Slackware 9.1 release notes. Wed Sep 24 21:00:51 PDT 2003 Hi everyone, This is Slackware 9.1, the second release of Slackware based on gcc-3. Many things have been fixed and improved, but here are a few of the major changes: GCC upgraded to version 3.2.3, with version 3.3.1 in the /testing directory (because lots of source out there is not yet compatible with it, but this is changing fast). Slackware now includes Sun's Java(TM) 2 Software Development Kit Standard Edition, Version 1.4.2_01 (thanks to Sun's new license). The default sound system is now ALSA (the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture), which is also the default sound system in the upcoming Linux 2.6.x kernel. If you wish to use OSS instead, the modules are still available, but you'll need to remove the packages beginning with alsa- and remove the OSS modules from /etc/hotplug/blacklist. Both CUPS and LPRng are supported as printing systems. A number of command locations (like /usr/bin/lpr) are shared by these programs, and whichever package (cups or lprng) is installed last will "own" these symbolic links. While both systems work no matter which way the links are pointed, if you plan to use a spooling system you'll probably want to do two things. First, remove the one you're not going to use with removepkg. Next, reinstall the one you plan to use with installpkg. This will make sure the links are set correctly, and get the tools you won't be using out of the way. The system init files have been streamlined and improved, while keeping their number small and structure easy to understand. IP addresses and other settings have been moved out of /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 into /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf. Most of the init scripts in /etc/rc.d that control network and other services may be enabled or disabled by setting them executable (or not) with chmod, and a new menu in the installer lets you choose the initial state for many of them. If you want your machine to come up on the network with no open ports at the first boot, that's now easily possible. There is improved Linux hotplugging support. This takes over the job of configuring Cardbus cards (instead of pcmcia-cs, still used for non-Cardbus cards). However, this means that if you're used to configuring your card in /etc/pcmcia/, you'll need to set it up elsewhere. For example, the old way of configuring a Cardbus network card is by editing /etc/pcmcia/network.opts. Now you'll need to set up the IP in /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf (or by running "netconfig") instead. To make matters more confusing, non-Cardbus PC cards continue to use /etc/pcmcia/network.opts! Even with the rough edges, the addition of Linux hotplug support is a major, major step forward. In most cases this new subsystem can probe for and detect every piece of PCI, Cardbus, and USB hardware connected to the machine and automatically load all the correct kernel modules. Very nice. :-) NOTE: if the hotplugging subsystem causes problems at boot time, it can be skipped by passing the kernel a "nohotplug" flag on the kernel command line. Speaking of PC card support, we're no longer using the driver modules that come with the pcmcia-cs sources and have moved to the ones included with the Linux kernel source. Besides providing better PC card support, this will make things easier for people who like to keep up with the latest kernels. Support for USB keyboards is now integrated into the installer. If USB device detection causes problems (it shouldn't), it may be skipped by passing the kernel a "nousb" flag at boot. In the event that the keyboard doesn't work right away when the install CD is booted, wait. It will boot automatically after two minutes without a keypress, and then the kernel should find your keyboard. Known gotchas: If you use the xfs.s kernel (XFS filesystem support), you'll need to install the kernel modules packages found in extra/kernel-modules-xfs/. (the standard kernel modules aren't compatible with the XFS patched kernel). Have fun! :-) Pat Volkerding