From: jimmyhua@aludra.usc.edu (Jimmy Huang) Subject: SLS 1.01 Installation. READ THIS if you got problems. Date: 23 Apr 1993 11:13:29 -0700
It turns out, the latest release of SLS 1.01 from 4-18-93 to
4-22-93 (I'm hoping it was fixed already ;0 ). IS BUGGY!
It's missing something really important, the shared libraries
of 4.3.3. So, if you're just installing it now, go grab them
and install that at the same time using sysinstall or something.
ftp sunsite.unc.edu /pub/Linux/packages/GCC/Imagelib4.3.3.tar.Z
or something to that effect, I don't quite remember.
If you've installed it already and it works, one of the following
things happened a) they fixed it already b) you haven't rebooted
your computer c) you changed the symbolic link of libc.so.4@ to
libc.so.4.0.0 so you have somekind of shared lib.
if b==true. DOn't panic, either get the new libs fast, and
install them.
if you rebooted your machine already and having massing problems,
don't worry there's a solution.
Remember disk A1? It's a boot disk using lilo right? Well, somehow
if you boot it, it still boots part of what's in A1. So stick A1 in,
hold down the ALT key, then boot your Linux that way.
Though i've never tried it yet. I'm hoping that A1 would still be
mounted and so you'll have access to it's bin commands like ls, cd,
mv etc. The commands in A1, are self-contained, and so you can access
your HD, and make changes.
c), This is what I did before rebooting, as I *don't* or didn't
follow the instructions of (okay, you can now reboot ;0 ). This is
fine too. *BUT*, and it's a big one, be careful when switching over
to the new libs. YOU *NEED* a static copy of the following commands..
ls, cd, mv, ln. (Well, just to be safe, if you're lazy, all you need
is probably ln -- if you know your directory structure well).
Hopefully, this helps. But i'm sure it really quite isn't enough, as
it doesn't describe my situation and how I got into it ;(. So here's
my story ;).
I did c), not exactly though. i did a mv libc.so.4.0.0 to libc.so.4.3.3,
then rebooted. Everything worked ;). Then, i munged part 2. I wanted
the new libs, Downloaded it, and extracted it. tar wouldn't (wasn't
willing to overwrite libc.so4.3.3 (darn).
So I said, just for a *SHORT* while, maybe i won't need the libs. (I
mean, it was working while i installed, and I could still mv right????
NOT!!!, I did mv libc.so.4.3.3 to libc.so.4.0.0 And midway the machine
just halted. (A big oooopppps).
Then, i remember reading somewhere, that disk A1 could be used in such
crisis. I slapped it in, and booted the installation process. I tried
mount -t ext2fs /dev/hdb1 /mnt
guess? Kernel does not support ext2fs!!, yuck. my root parition was ext2fs.
So, then I tried something stupid => mount -t xiafs /dev/hdb1 /mnt.
guess? Kernel does not support xiafs??? (i think maybe bug)
Then, i did a real stupid thing -> mount -t minix /dev/hdb1 /mnt
guess? partition not recognized, (actually it said something like
/mnt busy or some other strange error. )
I was thinking now what? I then tried, hey, i'll force my way into my
HD. So I tried, doinstall /dev/hdb1. It said, /mnt and /root busy.
and that /dev/hdb1 already mounted!! I was thinking, hey where? I need
it!!! (I had other stuff in there too ;( ).
i was then thinking, maybe i got it, then it kicked me out. So i did,
e2fsck /dev/hdb1. And it said, Superblock error!!!@!, Hey, if you
documentors are out there -> document this!, e2fsck should say
something other than -> no man page for e2fsck. The options don't
make sense except maybe -v means verbose ;(.
So i said, lets try fixing it. I did e2fsck -av /dev/hdb1 (dunno what
a does, but it sounded good). It wouldn't fix it. i think -s is for
salvage, so I tried that next, and it wouldn't work either. After
munging through that, I got real frustrated and did something stupid.
I did a mke2fs /dev/hdb1 (HOPING, it won't overwrite anything).
Then, i noticed LILO!, and tried that, and i noticed it still
booted partly off A1, and it may still be mounted, and maybe you could
get your hands on those bin files, and access your HD at the same time.
Guess what happens now when I tried that?? Machine just freezes, as
my Image file was probably wiped out when I did the mke2fs /dev/hdb1.
Wahhh, i had a lot of other stuff in that drive. There's probably
no chance of getting that stuff now.
For those of you who are curious. I had Xega, a semi working version!!!,
Wahh.
I hope this works, and I hope the guy managing SLS, gets it fixed
quick. What else? Any chance of getting the stuff now - i mean
without having to re-ftp, re-download.
Well, i hope this helps people. I think i'm screwed though.
If anyone knows the guy who did Xega, please ask him to redistribut,
with FULL source code. Alot of *.h files missing, and some other
stuff. (he didn't need to include all those lib files, if he included)
the other stuff. Better yet, where can I get Xega (all of it, the source,
bins, docs, etc). yeah yeah yeah, tsx-11.mit.edu, that's where i got the
incomplete version (bunch of *.o's to link and a few *.c's and some
missing stuff).
Well, I'm now in process of re-installation, and re-ftping.
So, now that I *don't* have your attention: Anybody got a cirrus driver
out there??? For X-windows, it's either that or hack on Xega for the
next couple of days.... I want my 1024x768x128 SVGA back!, not that
mungy 600x800x2, (2?) 2 colors? not even that, more like one color ->
white. black is a lack of color thereof.
Also will X makes use of the color on startup? WHen I got Xega to work,
things were still in black and white -> i'm hoping that that was just
the set-up and that the other apps, like xview will show color.
have fun, all my hacking has been lost. I even had a sound drive,
that would play .au files to the PC speaker with AM sound quality :(.
I had ocean cad on my system. I was porting magic, i was, i was .
Ah, forget it. Fatal errors are the total pits or life. ..
Jimmy
p.s. wish list.
an Xconfig, that will work with Cirrus acerelated SVGA.
or an Xserver that does the trick.
-more HD space.
-more docs in sensible places about weird stuff, like e2fsck.
-more RAM (currently have 4 megs only)
-A's in the courses i'm currently getting C's or below in.
-i wanna win the lottery!
-a girlfriend???
-heck i can't think of anymore, lottery, grades, and getting
X to work w/ color are ontop. All of which I have little
control over (dunno how to program drivers). Can't hack
into the lotto database. Can't understand modern physics -
nor want to for that matter.
- happy hacking ;).