Subject: Linux-Activists Digest #228
From: Digestifier <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 07:13:04 EDT

Linux-Activists Digest #228, Volume #6           Tue, 14 Sep 93 07:13:04 EDT

Contents:
  Re: Mathmatica like package for linux? (Hans Wolfgang Loidl)
  SLIP / PPP ([email-masked])
  SLIP nameserver working now... (Thomas J Bilan)
  Re: Mathmatica like package for linux? (Michael K. Johnson)
  Re: Mathmatica like package for linux? (DAVID L. JOHNSON)
  Port respawning too fast ([email-masked])
  Re: Mathmatica like package for linux? ([email-masked])
  [Help] Bad start-of-data in partition 1. (Kevin Adams)
  End of requ. for install help ([email-masked])
  Re: LINUX IN LA (Timothy E. Neto)
  Re: Bootdisk made by SLS install hangs during boot (John Henders)
  MFM, SCSI & Linux. (C.A. Peskin)
  Re: memtest.c (was Re: Specmarks for Linux ?) (Matthew Hannigan)
  Re: ATI Graphics Ultra Pro VLB 2MB (Kees Metzger)
  Re: S3 Video Chipset/Swapping Problems (Alan Cox)
  Re: BBS package (Datasoft Communications Admin)
  NEW Products for Linux users from JANA Publishing (Info)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc
From: [email-masked] (Hans Wolfgang Loidl)
Subject: Re: Mathmatica like package for linux?
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 22:01:49 GMT

Dear Friends!

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Daniel Garcia) writes:
>
> Hiya alls.  Like the title says, i'm looking for a Mathmatica like package
> for linux.  Right now, i have to log into my system at school to use
> mathmatica, but since we only have one phone line in the dorm room, i would
> like to try to avoid tying up a line like that.
>
> D
>
> --
> Daniel Garcia------------ooOO [email-masked] OOoo--------------Comp Sci Student
>                               Coram Deo
>     These views belong to Daniel Garcia, any flames belong to /dev/null
>   GCS/MU d--() -p+ c++(c+) l++ u+ e+(*) m++(*) s !n h f+ !g w+ t++(--) r+ !y

Thinking of Computer Algebra Systems that have been ported to Linux the
following come to my mind:

1) MuPAD from the University of Paderborn
   You can get it from: Host: ftp.uni-paderborn.de
                        Dir:  /unix/MuPAD/UNIX
   Claims to have a nice graphical user interface (might be interesting for
   Mathematica fans).
   I have never used it, so I can't compare it with Mathematica.

2) SACLIB from RISC-Linz
   You can get it from: Host: ftp.risc.uni-linz.ac.at
                        Dir:  /pub/saclib
   If you want to program computer algebra algorithms instead of just using
   them, this library of C functions is probably the right thing for you.

I would be interested to hear from other people, who are using Computer Algebra
systems under Linux, what experiences they have made.

I hope that helps a bit,
--
                                    Hans Wolfgang Loidl
                                [email-masked]

============================================================================
| RISC-Linz                                    | Phone: +43 7236 3231-66   |
| Research Institute for Symbolic Computation  | FAX:   +43 7236 3231-30   |
| Johannes Kepler University                   |                           |
| A-4040 Linz, Austria, Europe                 |                           |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Praying is nothing but a strange way of sending mail to God.             |
============================================================================

------------------------------

From: [email-masked]
Subject: SLIP / PPP
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 21:07:55 GMT

[ Article crossposted from comp.os.linux.misc ]
[ Author was [email-masked] ]
[ Posted on Mon, 13 Sep 1993 21:05:24 GMT ]

Hello,
        Could someone please tell me if there is any SLIP software
that can be used with 0.99.pl9 WITHOUT patching the kernel and upping
to "NET-2."
        Also I've been to tsx and sunsite and see kernel upgrade patches
from every version to every version EXCEPT from 99.pl9 to 10 or 11.
        I really need this SLIP or PPP up and running but cannot afford
to reinstall.
        I would really appreciate any input on the best way todo this.
                                        
                                                        Thanx!
                                                        jP

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Thomas J Bilan)
Subject: SLIP nameserver working now...
Date: 14 Sep 1993 02:13:39 GMT

I was originally having problems with the nameserver on campus not serving
me ip addresses.  I erased the domain line in resolv.conf and now just have
the one nameserver line and life is good.

I don't know why it works but it works?@#

Just thought this might be of use to others...

Tom Bilan

-- 
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
$ Department of Death by Engineering   ^   Surgeon General's Warning:        $
$ Michigan State University            ^   Graduate School may cause brain   $
$ [email-masked]                    ^   damage and sporadic loss of hair  $

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Michael K. Johnson)
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Mathmatica like package for linux?
Date: 14 Sep 1993 02:14:40 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Hans Wolfgang Loidl) writes:
   Thinking of Computer Algebra Systems that have been ported to Linux the
   following come to my mind:

   [...]

   I would be interested to hear from other people, who are using Computer Algebra
   systems under Linux, what experiences they have made.

Although it certainly isn't mathmatica, GAP (group theory package)
compiles and runs just fine.  It has a nearly 1000 page manual, which
is both available on-line and in LaTeX form (the on-line manual pages
use the LaTeX source).

Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact name of the site where you
can get it; archie will tell you.  The main distribution site is in
Germany.

michaelkjohnson

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (DAVID L. JOHNSON)
Subject: Re: Mathmatica like package for linux?
Date: 14 Sep 93 00:53:30 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Maximilian Ibel) writes:
>Daniel Garcia ([email-masked]) wrote:
>(deleted)

>Hi There!
>
>There's a Program called muPAD from the university of Paderborn
>in Germany which does not only behave (roughly) as a MAPLE clone,
>but is intended to be used either on parallel machines (sequent, I think),
>or to simulate parallel network topologies on sequential machines.
>It is available for SunOS/OW, for Linux and for Macintoshes.
>It is distributed *for free* to educational institutions.
>
>As far as I know, you can ask for a registration form from:
>[email-masked].
>
Who has experience using this thing?  I have not been able to get it to do 
much.  However, my interests are more analytical than algebraic, and I gather 
that it is primarily based on Pari-gp, which is algebraically-oriented.  

Any reports of things you can do with it are appreciated.

-- 

David L. Johnson                             ID:  [email-masked]
Department of Mathematics
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015       Telephone: 215-758-3759 (office)
                                                        215-282-3708 (home)
#include <std/disclaimer.h>

------------------------------

Subject: Port respawning too fast
From: [email-masked]
Date: 13 Sep 93 18:53:51 -0800

I have created an entry in my inittab for my com1 port on which I have another
terminal with a null modem cable.

I can log on, work, then log off, however on my consople I get the message:
Respawning too fast.  Port disabled for 5 minutes

And then 5 minutes later it says the same thine.
Anyone know how I can fix this?  I am using .99pl12.

-- 
Eric Levinson
[email-masked]      |  Home computer (UUCP)
[email-masked]         |  Vax
I can also be reached on my BBS system, Color Galaxy Milky Way (415) 883-0696

------------------------------

From: [email-masked]
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Mathmatica like package for linux?
Date: 13 Sep 1993 22:54:45 GMT

>>>>> On 11 Sep 93 23:04:04 GMT, [email-masked] (Daniel Garcia) said:
   Daniel> NNTP-Posting-Host: babbage.esu.edu

   Daniel> Hiya alls.  Like the title says, i'm looking for a Mathmatica
   Daniel> like package for linux.  Right now, i have to log into my
   Daniel> system at school to use mathmatica, but since we only have
   Daniel> one phone line in the dorm room, i would like to try to avoid
   Daniel> tying up a line like that.

While Mathematica might not be available, you can always try calc, the
gnu emacs calculator. No, I'm serious! It's sometimes described as "The
Poor Man's Mathematica", and that isn't far off. It can do a surprising
number of things, including symbolic algebra and calculus, linear
algebra, graphing (with gnuplot), statistics, and more.

It does have its drawbacks. It's in elisp, so it's not a speed wonder.
But hey, it's free, it's programmable, and if you get desperate you can
hack the source.

Available from the elisp archive somewhere under
archive.cis.ohio-state.edu:pub/gnu/emacs/elisp-archive.
--
Jin Choi    |NeXTmail, MIME accepted, RIPEM and PGP public keys available
[email-masked] |by finger to monolith.mit.edu and key servers
MD5 of RIPEM Public Key: D262D5F296E23901E064103AB4359F75
        PGP fingerprint: A2 AB 40 DD E9 28 89 34  B0 BE 4E 09 2A 05 E0 2F 

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Kevin Adams)
Subject: [Help] Bad start-of-data in partition 1.
Date: 14 Sep 1993 04:28:29 GMT
Reply-To: [email-masked] (Kevin Adams)

I get the following warning when I do an fdisk verify.

        Warning: Bad start-of-data in partition 1

Can anyone tell me how to fix it and also what causes it?
Thanx MUCHLY!!!

-K-

-- 

------------------------------

From: [email-masked]
Subject: End of requ. for install help
Date: 14 Sep 93 00:11:51 -0600

Just wanted to send a "thankyou" to all who helped with my first-time install
of Linux.  So that others can benefit from my mistakes, I thought I'd outline
a few pointers.  (You may want to save this as a mail file, so that you can
readily send it to other newbies.)

--

1.
When installing Linux first-time, be sure to back up your data.  Even I was
not foolhardy enough to ditch my old DOS data w/o making a few backups (now I
can use them on other DOS boxes.)

2.
The SLS disks are the best way to install Linux, although it may not appear so
for the first time user.  Rather than get all bent out of shape over a few
misunderstood steps, go and find the HOWTO.INSTALL doc somewhere (I found it
in comp.answers).  It's the best time investment you can make!

3.
Be prepared in advance of other people's errors when THEY tried to first
install Linux.  Don't ask the same question that some other guy asked (and had
answered) two weeks ago.  I tried my best, but I'll bet I repeated a few.. 
:-)

4.
Be patient.  You'll probably screw something up somewhere along the line.  Be
calm.  All you've lost (probably) is some time.  Just cool down, and start
over.

5.
Know in advance if you need/want to partition a swap partition, or any other
part's.  This saves hassle (trust me!)

--

Aside from that, the only other comment I feel I should make is that you
should find out in advance what software to install.  It doesn't really affect
the hard stuff (above) but it does save time when you have to install
everything.  For myself, I didn't install everything (chose to have control
over what gets installed) and I may have to reinstall the whole thing again
this wkend.  But that's okay.  I took detailed notes on how I installed Linux. 
I'll be okay (hope).

** IF you are a first-time Linux installee, feel free to email me for my
installation notes.  You may find it interesting and helpful.  :-)

--

[email-masked]

And thanks again for all your help!

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Timothy E. Neto)
Subject: Re: LINUX IN LA
Date: 13 Sep 1993 22:30:33 -0700

[email-masked] (Robert A. Zawarski) writes:

>Have I reached the end? Am I desperate? I guess so.. I really tried
>to get LINUX working but I could only get as far as a-b installtion.
>GCC would never work no matter how I played with the links and the
>libraries and X has been completely out of the question. Is there some
>generous soul in Los Angeles who actually has all of LINUX working that
>would not mind getting together and sharing this holy grail accomplishment?
>My system is a 486-33 Local w/CIRRUS video. Sorry if I sound like I
>don't want to do things for myself, but I have spent many hours downloading
>and installing and have been met with only marginal success.. any help
>would be greatly appreciated.                Robert Zawarski

Hi Robert,

        Unless you are a die hard hacker, want a real big challenge, or
        are hungering for a serious c/Unix/PC learning experience, I
        don't recommend compiling Linux for your system.  Rather, I
        recommend getting either the SLS or Slackware package.  Check
        the appropriate Linux directories in the /pub directory at
        sunsite.unc.edu.

        I recommend them, because your post gives me the indication that
        you are learning Unix, C, and/or PC's.  No offense intended just
        a perception.  Please try one of the afore mentioned packages, I
        believe you'll receive a more enjoyable experience using one of
        them.

        Later...

-- 
Indecision is the key  | Timothy E. Neto                                1  000
to flexibility.        | Neat'o Gadget & Widget Works                   1 0. .0
You can't E-Mail God.  | Unix & X Applications Development              1 0 _ 0
Opinions are all mine. | Seattle, WA   [email-masked]              1  000

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (John Henders)
Subject: Re: Bootdisk made by SLS install hangs during boot
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 02:56:19 GMT

[email-masked] (Brandon S. Allbery) writes:

>And it's hard to recompile 0.99.12 from an 0.99.9 system (needs new gcc, which
>needs new libs, which need new kernel...), and even harder to recompile from a
>DOS system.

        I did it. It's not that hard because the gcc docs are wrong. If 
you install new shared libs, then the compiler and include files, it 
works fine.

-- 
John Henders       GO/MU/E d* -p+ c+++ l++ t- m--- s/++ g+ w+++ -x+

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (C.A. Peskin)
Subject: MFM, SCSI & Linux.
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 05:01:05 GMT

        I intened to construct a system using a WD1003 MFM controler, which
will drive a Seagate ST-251-1 40mb MFM, and a Maxtor Xt2190 160mb MFM
disk drive.  I would also like to use an UltraStor 34F w/ a 340mb Maxtor
SCSI hard disk.  

        My questions are:

        1.  Will this work at all on the same system?
        2.      Which drive must be my C: drive?
        3.      Which controler should I connect a QIC-80 tape backup and floppy
drives to?
        4.      ** In MS-DOS, the Xt2190 is Not supported to be used at a
maximum capacity.  This is because MS-DOS (or the BIOS) does not support
disk drives with cylinders greater than 1024.  The Maxtor Xt2190 has
1224 Cyls.  Under MS-DOS, I ran a device driver to use the extra space.
Will I need a driver under Linux? Shall I partition it using the device
driver (speedstor) under MS-DOS, so I can atleast use the extra space
under MS-DOS?
        5.      How should I set up the AMI Bios?                    
        6.      What is your recomendation concerning how I partition the drives
if I plan to run MS-DOS also.

Thanks to all who can help!!!  
-- 
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Rochester Institute of Technology              Chris A. Peskin  |
|  Electrical Engineering                                          |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+ 

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Matthew Hannigan)
Subject: Re: memtest.c (was Re: Specmarks for Linux ?)
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 07:58:42 GMT

[email-masked] (Bernd Meyer) writes:
>[email-masked] (Matthew Hannigan) writes:
>>I wrote a little program to test memory copies, which copies
>>a 4Mb chunk 64 times.   It takes 54s on a mildly loaded sparc2
>>and about 10s on a very lightly loaded linux dx2/66.

>Linux seems to be cheating somehow - this took only 14 seconds on my
>machine, without accessing swap. And my machine only has 8MB of Ram, so
>there is no way to have both arrays in at the same time. Maybe linux just
>shares the pages with "copy on write"?

I think if this was the case, it would be even faster.
Maybe the performance comes from the large cache on many
PCs.  (256k on mine).

I haven't tried it with the cache turned off.

-Matt

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Kees Metzger)
Subject: Re: ATI Graphics Ultra Pro VLB 2MB
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 09:09:49 GMT

[email-masked] (C.A. Peskin) writes:

>How compatable is ATI's Graphics Ultra Pro VLB
>w/2MB of ram with Linux?   

Works OK. I have only 1MB running 1152x900 but that's the maximum my
monitor (1572FS) can handle anyway.

Kees Metzger
Corporate Automation
Philips International

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Alan Cox)
Subject: Re: S3 Video Chipset/Swapping Problems
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 09:36:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>       1) You're out of pty's -- I think there are only 16 for Linux
>          and no one ever answers questions on how to increase them.
Linux has loads of pty's dynamically allocated as needed. If you want
more use mknod to create some extra entries in /dev.

Alan

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Datasoft Communications Admin)
Subject: Re: BBS package
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 11:02:13 GMT

DEATH TO THE CLIPPER PROJECT ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Kristian Koehntopp) writes:
: > IMHO a BBS setup for UNIX should consist mainly of two parts.
: > 
: > The first is the BBS program in form of a users shell with
: > integrated news and mail users agent. Such a program should
: > utilize native UNIX news and mail transport agents and not try
: > to implement a propietary data format.

: The only problem I see with that is it defeats the purpose of the BBS.

: If a person chooses to run a BBS for UNIX, it's usually because they don't
: want the people to get a shell, and also for ease of use.  Many people are
: accustomed to a 'BBS' type interface, and not to a UNIX shell.

: A BBS allows the SysAdmin to give people an easy interface where they don't
: have to be bothered with accounts, and other functions.

You've missed the point. The above does not say SHELL PROMPT. It says
USER'S SHELL. Two different things. The shell could be a menu program
where the user never sees the shell prompt.

Mark
--
==============================================================================
Mark Buckaway           | [email-masked]   |  DataSoft Communications
DataSoft Communications | uunorth!datasoft!root     |  62 Rock Fernway
System Administrator    | Voice: +1 416 756 4497    |  Willowdale, ON M2J 4N5
==============================================================================
    "UNIX and OS/2 are operating systems. Windows is a shell, and
                         DOS is a boot virus"
==============================================================================

------------------------------

Subject: NEW Products for Linux users from JANA Publishing
From: [email-masked] (Info)
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 00:55:00 -0500

NEW Products And Services from JANA PUBLISHING.

Dear Linux users,

        Here are some good news. JANA Publishing has moved in
with a publishing firm and this has bought in new people and
cash which will help to expand our publishing venture. We are
happy to introduce new products and services.

The largest Linux archive : We have set up a BBS with a 3.4 Gig
hard drive. This BBS will become the largest Linux archive site.
We will be combing TSX-11 and Sunsite. At present if you want to
get software from this site then you have to dial in using a
modem, FTP service will be added soon, but it cost about $1000
bucks to get a 56K line up here in Canada.

Linux Book : We would like to print a book on Linux, If you are
a author who is looking for a publisher for your Linux related
books please E-Mail Jay ([email-masked]), We are interested in
talking to any one who is considering publishing a Linux related
book. A book that's deal with installing Linux, X, TCP/IP etc.
is a interesting one.

CD-ROM Publishing : Every other month we will take software from
our archive site and put that on a CD-ROM and mail it to you.
This CD-ROM will also contains comp.os.linux.* articles also. We
will not compress them so it can be read directly out of the
CD-ROM using software such as tin.

The cost of the subscription is $99.00 for one year (6 CD's ),
or $119 for outside of Canada and USA. If you like you can pay
by the disk. We will mail you a disk and bill you $19.95 which
should be easy on your pockets.

JUL-AUG : JUL-AUG issue was not published since we were in a
transition and moving to a new location. If you have a
subscription then don't worry you will get 6 disks.

SEP-OCT : SEP-OCT disk has been sent to the CD-ROM manufacture,
it should go on mail in about 1-2 weeks. This disk has every
thing from TSX-11. This includes 0.99pl12 of linux and SLS 1.02.

NOV-DEC : This will be the disk from our archive site. This will
include Slackware, SLS and any other linux software that out
there. Also you can install Linux directly from this CD-ROM.

If you have placed a order for a CD-ROM before Sept 10th your
CD's have been shipped and due to the delay you will get a one
additional issue free of charge.

We are looking for distrubuters. There is a increasing demand
from Europe and Asia. If you would like to distribute our CD's
please contact jay ([email-masked]) for volume pricing.

If you have any questions please E-Mail to [email-masked] and
your E-Mail will be replied by any of our new support employees
(Eric, Chris, Milroy and Jay ).

        I will be working behind the scenes to promote linux and
other affordable software. At this time I would like to thank each
and every Linux users who are out there who has helped my
company grow.

Thank you.

Jay
JANA Technologies Group Inc.  <-  Our new name :-)

------------------------------

** FOR YOUR REFERENCE **

The service address, to which questions about the list itself and requests
to be added to or deleted from it should be directed, is:

    Internet: [email-masked]

You can send mail to the entire list (and comp.os.linux) via:

    Internet: [email-masked]

Linux may be obtained via one of these FTP sites:
    nic.funet.fi				pub/OS/Linux
    tsx-11.mit.edu				pub/linux
    tupac-amaru.informatik.rwth-aachen.de	pub/msdos/replace

The current version of Linux is 0.99pl9 released on April 23, 1993

End of Linux-Activists Digest
******************************