1328 lines
25 KiB
HTML
1328 lines
25 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
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<HTML
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>The Linux Kernel</TITLE
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>The Linux FAQ</TH
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><DIV
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CLASS="sect1"
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><H1
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CLASS="sect1"
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><A
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NAME="kernel"
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></A
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>3. The Linux Kernel</H1
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><DIV
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CLASS="qandaset"
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><DL
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#platform-support"
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>What Platforms Does Linux Support?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#does-linux-run-on-my-computer"
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>What Hardware Is Supported?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#what-ports-to-other-processors-are-there"
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>Ports to Other Processors</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#linux-versioning"
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>How Does Linux Kernel Versioning Work?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#where-can-i-get-the-latest-kernel-version"
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>Where Is the Latest Kernel Version on the Internet?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#threads-or-lightweight-processes"
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>Does Linux Support Threads or Lightweight Processes?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#version-of-linux-and-what-machine"
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>What Version of Linux and What Machine Name Is This?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#bogomip"
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>What is a BogoMip?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#does-linux-support-the-usb-bus"
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>Does Linux Support USB Devices?</A
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></DT
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><DT
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>Q: <A
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HREF="kernel.html#serial-ports-by-sharing"
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>Can Linux Use More than 3 Serial Ports by Sharing Interrupts?</A
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></DT
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></DL
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><DIV
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CLASS="qandaentry"
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><DIV
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CLASS="question"
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><P
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><A
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NAME="platform-support"
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></A
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><B
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>Q: </B
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>What Platforms Does Linux Support?</P
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></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="answer"
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><P
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><B
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>A: </B
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>Linux runs on almost every general-purpose computer made in the
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last 10 years. It runs on systems as small as PDAs (for example,
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the Sharp Zaurus) and on systems as large as IBM mainframes.
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</P
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><P
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>There are Linux distributions specifically for mobile and handheld platforms.
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Information on the Linux distribution for the Compaq iPAQ is at <A
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HREF="http://www.handhelds.org"
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TARGET="_top"
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><I
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CLASS="citetitle"
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>http://www.handhelds.org</I
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></A
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>.
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</P
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></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="answer"
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><P
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><B
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>A: </B
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>Linux was written originally for Intel processor based PC's,
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using the hardware facilities of the 80386 processor and its successors to implement its features.
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The 80386 family includes the 80486 and all of the Pentium chips.
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However, there are now many ports to other hardware platforms.
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See <A
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HREF="kernel.html#what-ports-to-other-processors-are-there"
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><I
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>Ports to Other Processors</I
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></A
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>.
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</P
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><P
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>Refer also to the Linux <I
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CLASS="citetitle"
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>INFO-SHEET</I
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> for more details as
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well as the answers to
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<A
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HREF="online-resources.html#howtos-and-other-documentation"
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><I
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>Where Is the Documentation?</I
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></A
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>,
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<A
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HREF="kernel.html#does-linux-run-on-my-computer"
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><I
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>What Hardware Is Supported?</I
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></A
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>, and
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<A
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HREF="kernel.html#what-ports-to-other-processors-are-there"
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><I
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>Ports to Other Processors</I
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></A
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>, below.
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</P
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></DIV
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></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="qandaentry"
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><DIV
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CLASS="question"
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><P
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><A
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NAME="does-linux-run-on-my-computer"
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></A
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><B
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>Q: </B
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>What Hardware Is Supported?</P
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></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="answer"
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><P
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><B
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>A: </B
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>A minimal Linux installation requires a machine for which a port exists,
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at least 2Mb of RAM, and a single floppy drive, but to do anything even
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remotely useful, more RAM and disk space are needed. Refer to:
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<A
|
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HREF="kernel.html#what-ports-to-other-processors-are-there"
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><I
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>Ports to Other Processors</I
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></A
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>,
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<A
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HREF="linux-distributions.html#how-much-hard-disk-space-does-linux-need"
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><I
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>What are the Disk Space Requirements for Minimal, Server, and Workstation Use?</I
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></A
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>, and
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<A
|
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HREF="linux-distributions.html#how-much-memory-does-linux-need"
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><I
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>What are the Minimum and Maximum Memory Requirements?</I
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></A
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>.
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</P
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><P
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>Intel CPU, PC-compatible machines require at least an 80386 processor to run
|
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the standard Linux kernel.
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</P
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><P
|
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>Linux, including the X Window System GUI, runs on most current laptops. Refer
|
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to the answer for: <A
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HREF="common-problems.html#my-notebook-runs-linux"
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><I
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>How Do I Find Out If a Notebook Runs Linux?</I
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></A
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|
>.
|
|
There are numerous sources of information
|
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about specific PC's, video cards, disk controllers, and other hardware. Refer
|
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to the <I
|
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CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>INFO-SHEET</I
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>, <I
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CLASS="citetitle"
|
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>Laptop-HOWTO</I
|
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>,
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and the <I
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CLASS="citetitle"
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>Unix-Hardware-Buyer-HOWTO</I
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>.
|
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See <A
|
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HREF="online-resources.html#howtos-and-other-documentation"
|
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><I
|
|
>Where Is the Documentation?</I
|
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></A
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>.
|
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</P
|
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></DIV
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></DIV
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><DIV
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CLASS="qandaentry"
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><DIV
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CLASS="question"
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><P
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><A
|
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NAME="what-ports-to-other-processors-are-there"
|
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></A
|
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><B
|
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>Q: </B
|
|
>Ports to Other Processors</P
|
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></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
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CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
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><B
|
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>A: </B
|
|
>Ports are currently available for:
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</P
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><P
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></P
|
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><UL
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><LI
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><P
|
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><A
|
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HREF="http://www.linuxalpha.org"
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TARGET="_top"
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><I
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CLASS="citetitle"
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|
>Compaq Alpha AXP</I
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></A
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>
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</P
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></LI
|
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><LI
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><P
|
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><A
|
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HREF="http://www.ultralinux.org"
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TARGET="_top"
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><I
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CLASS="citetitle"
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|
>Sun SPARC and UltraSPARC</I
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|
></A
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|
>
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|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
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|
><P
|
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><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux-m68k.org"
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TARGET="_top"
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><I
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|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>Motorola 68000</I
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|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://penguinppc.org"
|
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TARGET="_top"
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><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>PowerPC</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://linuxppc64.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>PowerPC64</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.arm.linux.org"
|
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TARGET="_top"
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><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ARM</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://linuxsh.sourceforge.net"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
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><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>Hitachi SuperH</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.ibm.com/s390/linux"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>IBM zSeries and S/390</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux-mips.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
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><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>MIPS</I
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|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.parisc-linux.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>HP PA-RISC</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linuxia64.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>Intel IA-64</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://linux-vax.sourceforge.net"
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TARGET="_top"
|
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><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>DEC VAX</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://www.x86-64.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>AMD x86-64</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
HREF="http://developer.axis.com/software/linux"
|
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TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>CRIS</I
|
|
></A
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|
>
|
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</P
|
|
></LI
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></UL
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></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>There are always efforts underway to port Linux onto new processors.
|
|
Linux Online maintains a
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux.org/projects/ports.html:list of ports currently in development"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.linux.org/projects/ports.html:list of ports currently in development</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>In addition, the following information is available about specific ports:
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>On Intel platforms, VESA Local Bus and PCI bus are supported.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>MCA (IBM's proprietary bus) and ESDI hard drives are mostly supported. There
|
|
is further information on the MCA bus and what cards Linux supports on the
|
|
Micro Channel Linux Web page, <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.dgmicro.com/mca"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.dgmicro.com/mca</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>. Refer also to
|
|
the answer for: <A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#world-wide-web-for-linux-stuff"
|
|
><I
|
|
>Where Is the Linux Stuff on the World Wide Web?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There is a port of Linux to the 8086, known as the Embeddable Linux Kernel
|
|
Subset (ELKS). This is a 16-bit subset of the Linux kernel which will mainly
|
|
be used for embedded systems, at: <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux.org.uk/Linux8086.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.linux.org.uk/Linux8086.html</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
Standard Linux does not run 8086 or 80286 processors, because it requires
|
|
task-switching and memory management facilities found on 80386 and later
|
|
processors.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Linux supports multiprocessing with Intel MP architecture. See the file
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>Documentation/smp.tex</TT
|
|
> in the Linux kernel source code distribution.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>An API specification and developers kit for the Crusoe Smart Microprocessor developed
|
|
by Transmeta Corporation are at <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.transmeta.com"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.transmeta.com</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>A project has been underway for a while to port Linux to suitable
|
|
68000-series based systems like Amigas and Ataris. The Linux/m68K FAQ is
|
|
located at <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.clark.net/pub/lawrencc/linux/faq/faq.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.clark.net/pub/lawrencc/linux/faq/faq.html</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>. The URL
|
|
of the Linux/m68k home page is <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux-m68k.org/faq/faq.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.linux-m68k.org/faq/faq.html</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There is also a linux-680x0 mailing list.
|
|
See <A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#what-mailing-lists-are-there"
|
|
><I
|
|
>What Mailing Lists Are There?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There is (or was) a FTP site for the Linux-m68k project on
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.phil.uni-sb.de/pub/atari/linux-68k"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.phil.uni-sb.de/pub/atari/linux-68k</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>, but this address may no longer be
|
|
current.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Debian GNU/Linux has ports to Alpha, Sparc, Motorola 68k, PowerPC, ARM,
|
|
IBM S/390, MIPS, HP PA-RISC, and IA-64.
|
|
A Port to amd64 is being developed.
|
|
There are mailing lists for all of them.
|
|
See <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
> for general information, then follow
|
|
the "subscription" link, and find the mailing list you are interested in.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>One of the Linux-PPC project pages is <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linuxppc.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.linuxppc.org</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>,
|
|
and the archive site is <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/linuxppc"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.linuxppc.org/linuxppc</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There are two sites for the Linux iMac port:
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://w3.one.net/~johnb/imaclinux"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://w3.one.net/~johnb/imaclinux</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>, and
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.imaclinux.net:8080/content/index.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.imaclinux.net:8080/content/index.html</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>A port to the 64-bit DEC Alpha/AXP is at
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.azstarnet.com/~axplinux/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.azstarnet.com/~axplinux/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>. There is a mailing list at
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>vger.redhat.com</TT
|
|
>: see <A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#what-mailing-lists-are-there"
|
|
><I
|
|
>What Mailing Lists Are There?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Ralf Baechle is working on a port to the MIPS, initially for the R4600 on
|
|
Deskstation Tyne machines. The <I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>Linux-MIPS</I
|
|
> FTP sites
|
|
are <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.fnet.fr/linux-mips"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.fnet.fr/linux-mips</I
|
|
></A
|
|
> and
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.linux.sgi.com/pub/mips-linux"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.linux.sgi.com/pub/mips-linux</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>. Interested people may mail their
|
|
questions and offers of assistance to <A
|
|
HREF="mailto:linux@waldorf-gmbh.de"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>linux@waldorf-gmbh.de</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There is (or was) also a MIPS channel on the Linux Activists mail server and
|
|
a linux-mips mailing list. See <A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#what-mailing-lists-are-there"
|
|
><I
|
|
>What Mailing Lists Are There?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There are currently two ports of Linux to the ARM family of processors. One
|
|
of these is for the ARM3, fitted to the Acorn A5000, and it includes I/O
|
|
drivers for the 82710/11 as appropriate. The other is to the ARM610 of the
|
|
Acorn RISC PC. The RISC PC port is currently in its early to middle stages,
|
|
owing to the need to rewrite much of the memory handling. The A5000 port is
|
|
in restricted beta testing. A release is likely soon.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>For more, up-to-date information, read the newsgroup
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="news:comp.sys.acorn.misc"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>news:comp.sys.acorn.misc</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
There is a FAQ at <A
|
|
HREF="http://www.arm.uk.linux.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.arm.uk.linux.org</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>The Linux SPARC project is a hotbed of activity. There is a FAQ and plenty of
|
|
other information available from the UltraLinux page,
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.ultralinux.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.ultralinux.org</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>The Home Page of the UltraSPARC port ("UltraPenguin") is located at
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/linux/ultrapenguin-1.0/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/linux/ultrapenguin-1.0/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>, although the URL may
|
|
not be current.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There is also a port to SGI/Indy machines ("Hardhat"). The URL is
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux.sgi.com"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.linux.sgi.com</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="linux-versioning"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>How Does Linux Kernel Versioning Work?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>At any given time, there are several "stable" versions of Linux, and one
|
|
"development" version. Unlike most proprietary software, older stable versions
|
|
continue to be supported for as long as there is interest, which is why multiple versions exist.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Linux version numbers follow a longstanding tradition. Each version has three numbers,
|
|
i.e., X.Y.Z. The "X" is only incremented when a really significant change happens,
|
|
one that makes software written for one version no longer operate correctly on the other.
|
|
This happens very rarely -- in Linux's history it has happened exactly once.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>The "Y" tells you which development "series" you are in. A stable kernel will
|
|
always have an even number in this position, while a development kernel will
|
|
always have an odd number.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>The "Z" specifies which exact version of the kernel you have, and it is
|
|
incremented on every release.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>The current stable series is 2.4.x, and the current development series is 2.5.x.
|
|
However, many people continue to run 2.2.x and even 2.0.x kernels, and they als
|
|
o continue to receive bugfixes. The development series is the code that the Linu
|
|
x developers are actively working on, which is always available for public
|
|
viewing, testing, and even use, although production use is not recommended!
|
|
This is part of the "open source development" method.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Eventually, the 2.5.x development series will be "sprinkled with holy penguin
|
|
pee" and become the 2.6.0 kernel and a new stable series will then be established,
|
|
and a 2.7.x development series begun. Or, if any really major changes happen,
|
|
it might become 3.0.0 instead, and a 3.1.x series begun.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="where-can-i-get-the-latest-kernel-version"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>Where Is the Latest Kernel Version on the Internet?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>The easiest way to update your kernel is to get the update directly
|
|
from the distribution which you are running.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>If you need or want to configure and compile your own kernel, the web page at
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.kernel.org/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.kernel.org/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
> lists the current versions of the development and production kernels.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>If you want to download the source code, FTP to
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>ftp.xx.kernel.org</TT
|
|
>, where <TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>xx</TT
|
|
> is the
|
|
two-letter Internet domain abbreviation of your country; e.g.,
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>us</TT
|
|
> for United States, <TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>ca</TT
|
|
> for
|
|
Canada, or <TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>de</TT
|
|
> for Germany. Kernel versions 2.2.x are
|
|
archived in the directory <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>pub/linux/kernel/v2.2</TT
|
|
>, as are
|
|
patches for the prerelease versions. The kernel source code is archived as a
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>.tar.gz</TT
|
|
> file, and as a <TT
|
|
CLASS="literal"
|
|
>.tar.bz2</TT
|
|
> file.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Follow the instructions in any of the standard references to compile the
|
|
kernel, as you would with any other custom kernel. The
|
|
<TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>Documentation</TT
|
|
> subdirectory contains information by the
|
|
authors of various subsystems and drivers, and much of that information is
|
|
not documented elsewhere.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>If you want to participate in kernel development, make sure that you sign on
|
|
to the linux-kernel mailing list to find out what people are working on.
|
|
Refer to the answer: <A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#what-mailing-lists-are-there"
|
|
><I
|
|
>What Mailing Lists Are There?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>There is a story about the features of the 2.4 series kernels at
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://features.linuxtoday.com/stories/8191.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://features.linuxtoday.com/stories/8191.html</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="threads-or-lightweight-processes"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>Does Linux Support Threads or Lightweight Processes?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>As well as the Unix multiprocessing model involving heavyweight processes, which is of course
|
|
part of the standard Linux kernel, there are several implementations of
|
|
lightweight processes or threads. Recent kernels implement a thread model,
|
|
kthreads. In addition, there are the following packages available for Linux.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
></P
|
|
><UL
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
>GNU glibc2 for Linux has optional support for threads.
|
|
The archive is available from the same place as glibc2, <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
>In <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://sipb.mit.edu/pub/pthread/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://sipb.mit.edu/pub/pthread/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
> or <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.ibp.fr:/pub/unix/threads/pthreads"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.ibp.fr:/pub/unix/threads/pthreads</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
Documentation isn't in the package, but is available on the World Wide Web at
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/proven/home_page.html"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/proven/home_page.html</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
Newer Linux libc's contain the pthreads source. The GNU Ada compiler on
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/devel/lang/ada/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/devel/lang/ada/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>
|
|
contains binaries made from that source code.
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
>In <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.cs.washington.edu/pub/qt-001.tar.Z"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.cs.washington.edu/pub/qt-001.tar.Z</I
|
|
></A
|
|
> is QuickThreads.
|
|
More information can be found in the technical report,
|
|
available on the same site is <TT
|
|
CLASS="filename"
|
|
>/tr/1993/05/UW-CSE-93-05-06.PS.Z.</TT
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
><LI
|
|
><P
|
|
>In <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://ftp.cs.fsu.edu/pub/PART/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://ftp.cs.fsu.edu/pub/PART/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>, an Ada
|
|
implementation. This is useful mainly because it has a lot of Postscript
|
|
papers that you'll find useful in learning more about threads. This is not
|
|
directly usable under Linux.
|
|
</P
|
|
></LI
|
|
></UL
|
|
><P
|
|
>Please contact the authors of the packages in question for details.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="version-of-linux-and-what-machine"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>What Version of Linux and What Machine Name Is This?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>Type:
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
><TABLE
|
|
BORDER="0"
|
|
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
><FONT
|
|
COLOR="#000000"
|
|
><PRE
|
|
CLASS="screen"
|
|
> $ uname -a </PRE
|
|
></FONT
|
|
></TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
></TABLE
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="bogomip"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>What is a BogoMip?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>"BogoMips" is a combination of <EM
|
|
>Bogus</EM
|
|
> and
|
|
<EM
|
|
>Mips</EM
|
|
>. MIPS stands for (depending on who you ask)
|
|
<EM
|
|
>Millions of Instructions per Second</EM
|
|
>, or
|
|
<EM
|
|
>Meaningless Indication of Processor Speed</EM
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>The number printed at boot time is the result of a kernel timing
|
|
calibration, used for very short delay loops by some device drivers.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>According to the <I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>BogoMips mini-HOWTO</I
|
|
>, the
|
|
rating for your machine will be:
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
><TABLE
|
|
BORDER="0"
|
|
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
|
|
WIDTH="100%"
|
|
><TR
|
|
><TD
|
|
><FONT
|
|
COLOR="#000000"
|
|
><PRE
|
|
CLASS="screen"
|
|
> Common BogoMips Ratings
|
|
|
|
Processor BogoMips Comparison
|
|
--------- -------- ----------
|
|
Intel 8088 clock * 0.004 0.02
|
|
Intel/AMD 386SX clock * 0.14 0.8
|
|
Intel/AMD 386DX clock * 0.18 1 (definition)
|
|
Motorola 68030 clock * 0.25 1.4
|
|
Cyrix/IBM 486 clock * 0.34 1.8
|
|
Intel Pentium clock * 0.40 2.2
|
|
Intel 486 clock * 0.50 2.8
|
|
AMD 5x86 clock * 0.50 2.8
|
|
Mips R4000/R4400 clock * 0.50 2.8
|
|
Nexgen Nx586 clock * 0.75 4.2
|
|
PowerPC 601 clock * 0.84 4.7
|
|
Alpha 21064/21064A clock * 0.99 5.5
|
|
Alpha 21066/21066A clock * 0.99 5.5
|
|
Alpha 21164/21164A clock * 0.99 5.5
|
|
Intel Pentium Pro clock * 0.99 5.5
|
|
Cyrix 5x86/6x86 clock * 1.00 5.6
|
|
Intel Pentium II/III clock * 1.00 5.6
|
|
Intel Celeron clock * 1.00 5.6
|
|
Mips R4600 clock * 1.00 5.6
|
|
Alpha 21264 clock * 1.99 11.1
|
|
AMD K5/K6/K6-2/K6-III clock * 2.00 11.1
|
|
UltraSparc II clock * 2.00 11.1
|
|
Pentium MMX clock * 2.00 11.1
|
|
PowerPC 604/604e/750 clock * 2.00 11.1
|
|
Motorola 68060 clock * 2.01 11.2
|
|
Motorola 68040 Not enough data (yet).
|
|
AMD Athlon Not enough data (yet).
|
|
IBM S390 Not enough data (yet).
|
|
</PRE
|
|
></FONT
|
|
></TD
|
|
></TR
|
|
></TABLE
|
|
>
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>If the number is wildly lower, you may have the Turbo button or CPU speed set incorrectly,
|
|
or have some kind of caching problem (as described in
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="troubleshooting.html#add-memory-system-slows"
|
|
><I
|
|
>Why Does the System Slow to a Crawl When Adding More Memory?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>).
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>For values people have seen with other, rarer, chips, or to
|
|
calculate your own BogoMips rating, please refer to the <I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>BogoMips
|
|
Mini-HOWTO</I
|
|
>, on <A
|
|
HREF="ftp://metalab.unc.edu/"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>ftp://metalab.unc.edu/</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
See <A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#howtos-and-other-documentation"
|
|
><I
|
|
>Where Is the Documentation?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>[Wim van Dorst]
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="does-linux-support-the-usb-bus"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>Does Linux Support USB Devices?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>Linux supports a few dozen USB devices at present,
|
|
and work is underway to develop additional device drivers.
|
|
There is a Web page devoted to the subject, at
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="http://www.linux-usb.org"
|
|
TARGET="_top"
|
|
><I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>http://www.linux-usb.org</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>. There is also LDP documentation, at:
|
|
<A
|
|
HREF="online-resources.html#world-wide-web-for-linux-stuff"
|
|
><I
|
|
>Where Is the Linux Stuff on the World Wide Web?</I
|
|
></A
|
|
>.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>Support for USB version 2.0 was recently added to development kernels, but is
|
|
not yet available in the 2.4 series.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="qandaentry"
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="question"
|
|
><P
|
|
><A
|
|
NAME="serial-ports-by-sharing"
|
|
></A
|
|
><B
|
|
>Q: </B
|
|
>Can Linux Use More than 3 Serial Ports by Sharing Interrupts?</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
><DIV
|
|
CLASS="answer"
|
|
><P
|
|
><B
|
|
>A: </B
|
|
>Yes, but you won't be able to use simultaneously two ordinary ports which share an interrupt
|
|
(without some trickery). This is a limitation of the ISA Bus architecture.
|
|
</P
|
|
><P
|
|
>See the <I
|
|
CLASS="citetitle"
|
|
>Serial HOWTO</I
|
|
> for information
|
|
about possible solutions and workarounds for this problem.
|
|
</P
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
></DIV
|
|
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