RE: Call for a README file
> Anyone who wants to contribute to the project, but can't code, here is your > chance. Don't worry about discussing in depth what the files should contain. > Just write something and we will go from there. Hi, What I think would be good is a file describing very basically how the kernel works, what bits get executed in what order etc. I'm intrested in ELKS for a number of reasons; a-I want to learn more about the Linux kernel, and OSs in general b-I want to hack my Psion 3c c-I want to enhance my programming skills, and learn C/asm The only thing I have found which helps with (a) is in the kernel hackers guide. It would be nice to have something directly applicable to ELKS. That way people using ELKS to learn (like me) could go through this file, and read the source code in the order it is executed, and maybe, just maybe, cotton on to what's happening. Maybe this is just a waste of time though. What do others think? Adam
Re: Call for a README file
On Fri, 21 Jan 2000, Alistair Riddoch wrote: > Anyone who wants to contribute to the project, but can't code, here is your > chance. Don't worry about discussing in depth what the files should contain. I was thinking this could also be a good place for an (almost) howto. If people try to install, then report on the methods they found to work, and any problems they had. Infact we could almost compile a list of systems that are known to work, eg. V30 with 2 MFM drives and a single 720k floppy, etc. with contact details for someone who has done it, willing to answer any questions. Any thoughts? Davey
Re: Call for a README file
On Fri, Jan 21, 2000 at 01:19:26PM -0800, iwishihadda realname wrote: > How about this? I read that slashdot article someone > posted the link to. I'm one of those types who > doesn't know a whole lot about programming, but is > learning, and is certainly interested in learning, and > thus might be able to contribute in the documentation > area. I whipped up this real quick. Its hardly > complete, but its a start. Take a look at it and tell > me what you think. > I have read through the file and it is exactly what I was looking for in style, if not in technical detail. I will go through and and correct the details, and then post it back for further comments. Writing clear documentation that novices can understand has never been my strong point. Thanks very much for this valued contribution. Al
Re: Call for a README file
How about this? I read that slashdot article someone posted the link to. I'm one of those types who doesn't know a whole lot about programming, but is learning, and is certainly interested in learning, and thus might be able to contribute in the documentation area. I whipped up this real quick. Its hardly complete, but its a start. Take a look at it and tell me what you think. Things it still needs: 1) an explanation of the benefits/problems with using the combination boot/root disk instead of separate disks. 2) where to find things like rawrite.exe and pkz204g.exe 3) a more complete section on installing under linux. If you can't read the file here, I've also included it as an attachment. I'm not used to this cruddy yahoo email setup. -matt balaun [EMAIL PROTECTED] P.S. - Yeah, it probably won't look very clean this way, I recommend looking at it as an attachment instead. Sorry. I'll have to work on that. --- ELKS - INSTALL.TXT - v0.0.1 - 21 January 2000 Original Author - Matt Balaun - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Here are basic instructions on installing ELKS, the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset, onto one or more floppy disks for use on your PC. Table of Contents: == 1. Introduction 2. Installation - DOS/Win3.x/Win9x/WinNT users 3. Installation - Linux users 4. Credits If you have any questions about this document, please email the author, Matt Balaun, at [EMAIL PROTECTED], or post your question to the linux-8086 discussion list. Information on this list is available at: http://www.elks.ecs.soton.ac.uk/ 1. Introduction These are 1.44 MB disk images for ELKS, the Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset, as contained in the file IMAGES.ZIP and as of ELKS version 0.0.82: boot - disk image used in creating the boot disk root - disk image used in creating the root disk comb - disk image used in creating a combination boot and root disk As of right now, the author of this document does not fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of making separate boot and root disks versus making a combination boot and root disk. A future version of this document will contain a brief explanation of that. For now, the author recommends doing whatever works for your system. :) 2. Installation - Dos/Win3.x/9x/NT/2000 users For those of you working on a DOS-based system (or a system where you can access a DOS prompt, such as Win9x/NT), you will need the following to create your set of ELKS disks: IMAGES.ZIP (which presumably you've already downloaded if you're reading this document) RAWRITE.EXE (a DOS-based tool used to write disk images onto your floppies) Two 1.44 HD floppy disks (or just one if you want to make the combination boot and root disk) If you are missing IMAGES.ZIP, you can get it from: ftp://linux.mit.edu/pub/ELKS/ If you are missing RAWRITE.EXE, you can get it from: ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/linux/slackware-7.0/bootdsks.144/ *NOTE: This probably isn't the best place to get RAWRITE from, but its the first one that came to mind. Someone suggest a better place, please? If you are missing two 1.44 HD floppy disks, buy them from just about any computer or office supply store on the planet. Once you have all these items, you are ready to start making your ELKS disk set. First, unzip IMAGES.ZIP into a directory on your hard drive. If you don't know how to do this, or if you haven't the tools to do this, download PKZ204G.EXE from (where the heck can a guy get PKZ204G.EXE from these days, anyway?), install it, and read the documentation included with it. Example: C:\> md elks C:\> copy images.zip c:\elks\ C:\> cd elks C:\ELKS> pkunzip images.zip Second, put a copy of RAWRITE.EXE to that same directory Example: C:\ELKS\> cd .. C:\> copy rawrite.exe c:\elks\ C:\> cd elks Third, decide whether you want to make separate boot and root disks or just the combination boot/root disk. Then make them. The format for RAWRITE.EXE is RAWRITE [image name] [drive letter]. You can also just type RAWRITE, and the program will prompt you for the information it needs. Example (for separate boot and root disks): (put a 1.44 HD floppy into drive A:) C:\ELKS\> rawrite boot a: (wait for rawrite to finish writing to drive A:) (remove 1.44 HD floppy from drive A:, label as "ELKS boot" or some other logical name) (put a new 1.44 HD floppy into drive A:) C:\ELKS\> rawrite root a: (wait for rawrite to finish writing to drive A:) (remove 1.44 HD floppy from drive A:, label as "ELKS root" or some other logical name) (congratulate yourself o
Re: Call for a README file
: So I decided I need to put a README and an INSTALL file with the distribution : in future releases, but that I am not really qualified to write them. Al, Not to disagree with you, but I think that it's important that the actually useful Real Technical Information (tm) be included in an INSTALL. This information should state exactly what a user should do to get from images.zip to a running ELKS installation. Brief technical descriptions of what root, comb etc are are necessary, IMHO, and you're the perfect person to write that. Having said that, then, someone less technical might massage the message to help users less technical... My $.02 Greg
RE: Call for a README file - ELKSibo
I've already written a basic 'install' procedure for the Psion which is on my web site. This covers how to program a SSD (given the image) and how to install the Kernel. I don't feel I know enough about the PC stuff, but am happy to contribute more on the Psion specific stuff. Simon Wood Hardware Engineer Pace Micro Technology plc Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley West Yorkshire, BD18 3LF Tel : +44(0)1274 532000 Fax: +44(0)1274 532029 This E-Mail and any attachments hereto are strictly confidential and intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended addressee please notify the sender by return and delete the message. You must not disclose, forward or copy this E-mail or attachments to any third party without the prior consent of the sender.
Call for a README file
I was looking at my release procedure with a view to making sure each release of ELKS is accessible as possible to users, and I realised that the lack of any kind of immediate documentation with the binary images is a serious flaw. I also realised that many things that I take for granted are not at all obvious to a novice user. So I decided I need to put a README and an INSTALL file with the distribution in future releases, but that I am not really qualified to write them. Is there anyone who could write these files? All they need to contain is brief information that a basic Linux user can understand on how to use the files in images.zip to create the apropriate disk image for their machine with some pointers to the FAQ for how to deal with all the source level stuff. It would also be useful if in the future the same file could contain information on how to boot ELKS on a Psion 3. Anyone who wants to contribute to the project, but can't code, here is your chance. Don't worry about discussing in depth what the files should contain. Just write something and we will go from there. Al
