Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Favored Minix Version?
References: <20010620.15495800@geode.is.cshl.org> <slrn9jmccc.hhe.pino+comp_os_minix@mud.stack.nl> <20010628.16162000@geode.cshl.org>
Organization: Minix
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From: philip@pch.home.cs.vu.nl (Philip Homburg)
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 19:54:34 +0200
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In article <20010628.16162000@geode.cshl.org>,  <thegun@optonline.net> wrote:
>I have tried to compile GCC from the VMD distributed source, but to no
>avail.  I have completely reinstalled my system four times and used the
>
>config.minix and make.minix scripts.  I have even tried to compile
>GCC-1.4.2.  The biggest problem I have with much software is that
>although it supports Minix, uname reports "Minix-vmd" and not "Minix".

I don't think you want to compile gcc. The problem with minix-vmd (one of the
problems, there are many) is that the lastest official distribution is quite
old. The gcc sources are not part of that distribution, so there is chance
that they require a later version. And even then, compiling gcc is tricky.
Where did you get the gcc sources? The one on www.minix-vmd.org is 2.7.2 and
not 1.4.2.

>Is there a way to fix this?  Also, a lot of software needs REAL GCC - not
>the linked CC, and some things would really like G++.  Do you know how to
>compile GCC on VMD so that I can use additional sofware?

Gcc binaries are available for Minix-vmd. I'm not sure about g++. There is
something but I'm not sure how complete it is.

>I like X on VMD - it is quite useful.  However, I would like to know if
>there are any software sites that supply ported code for Motif (does
>anyone besides me still use mwm?) and also some other apps.  Will some of
>the Linux code port nicely?

I don't think there is Motif. In general, X applications are not hard to port
as long as they are pure X. As soon as they start using there own sockets, 
start calling select, etc., it is quite a bit of work to port such an
application. 

>Does this mean that Minix does have sockets?  Would I be able to use
>plain Minix for some network tasks?  Also, what are some key issues when
>porting?

Both Minix and Minix-vmd have the same interface to the network, but it isn't
sockets. The key issues are: you have to use a completely different set of
calls. There is no select. For Minix, there is nothing that allows you to
simulate select. For Minix-vmd, there is asynchronous I/O.

>> It all depends on what you want to do with the system. Minix 2.0.2 is
>> a bit more 'modern' in some respects.
>
>I beg to differ, in that VMD makes an attempt at sanity in terms of
>startup and very structured filesystems.

Minix-vmd is a playground for new ideas. The goal of Minix is to be
understandable by a CS student.




					Philip Homburg
