[PATCH] Linux-0.96b (June 21, 1992)

[PATCH] Linux-0.96b (June 21, 1992)

First cut at core-dumping.  Also, do more dynamic boottime memory
allocation, rather than allocating data structures statically.

Allocate task structures at run-time rather than having a big array of
them.

First "obsolete" system call.  The old "stat()" system call was too
limited, due to "struct stat" having various 16-bit fields etc (notably
inode numbers).  We make a new stat() function, and keep the old one
around as "old_stat()" for binary compatibility.

We also need a bigger "utsname" to hold real node names.

Whoo! NR_OPEN is now 32 rather than 20.

itimer() support driven by X11 adoption (Darren Senn).

gcc starts using fsqrt, so that gets added to the FP emulation.  We're
still basing that on my trivial code.

[Original changelog below]

0.96b is not a new major release: it's pretty close to 0.96a with all my
patches (1-4).  However, as there has been 4 patches already, I decided
it would be time for a full kernel release along with a bootimage, so
that people who don't feel confident with patching can use the new
features.

If you already have 0.96a patchlevel 4, 0.96b will offer you these new
features:

 - the math-emulation now handles fsqrt, as gcc-2.2.2 generates that
   inline.  I haven't tested the kernel code at all: I tested the
   algorithm in user space, but I'm lazy, so I never turned off my 387
   to do real testing.  I hope it works.
 - better vt100 terminal emulation thanks to Mika Liljeberg.
 - I removed a possible race-condition in the buffer-cache code.
 - minor fixes

The vt100 emulation should now be complete enough for almost everything
(including vt100 test suites): as a result the setterm utility had to be
changed (as the old setterm codes aren't compatible with the full vt100
codes).  setterm-0.96b.tar.Z contains the new setterm.

The soon-to-be-released gcc-2.2.2 will need the 0.96b kernel: (a) due to
the fsqrt emulation and (b) it uses the new stat() system call.  So
upgrading is a good idea.  (If you have a co-processor, (a) isn't used,
but (b) still stands)

If you have an unpatched 0.96a, the differences to 0.96b are roughly
(not counting the above-mentioned new things):

 - corrected the disk-buffer-list bug with read/write-errors
 - fixed read-ahead warning messages at end of disk
 - better support for text-mode restoration after running MGR and X
 - full core-dumping, attach/detach etc debugging features
 - 16550A support
 - less low 1MB memory used for kernel structures
 - various minor fixes

Note that the fact that new versions (pl4 and above) use more memory in
the 1M+ area means that linux will report less free memory (it's used
for buffer-cache instead).  This could concievably be a problem on 2MB
machines.  The standard kernel comes with only 4 pty's though, and if
you use the standard 80x25 text modes instead of svga modes, the VC
buffers will be smaller.  Please contact me if there are problems even
with this minimal setup.

0.96b does /not/ contain: the new scsi drivers, new filesystems or some
other patches I have gotten (ibm character set mode, loop-devices etc).
If you have sent me any other patch, you might want to remind me about
it.

                Linus