o <ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/> + +Ksymoops +-------- +o <ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/ksymoops/v2.4/> + +Module-Init-Tools +----------------- +o <ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/rusty/modules/> + +Mkinitrd +-------- +o <ftp://rawhide.redhat.com/pub/rawhide/SRPMS/SRPMS/> + +E2fsprogs +--------- +o <http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/e2fsprogs/e2fsprogs-1.29.tar.gz> + +JFSutils +-------- +o <http://jfs.sourceforge.net/> + +Reiserfsprogs +------------- +o <http://www.namesys.com/pub/reiserfsprogs/reiserfsprogs-3.6.3.tar.gz> + +Xfsprogs +-------- +o <ftp://oss.sgi.com/projects/xfs/download/> + +Pcmciautils +----------- +o <ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/pcmcia/> + +Pcmcia-cs +--------- +o <http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/> + +Quota-tools +---------- +o <http://sourceforge.net/projects/linuxquota/> + +DocBook Stylesheets +------------------- +o <http://nwalsh.com/docbook/dsssl/> + +XMLTO XSLT Frontend +------------------- +o <http://cyberelk.net/tim/xmlto/> + +Intel P6 microcode +------------------ +o <http://www.urbanmyth.org/microcode/> + +Powertweak +---------- +o <http://powertweak.sourceforge.net/> + +udev +---- +o <http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/hotplug/udev.html> + +FUSE +---- +o <http://sourceforge.net/projects/fuse> + +Networking +********** + +PPP +--- +o <ftp://ftp.samba.org/pub/ppp/ppp-2.4.0.tar.gz> + +Isdn4k-utils +------------ +o <ftp://ftp.isdn4linux.de/pub/isdn4linux/utils/isdn4k-utils.v3.1pre1.tar.gz> + +NFS-utils +--------- +o <http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=14> + +Iptables +-------- +o <http://www.iptables.org/downloads.html> + +Ip-route2 +--------- +o <ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/net/ip-routing/iproute2-2.2.4-now-ss991023.tar.gz> + +OProfile +-------- +o <http://oprofile.sf.net/download/> + +NFS-Utils +--------- +o <http://nfs.sourceforge.net/> + |
