madler@eeyore.caltech.edu (Mark Adler) (03/17/91)
Yes, 2.1 is out and supposedly shipping. It is $50 for seven (?) 2.88M floppies. However, you do not have to buy it to be entitled to have it. From the announcement: >> Licensing fees aren't associated with each copy of the update >> software. Thus the Update Set grants the buyer a license to copy and >> install the NeXT Update Set Software on any NeXT computer for which >> NeXT Software Release 2.0 has previously been licensed. I would suggest, as was suggested to me by a NeXT employee, that to save money just make one local order for the update and install it on every NeXT with 2.0. (They *could* have shipped on 13 or 14 1.44M floppies for $10, but I suppose they have to show off their super-cool 2.88M floppy capacity in a product.) More importantly, I would point out that there is a more serious bug that is fixed in 2.1 than is mentioned in the announcement's bug list: the old Motorola 68882 emulation code for the 68040 that came with the 2.0 operating system can cause the system to die a horrible death while doing floating point calculations. Both Bing Chen and Sam Finn have found serious examples of this, but they do not appear to crash under 2.1, which has new code from Motorola. The bug list *does* mention the relatively minor tanh() bug that is also fixed in the new 68882 emulation code. NeXT says in the announcement: >> This release contains no new features, >> and most Release 2.0 users of monochrome systems won't need to update >> to the new release. In light of the inability of the NeXT computer to compute under 2.0, I strongly disagree. I believe everyone should upgrade to 2.1 if at all possible. Mark Adler madler@pooh.caltech.edu
paul@cgh.UUCP (Paul Homchick) (03/17/91)
Regarding 2.1: presumably, the getty bug is fixed, too. Those NeXT
owners who are running uucp might want to upgrade to insure that their
serial ports don't lock up on them.
--
Paul Homchick :UUCP {rutgers | uunet} !cbmvax!cgh!paul
Chimitt Gilman Homchick, Inc. :Internet cgh!paul@dsi.com
259 Radnor-Chester Rd, Suite 140 :MCI PHOMCHICK
Radnor, PA 19087-5299 :GEnie HOMCHICKtyc@cbnewse.att.com (felix.a.lugo) (03/18/91)
In article <1531@cgh.UUCP> paul@cgh.UUCP (Paul Homchick) writes: | Regarding 2.1: presumably, the getty bug is fixed, too. Those NeXT | owners who are running uucp might want to upgrade to insure that their | serial ports don't lock up on them. | -- | Paul Homchick :UUCP {rutgers | uunet} !cbmvax!cgh!paul | Chimitt Gilman Homchick, Inc. :Internet cgh!paul@dsi.com | 259 Radnor-Chester Rd, Suite 140 :MCI PHOMCHICK | Radnor, PA 19087-5299 :GEnie HOMCHICK I spoke to a NeXT sales rep. in the Chicago area and he told me that 2.1 is being released only to support the color systems ("and that is all"). No mention of bug fixes or enhancements anywhere else. I suppose, until 2.1 is actually official, that any speculations are just that! Could NeXT Computer provide some input on what exactly the release provides? If they do this, and the new release provides more than just color support, then a lot of NeXT users will be anxious to get their hands on it! Come on NeXT, lets do some business!!!!! /* ** ============================================================================ ** ** Felix A. Lugo AT&T Bell Laboratories ** ** E-Mail: ** (708) 713-4374 coco@ihlpb.att.com att!ihlpb!coco ** ** NeXT-Mail: ** (708) 515-0668 coco@alien.att.com alien.att.com!bootsie!coco ** ** ============================================================================ */
madler@owl.caltech.edu (Mark Adler) (03/18/91)
In article <1991Mar17.172123.27519@cbnewse.att.com> tyc@cbnewse.att.com (felix.a.lugo) writes: > I spoke to a NeXT sales rep. in the Chicago area and he told me that > 2.1 is being released only to support the color systems ("and that > is all"). No mention of bug fixes or enhancements anywhere else. I > suppose, until 2.1 is actually official, that any speculations are > just that! Could NeXT Computer provide some input on what exactly the > release provides? If they do this, and the new release provides more > than just color support, then a lot of NeXT users will be anxious to > get their hands on it! Come on NeXT, lets do some business!!!!! Nope--no speculation is going on here. What follows is the full posting by Conrad Geiger of NeXT on the next-lab mailing list (he got this from Alan Marcum of NeXT). As I said and supported at the beginning of this thread, don't listen to NeXT if they try to tell you you don't need to get 2.1. There is a fix to an extremely serious floating point bug that brings the machine to its knees, even to the point that you have to pull the plug (none of the magic key sequences, even the last resort alt-cmd-* will work). There are many other bug fixes as well. Many are in the list below, but the above mentioned problem is notably absent ... Mark Adler madler@pooh.caltech.edu ------------- Date: 15 Mar 91 16:44 -0800 Thanks to Alan Marcum for this... conrad __________________________________________________________ This message contains two announcements regarding Release 2.1: one describing the release in general, the other describing the 2.1 Update Set. Alan M. Marcum NeXT Technical Support Software Release 2.1 Announcement Release Description Software Release 2.1 is now shipping with all new NeXT hardware and software products. The primary objective of Release 2.1 is to support NeXT's new color platforms, NeXTstation Color and NeXTdimension; however, some Release 2.0 customers may want the software improvements in Release 2.1. This release contains no new features, and most Release 2.0 users of monochrome systems won't need to update to the new release. Some third-party products may require Release 2.1; for example, some fax modems require Release 2.1, although most modems will work perfectly with Release 2.0. If you have any questions regarding the compatibility of a third-party product and the software release you're currently running, please contact the individual vendor. Aside from color support, Release 2.1 contains the following improvements over Release 2.0: o Fully supported internationalization of NeXT applications. This affects users who require nationalized versions of software to run in a foreign country's native language. o Improved reliability of very long (an hour or more) sound or music sequences. o A more robust serial port driver, especially for high baud rates (9600 baud or greater). This will affect customers who use NeXT computers as dial-in servers or UUCP sites. o More robust handling of very large font folders (containing thousands of fonts) or Font folders shared over the network. For casual use of Font folders on an individual computer, Release 2.0 is sufficient. o Printing support to non-NeXT PostScript printers over the serial port. o Fix to LoginHook (although the standard NeXT login window is not affected). The fixed function only applies to sites that force a customized login sequence to occur when users log in. o Fix to the tanh (hyperbolic tangent) function. It now produces the correct results in all cases. o Performance improvement (by more than an order of magnitude) of the floor function. This may be important to developers who frequently use this function. o Fix to the system constant HUGE. It has been set to the correct value (it was set to -Infinity in 2.0). o An improved gdb debugger that's able to kill processes more reliably. Release Philosophy NeXT usually recommends that users upgrade to each major software release, i.e., from Release 1.n to 2.n to 3.n. We try to schedule these required upgrades relatively infrequently so that upgrading doesn't become a burden. Updates to minor releases (e.g., from 2.0 to 2.1) aren't generally required, except for specific new hardware support or special needs. Minor releases will obviously be more frequent than major releases, but we also try to provide software tools to make the update process simple and painless. Products Affected All newly shipping hardware and software products have been revised to reflect the new software release. All computer systems, including monochrome systems, will have Software Release 2.1 preloaded on their hard disks. The major Release 2.1 software products offered are: o Software Release 2.1 Extended Upgrade (N5507). Upgrades to Release 2.1 Extended with a magneto-optical disk. o Software Release 2.1 Update Set (N7022). Updates Release 2.0 to Release 2.1 with floppy disks. o Software Release 2.1 Floppy Disk Installation Set (N5512). Installs Release 2.1 (without Extensions) on a hard disk. o Software Release 2.1 Extensions Floppy Disk Installation Set (N5513). Installs Release 2.1 Extensions on a hard disk. o Software Release 2.0/2.1 Upgrade License (N5516). Permits usage of N5507 to upgrade an additional machine. Product Announcement N7022 Update Set, Software Release 2.1 $50.00 Product Description This product updates Software Release 2.0 to Software Release 2.1, and Software Release 2.0 Extended to Software Release 2.1 Extended. Although the primary objective of Release 2.1 is to support NeXT's new color products, the Update Set is for customers with monochrome systems who want to take advantage of the software improvements in Release 2.1. The Update Set only contains the differences between the 2.0 and 2.1 releases, and not the entire 2.1 release; thus, only Release 2.0 users are able to utilize the update software. The product consists of 2.88 MB floppy disks and an instruction manual; the update won't be provided on any other media. Please note that this product is being sold at NeXT's cost. Product Usage The software tools in the Update Set will automatically replace files that were modified for Release 2.1. Users don't have to backup any personal files on their hard disks as the update software will avoid standard user files. Licensing fees aren't associated with each copy of the update software. Thus the Update Set grants the buyer a license to copy and install the NeXT Update Set Software on any NeXT computer for which NeXT Software Release 2.0 has previously been licensed. Ordering Instructions: Ordering one or more copies of N7022 Update Set is just like ordering any other NeXT product. If you have questions about the ordering process, please call 1-800-848-NeXT for assistance.
sulistio@FUTON.SFSU.EDU (Sulistio Muljadi) (03/18/91)
Why can't NeXT put the 2.1 updated release on anonymous ftp? Isn't it easier for us to update it by that way? Just a thought. -- Mul | Alt. address: sulistio@sutro.sfsu.edu sulistio@futon.sfsu.edu | sulistio@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu #include "std/disclaimer.h" | mul@wet.UUCP (UUCP address) ************************************************************************
DWN2@psuvm.psu.edu (03/18/91)
In article <9103172028.AA24823@futon.SFSU.EDU>, sulistio@FUTON.SFSU.EDU (Sulistio Muljadi) says: >Why can't NeXT put the 2.1 updated release on anonymous ftp? >Isn't it easier for us to update it by that way? >Just a thought. >-- >Mul Yes, this is an excellent idea. If NeXT will not make the upgrade available via anonymous ftp, will they accept my 2.0 optical disk and install the upgrade on it? If so, at what cost? I have no interest in buying $50 dollars worth of 2.88Mb disks when I don't have a 2.88Mb drive. I would, however, be happy to mail my 2.0 optical to NeXT for an upgrade. NeXT needs to make some decisions about how it is going to support all of the optical only cube owners out here and saying "buy a $500 floppy drive" is simply NOT acceptable. NeXT went out of their way to make a computer that connects to the world in as many ways as possible, how about supporting the upgrade path on more than one of those ways. My OD only cubes await your response Dave +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Dave Norton email to dwn2@psuvm.psu.edu + + Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory + + Penn State University % cute NeXT saying goes here % + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
madler@roo.caltech.edu (Mark Adler) (03/18/91)
In article <91076.202137DWN2@psuvm.psu.edu> DWN2@psuvm.psu.edu writes: >In article <9103172028.AA24823@futon.SFSU.EDU>, sulistio@FUTON.SFSU.EDU >(Sulistio Muljadi) says: >>Why can't NeXT put the 2.1 updated release on anonymous ftp? >Yes, this is an excellent idea. If NeXT will not make the upgrade available Well ... I think distributing a product over internet might cross some legal bounds that are already being streached somewhat. However, if someone who gets the 2.1 upgrade puts on someplace like cs.orst.edu, and NeXT promises not to complain about copyrights (after all, the upgrade is useless without 2.0), then NeXT can claim they didn't do it, and everyone wins. Mark Adler madler@pooh.caltech.edu
declan@remus.rutgers.edu (Declan McCullagh/LZ) (03/18/91)
In article <1991Mar18.034512.23324@nntp-server.caltech.edu>, madler@roo.caltech.edu (Mark Adler) writes: > I think distributing a product over internet might cross some legal bounds > that are already being streached somewhat. However, if someone who gets > the 2.1 upgrade puts on someplace like cs.orst.edu, and NeXT promises not > to complain about copyrights (after all, the upgrade is useless without > 2.0), then NeXT can claim they didn't do it, and everyone wins. Apple already does this, by making Macintosh system disks available for anonymous FTP from apple.com (or is it now ftp.apple.com?). In the case of NeXTstep 2.1, though, the changes are more bug fixes than an entire new release of the operating system, and can be placed on an archive site without any legal problems, no? -Declan
ice@wang.com (Fredrik Nyman) (03/19/91)
madler@eeyore.caltech.edu (Mark Adler) writes: >Yes, 2.1 is out and supposedly shipping. It is $50 for seven (?) 2.88M >floppies. However, you do not have to buy it to be entitled to have it. >From the announcement: Out of curiosity: If someone (like me) recently (like last Friday) ordered an "Operating System Upgrade" on OD from his friendly, massively backordered campus bookstore, would he get 2.0 or 2.1 in ~10 weeks when said bookstore expects to get said OS upgrade? -- Fredrik Nyman <ice@wang.COM> [NeXT: ice@red-zinger.wang.COM] Global Adaptation Center BITNET: <ice@drycas>, <ice@searn> Wang Laboratories, Inc., M/S 019-490, One Industrial Ave., Lowell MA 01851, USA