diff --git a/share/FAQ/RELNOTES.FreeBSD b/share/FAQ/RELNOTES.FreeBSD new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..0b8842510feb --- /dev/null +++ b/share/FAQ/RELNOTES.FreeBSD @@ -0,0 +1,318 @@ + RELEASE NOTES + FreeBSD + Release 2.0 + +1. Technical overview +--------------------- + +FreeBSD is a freely available, full source 4.4 BSD Lite based release +for Intel i386/i486/Pentium (or compatable) based PC's. It is based +primarily on software from U.C. Berkeley's CSRG group, with some +enhancements from NetBSD, 386BSD, and the Free Software Foundation. + +Since our first release of FreeBSD 1.0 almost 18 months ago, FreeBSD +has changed almost entirely. A new port from the Berkeley 4.4 code +base was done, bringing the legal status of the system out of the +shadows with the blessing of Novell (new owners of USL and UNIX). The +port to 4.4 has also brought in a host of new features, filesystems +and networking support. With our new code base, we have every hope of +being able to confidently release quality operating systems without +further legal encumbrance for some time to come! + +FreeBSD 2.0 represents the culmination of almost 2 years of work and +many thousands of man hours put in by our all-volunteer working group. +We hope you enjoy it! + +Many packages have also been upgraded or added, such as XFree86 3.1, +xview 3.2, elm, nntp, mh, InterViews and dozens of other miscellaneous +utilities have been ported and are now available as add-ons. See the +next section of this document for more details. + +For a list of contributors, please see the files "CONTRIB.FreeBSD" and +"CONTRIB.386BSD", which should be bundled with your distribution. + +Also see the new "REGISTER.FreeBSD" file for information on registering +with the "Free BSD user counter". We've also provided a list of who's +responsible for what (so that you may query them directly) in the +"ROSTER.FreeBSD" file; use of this file is encouraged to ensure faster +resolution of an problems you may have! + +The core of FreeBSD does not contain DES code which would inhibit its +being exported outside the United States. There is an add-on package +to the core distribution, for use only in the United States, that +contains the programs that normally use DES. The auxilliary packages +provided separately can be used by anyone. A freely (from outside the U.S.) +exportable European distribution of DES for our non U.S. users also exists +and is described in the FreeBSD FAQ. + + +2. Supported Configurations +--------------------------- + +FreeBSD currently runs on a wide variety of ISA, EISA and PCI bus based +PC's, ranging from 386sx to Pentium class machines (though the 386sx is +not recommended). Support for generic IDE or ESDI drive configurations, +various SCSI controller, network and serial cards is also provided. + +Following is a list of all currently known disk controllers and +ethernet cards known to work with FreeBSD. Other configurations may +very well work, and we have simply not received any indication of +this. + + +2.1. Disk Controllers + +WD1003 (any generic MFM/RLL) +WD1007 (any generic IDE/ESDI) + +Adaptec 154x series ISA SCSI controllers +Adaptec 174x series EISA SCSI controller in standard and enhanced mode. + +[Note that Buslogic was formerly known as "Bustec"] +Buslogic 545S & 545c +Buslogic 445S/445c VLB SCSI controller +Buslogic 742A, 747S, 747c EISA SCSI controller. +Buslogic 946c PCI SCSI controller + +NCR 53C810 PCI SCSI controller. + +DTC 3290 EISA SCSI controller in 1542 emulation mode. + +Ultra Store 14F, 24F and 34F SCSI controllers. + +Seagate ST01/02 SCSI controllers. + +Future Domain 8xx/950 series SCSI controllers. + +With all supported SCSI controllers, full support is provided for +SCSI-I & SCSI-II peripherals, including Disks, tape drives (including +DAT) and CD ROM drives. Note: This and the mcd driver (Mitsumi CDROM +interface card) is the only way a CD ROM drive may be currently +attached to a FreeBSD system; we do not support SoundBlaster CDROM +interface, or other "non-SCSI" adapters. The ProAudio Spectrum +SCSI and SoundBlaster SCSI controllers are supported. + +Some controllers have limitations with the way they deal with >16MB of +memory, due to the fact that the ISA bus only has a DMA address space +of 24 bits. If you do your arithmetic, you'll see that this makes it +impossible to do direct DMA to any address >16MB. This limitation is +even true of some EISA controllers (which are normally 32 bit) when +they're configured to emulate an ISA card, which they then do in *all* +respects. This problem is avoided entirely by IDE controllers (which +do not use DMA), true EISA controllers (like the UltraStor or Adaptec +1742A) and most VLB (local bus) controllers. In the cases where it's +necessary, the system will use "bounce buffers" to to talk to the +controller so that you can still use more than 16Mb of memory without +difficulty. + + +2.2. Ethernet cards + +SMC Elite 16 WD8013 ethernet interface, and most other WD8003E, +WD8003EBT, WD8003W, WD8013W, WD8003S, WD8003SBT and WD8013EBT +based clones. SMC Elite Ultra is also supported. + +Isolan AT 4141-0 (16 bit) +Isolink 4110 (8 bit) + +Novell NE1000, NE2000, and NE2100 ethernet interface. + +3Com 3C503 Etherlink II + +3Com 3C509 Ethernet cards + +Toshiba ethernet cards + +PCMCIA ethernet cards from IBM and National Semiconductor are also +supported. + +2.3. Misc + +AST 4 port serial card using shared IRQ. + +ARNET 8 port serial card using shared IRQ. + +BOCA ATIO66 6 port serial card using shared IRQ. + +STB 4 port card using shared IRQ. + +Mitsumi (all models) CDROM interface and drive. + +Soundblaster SCSI and ProAudio Spectrum SCSI CDROM interface and drive. + +Adlib, Soundblaster, Soundblaster Pro, ProAudioSpectrum, Gravis UltraSound +and Roland MPU-401 sound cards. + +FreeBSD currently does NOT support IBM's microchannel (MCA) bus, but +support is apparently close to materializing. Details will be posted +as the situation develops. + + +3. Obtaining FreeBSD. +--------------------- + +You may obtain FreeBSD in a variety of ways: + +1. FTP/Mail + +You can ftp FreeBSD and any or all of its optional packages from +`freebsd.cdrom.com' - the offical FreeBSD release site. + +For other locations that mirror the FreeBSD software see the file +MIRROR.SITES. Please ftp the distribution from the nearest site +to you netwise. + +If you do not have access to the internet and electronic mail is your +only recourse, then you may still fetch the files by sending mail to +`ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com' - putting the keyword "help" in your message +to get more information on how to fetch files from freebsd.cdrom.com. +Note: This approach will end up sending many *tens of megabytes* +through the mail, and should only be employed as an absolute LAST +resort! + + +2. CDROM + +FreeBSD 2.0 may be ordered on CDROM from: + + Walnut Creek CDROM + 4041 Pike Lane, Suite D + Concord CA 94520 + 1-800-786-9907, +1-510-674-0783, +1-510-674-0821 (fax) + +Or via the internet from orders@cdrom.com. There current catalog can +be obtained via ftp as ftp.cdrom.com:/cdrom/catalog. + +Cost is $39.95. Shipping (per order not per disc) is $5 in the US, Canada, +or Mexico and $10.00 overseas. They accept Visa, Mastercard, American +Express, and ship COD to the United States. California residents please +add 8.25% sales tax. + +Should you be dissatisfied for any reason, the CD comes with an +unconditional return policy. + +Note that Walnut Creek CDROM does NOT provide technical support for FreeBSD, +you need to contact the FreeBSD team for that. Please see section 4 for +more information. + + +It should be noted, lest you get the wrong impression that "FreeBSD" +is anything but, that almost no one in the "core team" makes money +from distributions or anything else connected with FreeBSD. We simply +provide this information as a public service for those wishing to get +their releases from somewhere other than the net (and the easier it +is for you to obtain our software, the happier we are). + + +4. Reporting problems, making suggestions, submitting code. +----------------------------------------------------------- + +Your suggestions, bug reports and contributions of code are always +valued - please do not hesitate to report any problems you may find +(preferably with a fix attached if you can!). + +The prefered method to submit bug reports from a machine with internet +mail connectivity is to use the sendbug command. Bug reports will be +dutifully filed by our faithful bugfiler program and you can be sure +that we'll do our best to respond to all reported bugs as soon as +possible. + +If, for some reason, you are unable to use the sendbug command to +submit a bug report, you can try to send it to: + + bugs@FreeBSD.org + + +Otherwise, for any questions or suggestions, please send mail to: + + questions@FreeBSD.org + +Additionally, being a volunteer effort, we are always happy to have +extra hands willing to help - there are already far more enhancements +to be done than we can ever manage to do by ourselves! To contact us +on technical matters, or with offers of help, you may send mail to: + + hackers@FreeBSD.org + +Since these mailing lists can experience significant amounts of +traffic, if you've got slow or expensive mail access and you're +only interested in keeping up with significant FreeBSD events, you may +find it preferable to subscribe to: + + announce@FreeBSD.org + + +All but the FreeBSD-bugs groups can be freely joined by anyone wishing +to do so. Send mail to MajorDomo@FreeBSD.org and include the keyword +`help' on a line by itself somewhere in the body of the message. This +will give you more information on joining the various lists, accessing +archives, etc. There are a number of mailing lists targeted at +special interest groups not mentioned here, so send mail to majordomo +and ask about them! + + +5. Acknowledgements +------------------- + +FreeBSD represents the cumulative work of many dozens, if not +hundreds, of individuals from around the world who have worked very +hard to bring you this release. It would be very difficult, if not +impossible, to enumerate everyone who's contributed to FreeBSD, but +nonetheless we shall try (in alphabetical order, of course). If your +name is not mentioned, please be assured that its omission is entirely +accidental. + + +The Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG), U.C. Berkeley. + +Bill Jolitz, for his extensive work with 386BSD. + +The FreeBSD "core" team: + + Andrew A. Chernov + John Dyson + Bruce Evans + David Greenman + Rodney W. Grimes + Jordan K. Hubbard + Poul-Henning Kamp + Rich Murphey + Gary Palmer + Geoff Rehmet + Paul Richards + Andreas Schulz + Jack Vogel + Garrett A. Wollman + + +Special mention to: + + Robert Bruce and Jack Velte of Walnut Creek CDROM, without + whose help (and continuing support) this release would never + have been possible. + + Dermot McDonnell for his donation of a Toshiba XM3401B CDROM + drive. + + The NetBSD group for their frequent assistance and commentary. + + Additional FreeBSD helpers and beta testers: + + J.T. Conklin Julian Elischer + Sean Eric Fagan Jeffrey Hsu + Terry Lambert L Jonas Olsson + Chris Provenzano Dave Rivers + Guido van Rooij Steven Wallace + Atsushi Murai Scott Mace + Andrew Moore Nate Williams + + And everyone at Montana State University for their initial support. + + +Thanks to everyone, especially those not mentioned, and we sincerely +hope you enjoy this release of FreeBSD! + + + The FreeBSD Core Team + +$Id: RELNOTES.FreeBSD,v 1.1 1994/11/04 02:22:41 jkh Exp $