Linux Frequently Asked Questions with Answers, Part 1 of 3
_ RU.LINUX (2:5077/15.22) ___________________________________________ RU.LINUX _
From : Boris Tobotras 2:5020/400 Sun 26 Oct 97 21:00
Subj : Linux Frequently Asked Questions with Answers, Part 1 of 3
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From: Boris Tobotras <tobotras@jet.msk.su>
October 25, 1997
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This is the list of Frequently Asked Questions about Linux, the free
Unix for 386/486/586, Alpha, MIPS, and some 680x0 and PPC processors.
(See the question, `` What is Linux? '' below.) This document should
be read in conjunction with the Linux Documentation Project's HOWTO
series. (See, `` Where can I get Linux material by FTP? '' and ``
Where can I get the HOWTOs and other documentation? '') The INFO-SHEET
and META-FAQ, which are found in the same place, also list sources of
Linux information.
Please look at these documents, and `` You still haven't answered
my question! '', before posting your question to a newsgroup. See,
`` Formats in which this FAQ is available. '' for details of where
to get the PostScript, Emacs Info, HTML and plain ASCII versions of
this document. A new version of the Linux FAQ appears approximately
monthly. If this copy is more than a month old, it may be out of
date.
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1. Introduction and General Information
* 1.1 What is Linux?
* 1.2 What software does Linux support?
* 1.3 Does Linux run on my computer? What hardware is supported?
* 1.4 What ports to other processors are there?
* 1.5 How much hard disk space does Linux need?
* 1.6 Is Linux public domain? Copyrighted?
2. Network sources and resources.
* 2.1 Where can I get the HOWTOs and other documentation?
* 2.2 Where should I look on the World Wide Web for Linux stuff?
* 2.3 What newsgroups are there for Linux?
* 2.4 How do I install Linux?
* 2.5 Where can I get Linux material by FTP?
* 2.6 I don't have FTP access. Where do I get Linux?
* 2.7 I don't have Usenet access. Where do I get information?
* 2.8 What mailing lists are there?
* 2.9 Are the newsgroups archived anywhere?
3. Compatibility with other operating systems.
* 3.1 Can Linux share my disk with DOS? OS/2? 386BSD? Win95?
* 3.2 How do I access files on my DOS partition or floppy?
* 3.3 Can I use my Stacked/DBLSPC/etc. DOS drive?
* 3.4 Can I access OS/2 HPFS partitions from Linux?
* 3.5 Can Linux access Amiga filesystems?
* 3.6 Can Linux access BSD, SysV, etc. UFS?
* 3.7 Can Linux access SMB filesystems?
* 3.8 Can Linux access Mac filesystems?
* 3.9 Can I run Microsoft Windows programs under Linux?
* 3.10 How can I boot Linux from OS/2's Boot Manager?
* 3.11 How can I share a swap partition between Linux and MS
Windows?
4. Linux's handling of filesystems, disks and drives
* 4.1 How can I get Linux to work with my large disk?
* 4.2 How can I undelete files?
* 4.3 Is there a defragmenter for ext2fs etc.?
* 4.4 How do I format and create a filesystem on a floppy?
* 4.5 I get nasty messages about inodes, blocks, and the suchlike.
* 4.6 My swap area isn't working.
* 4.7 How do I remove LILO so my system boots DOS again?
* 4.8 Why can't I use fdformat except as root?
* 4.9 Is there something like Stacker or Doublespace for Linux?
* 4.10 My ext2fs partitions are checked each time I reboot.
* 4.11 My root filesystem is read-only!
* 4.12 I have a huge /proc/kcore! Can I delete it?
* 4.13 My AHA1542C doesn't work with Linux.
5. Porting, compiling and obtaining programs
* 5.1 How do I port XXX to Linux?
* 5.2 What is ld.so and where do I get it?
* 5.3 Has anyone ported / compiled / written XXX for Linux?
* 5.4 Can I use code or a compiler compiled for a 486 on my 386?
* 5.5 What does gcc -O6 do?
* 5.6 Where are linux/*.h and asm/*.h?
* 5.7 I get errors when I try to compile the kernel.
* 5.8 How do I make a shared library?
* 5.9 My executables are (very) large.
* 5.10 Does Linux support threads or lightweight processes?
* 5.11 Where can I get `lint' for Linux?
* 5.12 Where can I find `kermit' for Linux?
6. Solutions to common miscellaneous problems.
* 6.1 free dumps core.
* 6.2 My clock is very wrong.
* 6.3 Setuid scripts don't seem to work.
* 6.4 Free memory as reported by free keeps shrinking.
* 6.5 When I add more memory it slows to a crawl.
* 6.6 Some programs (e.g. xdm) won't let me log in.
* 6.7 Some programs let me log in with no password.
* 6.8 My machine runs very slowly when I run GCC / X / ...
* 6.9 I can only log in as root.
* 6.10 My screen is all full of weird characters instead of letters.
* 6.11 I have screwed up my system and can't log in to fix it.
* 6.12 I've discovered a huge security hole in rm!
* 6.13 lpr(1) and/or lpd(8) don't work.
* 6.14 Timestamps on files on msdos partitions are set incorrectly.
* 6.15 How do I get LILO to boot the vmlinux file?
7. How do I do this or find out that ... ?
* 7.1 How can I get scrollback in text mode?
* 7.2 How do I switch virtual consoles? How do I enable them?
* 7.3 How do I set the timezone?
* 7.4 What version of Linux and what machine name am I using?
* 7.5 How can I enable or disable core dumps?
* 7.6 How do I upgrade/recompile my kernel?
* 7.7 Can I have more than 3 serial ports by sharing interrupts?
* 7.8 How do I make a bootable floppy?
* 7.9 How do I remap my keyboard to UK, French, etc.?
* 7.10 How do I get NUM LOCK to default to on?
* 7.11 How can I have more than 128Mb of swap?
* 7.12 Miscellaneous information and questions answered.
* 7.13 How do I program XYZ under Linux?
* 7.14 What's all this about ELF?
* 7.15 What is a .gz file ? And a .tgz ? And ... ?
* 7.16 What does VFS stand for?
* 7.17 What is a BogoMip?
* 7.18 What is the Linux Journal and where can I get it?
* 7.19 How many people use Linux?
* 7.20 How should I pronounce Linux?
8. Frequently encountered error messages.
* 8.1 Unknown terminal type linux and similar.
* 8.2 During linking I get Undefined symbol mcount
* 8.3 lp1 on fire
* 8.4 INET: Warning: old style ioctl... called!
* 8.5 ld: unrecognized option '-m486'
* 8.6 GCC says Internal compiler error.
* 8.7 make says Error 139
* 8.8 shell-init: permission denied when I log in.
* 8.9 No utmp entry. You must exec ... when I log in.
* 8.10 Warning -- bdflush not running.
* 8.11 Warning: obsolete routing request made.
* 8.12 EXT2-fs: warning: mounting unchecked filesystem.
* 8.13 EXT2-fs warning: maximal count reached.
* 8.14 EXT2-fs warning: checktime reached.
* 8.15 df says Cannot read table of mounted filesystems.
* 8.16 fdisk says Partition X has different physical/logical ...
* 8.17 fdisk: Partition 1 does not start on cylinder boundary
* 8.18 fdisk says partition n has an odd number of sectors.
* 8.19 mtools says cannot initialise drive XYZ
* 8.20 At the start of booting: Memory tight
* 8.21 You don't exist. Go away.
9. The X Window System.
* 9.1 Does Linux support X Windows?
* 9.2 Where can I get an XF86Config for my system?
* 9.3 xterm logins show up strangely in who, finger.
* 9.4 I can't get X Windows to work right.
10. Questions applicable to very out-of-date software.
* 10.1 Emacs just dumps core.
* 10.2 fdisk says cannot use nnn sectors of this partition.
* 10.3 GCC sometimes uses huge amounts of virtual memory and
thrashes.
* 10.4 My keyboard goes all funny after I switch VC's.
11. How to get further assistance.
* 11.1 You still haven't answered my question!
* 11.2 What to put in a request for help.
* 11.3 I want to mail someone about my problem.
12. Administrative information and acknowledgements.
* 12.1 Feedback is invited.
* 12.2 Formats in which this FAQ is available.
* 12.3 Authorship and acknowledgements.
* 12.4 Disclaimer and Copyright.
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