Re: Hurd state

[Bas Wijnen]

Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
>    There are very few hackers on the project, and that is a problem.
>    We can call it lack of their imagination, but it's our problem, not
>    theirs, so blaming them isn't going to help.
>
> I disagree, it is not our problem that people don't want to hack.

We want the software to be impoved, and we want it to be done fast.  In 
particular, we want it faster than we can do it ourselves.  So we need 
more people.  If they don't want to help then that is our problem.  If 
the reasons they don't help are actually misconceptions, then it would 
be wise of us to educate them.

>    I think the main problem is PR: the website is outdated, and that's
>    the first place people look.
>
> Do you have something to add? To update? Anything? Anyone?
>
> People have been screaming for updates on the web pages for a long
> time now, but nobody has steped forward with something to add.  So
> here is a public announcment:
>
> If you have something that you think is worth to add to the What's new
> page at http://hurd.gnu.org, send a news blurb to web-hurd@gnu.org!
> If you have a idea or know that something is outdated, send a patch or
> suggestion to web-hurd@gnu.org!

I always like your direct approach: If something is wrong, fix it 
immediately.  I just checked the site, and it was better than I 
remembered.  Still I have a few notes (and I don't have time to fix them 
myself right now, I've spent too much time writing these e-mails 
already, while I should be working).


What's new:
> 2 July 2003
>     The tarball for Debian GNU/Hurd that Marcus Brinkmann made over
>     the years has been discontinued in favour of Jeff Bailey's
>     crosshurd package. To install Debian GNU/Hurd from now on, this
>     package should be used. Another Debian system is required to be
>     installed on the same machine. The GNU/Hurd installation guide has
>     not been updated yet.

It should be updated.


In the installation guide, this is suggested for running X:
> export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/X11R6/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

However, that will not work for suid programs, in particular xterm.  So 
either xterm should be made non-suid, which prevents it from updating 
utmp, or you need to link all libraries to /lib.  Last time I used the 
hurd I did the latter, but it would probably be preferrable to have a 
translator on /lib which just merges the contents of several 
directories.  Whatever is preferred for solving this should be 
documented in the guide.

Thanks,
Bas

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