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Date:      Sun, 12 Jan 1997 15:53:57 +0100
From:      Eivind Eklund <eivind@dimaga.com>
To:        hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Numerous minor with 2.1.6
Message-ID:  <3.0.32.19970112155356.009c1100@dimaga.com>

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I did an install of FreeBSD 2.1.6 about 2 weeks ago, and encountered quite
a few problems.  (Some of them have been reported to the "right person"
already, but I'll just repeat problems with solutions here for hackers
benefit)

Cronologically:
1) After having loaded the kernel, just after starting "init" (sysinstall),
the system froze, but the VTYs worked.  (Seems to have been an IO-area
conflict; it went away when I twiddled jumpers).  Could be auto-detectable?

2) The description of proxy-FTP in the handbook leaves much to be desired;
I had a lot of work finding how to do it.  (Suggestion for revised
handbook-entry sent to doc-mailing-list) - shorty: use options to set
ftp@ftp.freebsd.org as your FTP username, your@email.address as password,
and use ftp://your.proxy.server:[port]/pub/FreeBSD as install URL.
(Replace [port] with appropriate port number)

3) Many packages missed (I don't know exactly which, due to having set 'yes
to all non-critical questions') - no solution.  (Except using ports to
install them afterwards)

4) FreeBSD happily wrote a non-functioning boot-manager on my dangerously
dedicated disk.  Solution: Don't do that.  (I ended up bringing the box to
another location which already had a FreeBSD-machine, 

5) The emacs package didn't work - it needed compat_20, which wasn't a
dependency.  Solution: Problem should be gone - thanks to Asami and Jordan.
(I did my own version of compat_20 - copying the required libraries from
another box I had)

6) The emacs port wouldn't compile - it just looped, configuring.
Solution: Should be fixed now - I ended up replacing the libraries, as per
above.  (I could also have configured emacs by hand)

7) The lynx port was 2.5FM - which no longer exist on the FTP sites
mentioned.   Solution: I grabbed the -current ports collection, and
installed 2.6FM from it.  Not free of problems - the MD5 checksum was wrong
(but the program worked when I disabled MD5).

8) The version of X downloaded is for 2.2 - it requires libc.so.3.0
I've reported this to jmz@freebsd.org (maintainer for the port), but don't
know if it has been fixed (no reply yet).  Solution for me: download the
2.1.5 archives from xfree86.cdrom.com, and replace the distribution.

9) SERIOUS: XFree86 _rebooted_ the box when /dev/mouse was linked to
/dev/mse0 and I ran a config with "Microsoft" as mouse protocol.  /dev/mse0
was NOT configured by the kernel (but should have been).  Solution for me:
Use a serial mouse instead of a BusMouse - but not a good solution.

10) XFree86 3.2 would detect my Matrox Millenium 2064W, and all
documentation claim that the SVGA server support it - but it didn't work.
Would work using the XF86_VGA16 server, though.  Solution for me:  I'll
switch to AccelleratedX, which worked fine (the demo at least).

The two latter problems occured on a PPro (Asus Motherboard) with 64 MB
RAM, a 1542CF ISA controller with a 1.7GB Micropolis, no floppy, no IDE
drives, no CD-ROM, a Matrox Millenium 2064W with 8MB RAM (american
version), and no other cards.

This is more distribution-problems than I like.  FreeBSD runs very nicely
once it is up, but I must admit to having had my share of problems getting
it up and running, which is unfortunate, as I would have liked to be able
to say it is easier than installing Linux :(

Eivind Eklund / perhaps@yes.no / http://maybe.yes.no/perhaps/




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