diff --git a/README b/README new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..ad670c79d782 --- /dev/null +++ b/README @@ -0,0 +1,256 @@ + ----------------------------------------- + FreeBSD 2.0 --- ALPHA Release , , + ----------------------------------------- /( )` + \ \___ / | +Welcome to the ALPHA release of FreeBSD 2.0 - the /- _ `-/ ' +first public snapshot of our new 4.4BSD Lite based (/\/ \ \ /\ +operating system environment. This install proce- / / | ` \ +dure is also at the ALPHA stage, and contains only O O ) / | +the minimum functionality required by an `-^--'`< ' +*EXPERIENCED* person to install the system. (_.) _ ) / +It is our hope, of course, that the feedback `.___/` / +provided from this snapshot will `-----' / +greatly assist us in making the release <----. __ / __ \ +of 2.0 much more user friendly. Your <----|====O)))==) \) /==== +comments and criticisms are very <----' `--' `.__,' \ +valuable to us, so please don't hesitate | | +in contacting us! Full details on where and \ / /\ +how to provide feedback are given below. ______( (_ / \______/ + ,' ,-----' | +This install procedure is ALPHA code, and `--{__________) +may very possibly *DESTROY* the contents of your +ENTIRE DISK! Please do not proceed with this installation +without adequately backing up your data first! + + + +============================================= +WHAT'S NEW IN THIS RELEASE (preliminary list) +============================================= + +4.4 Lite +-------- +As previously stated, this release is based entirely on CSRG's +latest (and last) BSD release - 4.4 Lite. This features as number +of improvements over 4.2BSD (Net/2), not least of which are: + +o Legal approval of Novell & U.C. Berkeley. After the settlement + of the longstanding lawsuit between USL/UCB/Novell/BSDI, all + parties were (strongly) encouraged to move to 4.4 Lite in order + to avoid future legal entanglements. The fact that we've now done + so should make this release much more attractive to potential + commercial users. + +o Many new filesystem types, such as stackable filesystems, union + filesystems, "portals", kernfs, a simple log-structured filesystem, a + new version of NFS (NQNFS), etc. While some of these new filesystems + are also rather unpolished and will require significant additional + work to be truly robust, they're a good start. + +o 64bit offsets, allowing filesystems of up to 2^63 bytes in size. + +o Further work towards full POSIX compliance. + + +And many many other features. For more documentation, it is recommended +that you purchase the 4.4BSD Document Set from O'Reilly Associates and the +USENIX Association. ISBN 1-56592-082-1 + + +IP multicast support +-------------------- + +The IP multicast support has been upgraded from the woefully ancient +1.x code in 4.4-Lite to the most current and up-to-date 3.3 release +from Steve D. and Ajit. The non-forwarding code is known to work (for +some limited test cases). The multicast forwarder and user-mode +multicast routing process are known to compile, but have not been +significantly tested (hopefully this will happen before 2.0 release). + +Owner: wollman +Sources involved: sys/netinet, usr.sbin/mrouted + + +Loadable Kernel Modules +----------------------- + +David Greenman incorporated NetBSD's port of Terry Lambert's loadable +kernel module support. Garrett Wollman wrote the support for loadable +file systems, and Søren Schmidt did the same for loadable execution +classes. + +Owner: core +Sources involved: sys/kern, sbin/modload, sbin/modunload, + usr.bin/modstat + + +Loadable filesystems +-------------------- + +Most filesystems are now dynamically loadable on demand, with the +exception of the UFS family (FFS, LFS, and MFS). With the exception +of NFS, all such filestystems can be unloaded when all references are +unmounted. To support this functionality, the getvfsbyname(3) +family of functions has been added to the C library and the lsvfs(1) +command provides the same information at the shell level. Be aware of +the following current restrictions: + + - /usr/bin may not reside on a dynamically loaded filesystem. + - There must be a writable /tmp directory available + before filesystems are loaded (moving / to the top of your + /etc/fstab file will accomplish this). + - Some of the more esoteric filesystems simply don't work when loaded + dynamically (though they often don't work "static", either.) + +Owner: wollman +Sources involved: sys/*fs, lkm/*fs, usr.bin/lsvfs, lib/libc/gen + + +S/Key +----- + +Since version 1.1.5, FreeBSD has supported the S/Key one time password scheme. +The version used is derived from the logdaemon package of Wietse Venema. +Some of the features new in 2.0 are: + - New access control table format to impose the use of S/Keys + based on: hostname, ip address, port, username, group id. + - S/Key support can be disabled by not having the access control + table. +The second item explains the absence of skey.access in the installed /etc. +To enable S/Key support, create a file skey.access in /etc and fill it +according to your needs. See also skey.access(5) and the example in +/usr/share/examples/etc/skey.access. + +Owner: pst, guido +Sources involved: lib/libskey, usr.bin/key* (plus patches to others) + + +TCP/IP over parallel (printer) port +----------------------------------- + +You can now run TCP/IP over a standard LapLink(tm) cable, if both ends +have a interrupt-driven printerport. The interface is named "lp0" +where '0' is the same as the lpt# unit number. This is not compatible +with PLIP. If you run NFS, try setting MTU to 9180, otherwise leave +it at 1500 unless you have a good reason to change it. Speed varies +with the CPU-type, with up to 70 kbyte/sec having been seen and 50 +kbyte/sec being the norm. + +Owner: phk +Sources involved: isa/lpt.c + + +ProAudioSpectrum SCSI-driver +---------------------------- + +If you have a PAS board with a CD-ROM, and the MS-DOS driver is called +TSLCDR.SYS, then the "pas" driver should work on your card. You can +attach disks, cdroms and tapes, but due to the nature of the hardware +involved, the transfer rate is limited to < 690 kbyte/sec. For CD-ROM +use, this is generally more than enough. + +Owner: phk +Sources involved: isa/pas.c + + +Gzip'ed binaries +---------------- + +We have an experimental implementation for direct execution of gzip'ed +binaries in this release. When enabled, it allows you to simply gzip +your binaries, remove the '.gz' extension and make the file +executable. There is a big speed and memory consumption penalty for +doing this, but for laptop users it may be worthwhile. The maximum +savings are generally around 10 Mb of disk space. + +Owner: phk +Sources involved: kern/imgact_gzip.c kern/inflate.c + + +Diskless booting +---------------- + +Diskless booting it in 2.0 and much improved since 1.1.5. The boot-program +is in src/sys/i386/boot/netboot, and can be run from a MSDOS system or +burned into an EPROM. Local swapping is possible. Presently WD, SMC and +Novell cards are supported. + +Owner: Martin Renters & phk +Sources involved: i386/boot/netboot, sys/nfs/nfs_vfsops.h + + +Device configuration database +----------------------------- + +The kernel now keeps better track of which device drivers are active and +where the devices are attached; this information is made available to +user programs via the new sysctl(3) management interface. Current +applications include lsdev(8), which lists the currently configured +devices. In the future, we expect to use this code to automatically +generate a configuration file for you at installation time. + +Owner: wollman +Sources involved: sys/i386, sys/scsi, sys/kern/kern_devconf.c, + sys/sys/devconf.h, usr.sbin/lsdev + + +Kernel management interface +--------------------------- + +With 4.4-Lite, we now have a better management interface for the endless +series of kernel variables and parameters which were previously manipulated +by reading and writing /dev/kmem. Many programs have been rewritten to +use this interface, although many old-style programs still remain. Some +variables which were never accessible before are now available through +the sysctl(1) program. In addition to the standard 4.4BSD MIB variables, +we have added support for YP/NIS domains (kern.domainname), controlling +the update daemon (kern.update), retrieving the OS release date +(kern.osreldate), determining the name of the booted kernel (kern.bootfile), +and checking for hardware floating-point support (hw.floatingpoint). +We have also added support to make management queries of devices and +filesystems. + +Owner: core +Sources involved: sys, usr.bin/sysctl + + +iBCS2 support +------------- + +FreeBSD now supports running iBCS2 compatible binaries (currently +SCO UNIX 3.2.2 & 3.2.4 and ISC 2.2 COFF format are supported). +The iBCS2 emulator is in its early stages, but it is functional, we +havn't been able to do exhaustive testing (lack of commercial apps), +but allmost all of SCO's 3.2.2 binaries are working, so is an old +INFORMIX-2.10 for SCO. Further testing is nessesary to complete this +project. There is also work under way for ELF & XOUT loaders, and +most of the svr4 syscall wrappers have been written. + +Owner: Soren Schmidt (sos) & Sean Eric Fagan (sef) +Sources involved: sys/i386/ibcs2/* + misc kernel changes. + + +Have fun, and please let us know of any problems you encounter with +this release! + +Comments should be sent to: + + hackers@FreeBSD.org + +Bug reports should be sent using the `send-pr' utility, if you +were able to get the system installed; otherwise send mail to: + + bugs@FreeBSD.org + +And general questions to: + + questions@FreeBSD.org + + +Please have patience if your questions are not answered right away - +this is an especially busy time for us, and our volunteer resources +are often strained to the limit (if not somewhat past!). + +Thanks! + + The FreeBSD Project team