LINUX INFORMATION SHEET
(last updated 13 Jan 1992)

1. WHAT IS LINUX 0.12
    LINUX 0.12 is a freely distributable UNIX clone.  It implements a
subset of System V and POSIX functionality.  LINUX has been written
from scratch, and therefore does not contain any AT&T or MINIX
code--not in the kernel, the compiler, the utilities, or the libraries.
For this reason it can be made available with the complete source code
via anonymous FTP.  LINUX runs only on 386/486 AT-bus machines; porting
to non-Intel architectures is likely to be difficult, as the kernel
makes extensive use of 386 memory management and task primitives.

     Version 0.12 is still a beta release, but it already provides much
of the functionality of a System V.3 kernel.  For example, various
users have been able to port programs such as bison/flex without having
to modify code at all.  Another indication of its maturity is that
it is now possible to do LINUX kernel development using LINUX itself 
and freely-available programming tools.

2. LINUX features
  - System call compatible with a subset of System V and POSIX
  - Full multiprogramming (multiple programs can run at once)
  - Memory paging with copy-on-write
  - Demand loading of executables
  - Page sharing of executables
  - Virtual memory: swapping to disk when out of RAM
  - POSIX job control
  - virtual consoles on EGA/VGA screens
  - pty's
  - some 387-emulation
  - ANSI compliant C compiler (gcc)
  - A complete set of compiler writing tools
    (bison as yacc-replacement, flex as lex replacement)
  - The GNU 'Bourne again' shell (bash)
  - Micro emacs
  - most utilities you need for development
    (cat, cp, kermit, ls, make, etc.)
  - Over 200 library procedures (atoi, fork, malloc, read, stdio, etc.)
  - Currently 4 national keyboards: Finnish/US/German/French
  - Full source code (in C) for the OS is freely distributable
  - Full source code of the tools can be gotten from many anonymous ftp sites
    (Almost the entire suite of GNU programs has been ported to Linux.)
  - Runs in protected mode on 386 and above
  - Support for extended memory up to 16M on 386 and above
  - RS-232 serial line support with terminal emulation, kermit, zmodem, etc.
  - Supports the real time clock


3. HARDWARE REQUIRED
   - A 386 or 486 machine with an AT-bus.  (EISA will probably work, also,
     but you will need an AT-bus hard disk controller.)
     Both DX and SX processors will work.
   - A hard disk implementing the standard AT hard disk interface--
     for example, an IDE drive.  SCSI drives are not supported yet.
   - A high-density disk drive--either 5.25" (1.2MB) or 3.5" (1.44MB).
   - At least 2 megabytes of RAM.  (LINUX will boot in 2 Mb.  To use
     gcc 4 MB is a good idea.)
   - Any video card of the following: Hercules,CGA,EGA,VGA

In addition, LINUX supports
   - Up to two serial lines
   - A real time clock 

4. PARTIAL LIST OF UTILITIES INCLUDED IN OR AVAILABLE FOR LINUX 0.12 
   - The MTOOLS package (reading/writing to DOS filesystems)
   - The complete GNU filetools (ls, cat, cp, mv, ...)
   - The GNU C compiler with GNU assembler, linker, ar, ...
   - bison
   - flex
   - rcs
   - pmake (BSD 4.3 Reno/BSD 4.4  make)
   - kermit
   - Micro emacs
   - less
   - mkfs
   - fsck
   - mount/umount


5. LINUX BINARIES
    The LINUX binaries and sources are available at three
    anonymous FTP sites. These are:

    nic.funet.fi:/pub/OS/Linux
    tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux
    tupac-amaru.informatik.rwth-aachen.de:/pub/msdos/replace


6. LEGAL STATUS OF LINUX
     Although LINUX is  supplied with the  complete source  code, it is
copyrighted software.  Unlike MINIX, however, it is available for free,
provided  you obey  to the  rules specified  in  the  LINUX  copyright.


7. NEWS ABOUT LINUX
     Since LINUX's  introduction to the public there has been a rapidly
growing mailing list, "linux-activists@niksula.hut.fi". To subscribe to 
this  list,  mail to  "linux-activists-request@niksula.hut.fi".  If the
traffic in this lists increases  further, there are  plans to swap ( at 
least partially ) over  to comp.os.misc, so  watch out  for  any  LINUX 
articles in  this group.  For the current status of LINUX, do "finger
torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi".


8. FUTURE PLANS
     Work is underway on LINUX version 1.0, which will close some of the
gaps in the present implementation.  Various people are currently working
on:
     - A virtual filesystem layer 
     - STREAMS 
     - init/getty/login
     - Interprocess communication
     - IEEE POSIX P1003.1 / P1003.2 compatibility
     - SCSI support
If you want to help, join the mailing list.