*BSD News Article 12747


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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.development
Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!decwrl!netcomsv!netcom.com!jmonroy
From: jmonroy@netcom.com (Jesus Monroy Jr)
Subject: Re: Some Sample Projects for 386BSD
Message-ID: <1993Mar13.031421.17390@netcom.com>
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
References: <9303090526.AA07265@fubar.cs.montana.edu>
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1993 03:14:21 GMT
Lines: 160

mail nate@fubar.cs.montana.edu
Re: Subject: Some Sample Projects for 386BSD
 
 
>> I spent some time talking with Bill a couple weekends ago, and...
>>      ::
>>   [deleted]
>>      ::
>> Bill gave me a list of projects that he would like to see done, so
>> I thought I would share some of them with you.
>>
>> 1) Posix Wardens - Basically, we need some people who are familiar
>>    with POSIX to track the kernel and user interfaces in 386BSD.
>>    A committee of ......
>>
        I am willing to have a subgroup watch the drivers I am
        helping with do POSIX compliance checking. _or_ meet
        any requirements that a committee may need to evaluate
        our work for 386bsd.
 
 
>> 2) Clean up of existing device driver's, and add missing ....
>>
        I am trying to get some work done in these areas, but
        I believe we need a open committee(via comp.os.386bsd.development)
        that will help establish the fundamental work needed
        so that we may reduce the amount of overhead we
        need at this time for driver development.
        (ie. shared libraries, central interfaces, documentation
             on kernel calls, etc.)
 
>> 3) Unified releases.  At one time, Julian and a bunch of other's on ref
>>   were planning on making a new and improved release, which ..
>>
        Yes, lets do it.
 
>> 4) Replacements for ref.  Since Julian is going back home :-(, ref
>>   will be going away.  I realize that not many of you have 486-50's with
>>   a Gig of disk, but ......
>>
        But Julians Machine has proved to be an invaluable resource
        which we see that more setups like his are needed
        network wide.
 
>> 5) Update and clean up man pages.  Currently, most of the commands have
>>    man pages, but there are a few commands that don't.  Also, some of
>>    the man pages need ...
>>
        At this point I will disagree, ..
        The man pages should be completed, but another form
        of documentation, not related to the source code should
        be done.   Even I as a programer see the silliness that
        is done with "man" pages... and after all someday
        we will be asked to call them "people" pages.
 
>> 6) Missing Library routines.
>>         a) Internationalization routines - Much has been discussed
>>           in the newsgroup about this.
>>
        A must, many of "our" ideas are to retarded, we need
        somepeople who have not been corrupted with our line
        of thought.
 
>>        b) Precision Math Libraries
>>
        Yes.
 
>>        c) Missing Compatability Libraries
>>
        YES.
>>        d) Fixing current 'buggy' ones.
>>
        WITHOUT a doubt.
 
 
>> 7) Performance/benchmarking software for determining system performance
>>    before/after enhancements are made.  For example, .....
>>
        YES, this must be done, our work will only be measured by
        our own comprehension and explanations.  Along with that
        *others*, in there own terms, must find a way to make
        a relevant decision as to whether, we know what the f*ck
        we are doing.
 
        "If you cannot -in the long run- tell everyone what you
         have been doing, your doing has been worthless."
                                        -Erwin Schrodinger.
 
>> 8) Projects that *YOU* think are important.  For example there is a group
>>    in Japan that is profiling the VM code, and finding .......
>>
        This is one of the true axioms for the existence of 386bsd.
        If you don't think it's important... don't do it.
        most of all (and this is my option) if you can here
        to make a million dollars... get out!
 
>>9) SNMP monitoring.  (Simple Network Monitoring Protocol).   It would
>>   be nice to be able to monitor the status of the kernel and ...
>>
        My lack of knowledge in this matter allows me to say...
 
        "NO COMMENT"
 
 
>> 10) Line Printer sub-system.  This project does not involve  replacing
>>    lpr, lpd, and friends, but adding new filters for ........
>>
        This may seem as a sidetrack to some, but I truth we
        need more and better tools to work with, *EVERYONE*
        from the end-users to the kernel-developers
 
>> 11) Clean up the C libraries to remove the name-space pollution that
>>     POSIX requires.  Bill has done most ...
>>
        I will go beyond this and say "Bill has done alot" of work.
 
 
>> 12) Anything else you think you can do.  386BSD is a group project,
>>     and even if you see someone doing something now, and you think
>>    it can be done better, contact that person and maybe you can
>>    get together and make it better for everyone.
>>
        YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
>>      ::
>> .. so I thought I would pass this information on to the group.
>>
        Thank you, NATE.
 
 
>> Also, he wanted me to stress that he would 'like' (not require) people
>> to send in some sort of test program that triggers bugs when they report
>> them.  This way, it is ...
>>
        Bill will not require.
 
        I will. _Any_ fixes/patches/hackes to the FDC or QIC-40/80
        will not be considered without the regression test.
        I will not require a formal test, but it would be nice.
        What is reasonable is all I ask.
 
 
>> If you are interested in any/all of these projects, send me or Jordan
>> (or both) some email, and maybe we can help get some of this organised
>> and get 0.1.X to be a really slick system.  (It's pretty slick now...
>>
        My Own personal option is that "It's pretty sick now", but I
        did not come to attach the anchor. So, any further comments
        by myself are only a reflection of my desire to make improvements.
 
 
        NOTE to NATE or/and Jordan:
                You have my messages to you... If you feel that
        I did not communicate them effectively _or_  I sound like
        blithering fool _________ e-mail me.
 
                More information is available at your request.