[IHUG] Installed Hurd; what now?

Tue Jun 20 13:47:38 IST 2006

2006/6/19, vivek shandilya <mailshandilya at yahoo.com>:
>
> Mr.Mahesh Aravind,
>   If you are from physically in Bangalore, and if you can let,can I borrow
> the hurd CDs you have for a few hours copy it then return ?If yes Do
> reply.we can fix a appointment at both's convience.
>   Mean while I am v m shandilya, got in here a few months back.Sort of
> waking up now!
>   Thanks and regards,
>   vms

Hey I have GNU CDs  (Debian GNU/Hurd k10 )  you can collect it form me (
send me a personal mail for me phone number and details).

How about a GNU's grazing this weekend??

Hi,
>
> I'm pretty new to this list. So old-timers bear with my stupidities...

Just remember this when you become an old timer :-)

Yesterday, I installed the GNU/Hurd (Debian GNU/Hurd).

Great !! Welcome to the GNU world !!

The CD had been
> with me for a couple of months (courtesy the nice guy asianetindia.com> of
> iLUG-Cochin), but various inhibitions, final-year
> exams, projects, "other" personal problems privented me from trying it
> out.

Well, to tell you the truth, it wasn't at all as exciting as I imagined
> (shoulda tried compiling from src)! The installation didn't even last
> an hour (heck, I was expecting a week). I don't know how you guys finds
> its version, but this is what my `uname -a' says:

Well I have a more exciting installtion for you. No fancy installer, no grub
collect GNU system snapshot of AMS and start working on it. You will have to
build from source as there is no apt-get yet ..
http://www.update.uu.se/~ams/home/slask/GNU/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
> GNU dulcinea 0.3 GNU-Mach 1.3/Hurd-0.3 i686-AT386 GNU
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I just went around my system, and thought about asking some ``doubts''
> before proceeding to install more (X, emacs, etc...).
>
> [If you find this too newbie-ish, pls direct me to a FAQ(s) section on
> web. And I lack 'net at home (goes to a café once in two weeks), so
> can't get on IRC (sue me).]
>
> ==================================
> Questions (in no particular order)
> ==================================
>
> 1. Why is there no /proc dir? Is there anything of similar
> funcionality?

There is no proc. there is no need for it infact. I have yet to understand
it though.

2. How do one change the console font (can't read all those UTF-8
> encoded text how-tos). Is there something similar to
> `consolechars' in GNU/Linux?
>
> 3. What exactly is the replacement for `sudo'? I saw a couple of
> things like `addauth', `rmauth', `unsu', and `su', but they don't
> have their man pages.

What do you need it for? the user has much more flexibility.

4. Is it wrong to use `mount'? I had to use `settrans -gf' to unmount
> the CD-ROM (this one *really* had me). Should we employ a transaltor (I
> think I'd have to get used to this) instead of plain ``mounting''?

There is nothing wrong. You need that for apt to work. Though some more
tweaking is required.

5. How do one catch the boot messages? Like when you feel like
> writing an article on installing the Hurd and wanting screenshots?
> As a side-note, has anyone tried booting the Hurd thru an emulator
> (I'm thinking `qemu')?

We use qemu all the time (though installed on real machine a couple of
times, qemu rocks !! )

6. Where can one find a comprehensive (user-tweakable, *not*
> hacker-tweakable) list of command-line options for the Hurd/GNU
> Mach? And what does each one (like `--device-master-port') mean?

we will figure out

7. I had created a 2G logical partition with 1024 block sized ext2fs.
> The installation program re-formatted it with a 4096 blocks. Is it
> necessary for the Hurd (or Mach) to have bigger block-sized
> partitions? (Hey, this ain't my ``production'' system!)
>
> 8. I selected the default locale as ``en_IN.UTF-8'' in the
> installation screen. It isn't in effect. How exactly do one set
> the locate (by hand)?
>
> 9. Why doesn't the /dev files have major/minor version numbers? All
> are zeros.
>
> 10. Where can I find the rationale behind not using the /usr hierarchy
> (I like it though, keeps the tree short). Should removable media
> be mounted on /cdrom or /media/cdrom? Is there something like the
> ``GNU Filesystem Hierarchy Standard'' for the Hurd?
>
> 11. After ^D form the shell, the ``Vulcan-Nerve-Pinch'' beeps back at
> me. How exactly do one shutdown the system (I login as root, and
> issue a reboot).

halt

That's it, seems like more will follow with my this weeks proding and
> poking the system.

It is great to see your questions. Most of the questions I have yet to find
answers. We will figure out it.

NOTE for the gurus: I didn't _do my homework_ before installing the
> Hurd. Don't spank me for it.
>
> Do you guys have a meeting place (we at iLUG-Cochin meets once in a
> month)?
>
> Répondez s'il vous plaît...
>
> Regards,
>
> Mahesh "another-GNUbie" Aravind
> --
>
> PS: Why exactly should we call it ``GNU/Hurd''. The Hurd is developed
> for the GNU Project, by the GNU Project. So why not ``*The* GNU
> Operating System''?
>
>
We do have meetings in Bangalore. Call for one in Kochi.

Cheers
Praveen

-- 
"Value your freedom, or you will lose it, teaches history.
`Don't bother us with politics', respond those who don't want to learn."
-- Richard Stallman
Me scribbles at http://www.pravi.co.nr