Intro
=====

This document is designed to provide a list of the minimum levels of
software necessary to run the 2.1.x 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-2.0.x
kernel, please consult the Changes file included with 2.0.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 2.0.x.

   It 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).  Please feel free to submit changes, corrections, gripes,
flames, money, etc. to me (gt1355b@prism.gatech.edu).  If you do so,
you don't need to bother doing so in the form of a diff, as this is
generated by texinfo so a diff is useless anyway (though I can
incorporate one by hand if you insist upon sending it that way ;-).

Last updated: November 20, 1996.
Current Author: Chris Ricker (gt1355b@prism.gatech.edu).

Current Minimal Requirements
****************************

   Upgrade to at *least* these software revisions before thinking you've
encountered a bug!

- Kernel modules	 2.0.8
- Gnu C 		 2.7.2.1
- Binutils		 2.7.0.3
- Linux C Library	 5.4.12
- Dynamic Linker (ld.so) 1.8.5
- Linux C++ Library	 2.7.2.1
- Procps		 1.01
- SysVinit		 2.64
- Mount                  2.5p
- Net-tools              1.32-alpha
- Kbd                    0.91

Upgrade notes
*************

General Information
===================

   <CTRL><ALT><DEL> now performs a cold reboot instead of a warm reboot
for increased hardware compatibility.  If you want a warm reboot and
know it works on your hardware, add a "reboot=warm" command line option
in Lilo.

Libc
====

   Linux-2.1.x is ELF-only.  You can still compile a.out apps if you
really want, but your kernel must be compiled ELF.  If you can't
currently compile ELF, consult the ELF howto at
http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/ELF-HOWTO.html and upgrade your system
accordingly.

   For modules to work, you need to be running libc-5.4.7 or greater.
Since updates to libc fix other problems as well (security flaws, for
example) and since 5.4.7 is missing a few needed symbols, try to get
the latest 5.4.x you can.  Currently, that is libc-5.4.12.

   If you upgrade to libc-5.4.x, you also have to upgrade your dynamic
linker (ld.so) to at least 1.8.3, or all sorts of weirdness will happen.

Modules
=======

   You need to upgrade to modules-2.0.8 for kernels 2.1.8 and later.
Currently, there is no modules package which works with kernel 2.1.1.

Gnu C
=====

   You need at least GCC 2.7.2 to compile the kernel.  If you're
upgrading from an earlier release, you might as well get GCC 2.7.2.1,
the latest public release.  If you already have GCC 2.7.2 on your
system, you don't have to upgrade just so the kernel will work (though
feel free to upgrade if you want the gcc bug fixes).

How to know the version of the installed programs
*************************************************

   There are some simple methods useful to know the version of the
installed programs and libraries.  The SysVinit version display
requires that you be logged in as root.

Gnu C: gcc -v or gcc --version
Libc: ls -l /lib/libc.so.*
Libc++: ls -l /usr/lib/libg++.so.*
Binutils: ld -v
modules: insmod -V
procps: ps --version
SysVinit: cat /proc/`cat /var/run/syslog.pid`/environ|strings|awk '$1 ~
/INIT_VERSION/ {print}'

Where to get the files
**********************

Binutils
========

ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/packages/GCC/binutils-2.7.0.3.bin.tar.gz
Installation notes:
ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/packages/GCC/release.binutils-2.7.0.3

Gnu C
=====

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/gcc-2.7.2.1.bin.tar.gz
Installation notes:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/release.gcc-2.7.2.1

Linux C Library
===============

The stable 5.2.18 release:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/libc-5.2.18.bin.tar.gz
Installation notes for 5.2.18:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/release.libc-5.2.18

The latest 5.4.12 release (when it gets there):
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/libc-5.4.12.bin.tar.gz
Installation notes for 5.4.12:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/release.libc-5.4.12

Linux C++ Library
=================

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/libg++-2.7.2.1.bin.tar.gz
Installation notes:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/release.libg++-2.7.2.1

Dynamic Linker
==============

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC/ld.so-1.8.5.tar.gz

Modules utilities
=================

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/kernel/v2.1/modules-2.0.8.tar.gz

Procps utilities
================

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/Status/ps/procps-1.01.tgz

SysVinit utilities
==================

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/Daemons/init/sysvinit-2.64.tar.gz

Other Info
==========

   Please remember that most of these utils are available on your
favorite local linux mirror.  If you can, please get them from a closer
site before checking sunsite.

   Also, for those of you running Red Hat (or RPM on a different
distribution), most of these are available in RPM format.  Check around
your favorite Red Hat mirror site before installing the non-RPM
version.  Remember, you might need to use the -force option to get the
upgrade to install.  ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/contrib/ will have almost
everything you need.

   For others, David Bourgin has put together a package of everything
necessary to quickly and easily upgrade to 2.1.x.  See
ftp://ftp.wsc.com/pub/freeware/linux/update.linux/kernel-v2.1.x/ for
more information and the files.

Please send info about any other packages that 2.1.x "broke" or about
any new features of 2.1.x that require extra or new packages for use to
Chris Ricker (gt1355b@prism.gatech.edu).

