Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.kei.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!EU.net!sun4nl!cs.vu.nl!kjb
From: kjb@cs.vu.nl (Kees J Bot)
Subject: Re: 2+ Questions
Nntp-Posting-Host: hornet.cs.vu.nl
References: <48p3n6$elf@sam.inforamp.net>
Sender: news@cs.vu.nl
Organization: Fac. Wiskunde & Informatica, VU, Amsterdam
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 1995 16:04:12 GMT
Message-ID: <DICnB0.C33.0.-s@cs.vu.nl>
Lines: 49

ssawni@inforamp.net (Sanjeev Sawni) writes:

>1. I recompiled the Kernel with : make hdtest  -- and now the ps
>command gives errors -- namely the oops got a signal 11/use updated
>versions of the prog. ...

There are three methods to make a new kernel, the first two

	make hdtest
	make fdboot

are to make a test kernel on the hard disk, or to make a boot floppy for
the system with this kernel.  The third method is

	make hdinstall

to install a new kernel image into the proper place: /minix.  The reason
for having hdtest and hdinstall is because a new kernel may be buggy
or misconfigured.  If the test kernel doesn't work then you can still
boot your system with the old kernel.

Now the nice thing about hdinstall is that it also takes care of
updating /etc/psdatabase, something hdtest and fdboot do not.  There is
just one catch though, if the kernel has been changed in the bits ps
looks at then ps needs to be recompiled.  (Ps needs the layouts of the
process and task tables.)  (Hmm, it might be a good idea to move 'ps'
into src/tools and recompile it as part of hdinstall.  It might also be
a good idea to put the addresses ps needs into known places in memory
where ps can find them.  Exit psdatabase...)

>2. Whats the difference between Minix-vm and Minix 1.7.1 -- apparently
>an article here indicated that 1.7.1 is more advanced and K. Bot might
>bring Minix-vm up to date.

Minix-386vm differs by being about twice as big in features, bugs, and
bloatedness.  It has virtual memory to confuse the CPU, paging to
confuse the disk, and X11 to confuse your eyes.

The standard Minix 1.7.1 version is in a way more advanced than the
Minix-386vm 1.6.25.1 version because it has all the latest updates to
the drivers, more boot monitor features, etc, etc.  All the extra
things that make it more bearable to use.  1.6.25.1 is also still a
patch set to Minix 1.5.

I'm busy cooking up a new version, but standard Minix keeps getting in
the way.
--
	                        Kees J. Bot  (kjb@cs.vu.nl)
	              Systems Programmer, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
