Yggdrasil's Plug and Play Linux

A couple of looks at the Yggdrasil Graphic tools

User Maintenance Tool (35k.)
Network Configuration Tool (31k.)
Slip Configuration Tool (32k.)
Package Tool (19k.)

What I liked.

• Syslinux provides a welcome relief to boot and root disks.

• Use of the function keys from the boot prompt to display boot parameters was useful.

• Installation warns you about the screensaver blanking the screen and gives good advice (hitting an insignificant key such as control or alt) for repainting it.

• I was able to select the minimum installation and run Linux almost entirely from the CD.

• A DOS binary for perl was on the CD in the /dosbin directory.

• Installation forces you to use a three partition scheme. A '/' partition for system files, a '/home' partition for personal files and one for swap.

• System is almost completely ELF.

• System complies with the Linux File System Standard.

What I disliked.

• The warning - "sh: can't open cache '/etc/ld.so.cache'" came before the message to ignore that warning.

• During partition selection the only disk map was for /dev/hda even after I entered /dev/hdb as the Linux drive.

• rawrite /bootdsks/network.3in doesn't work, you need to use /dosbin/mkfloppy.

• Installation guide said that the bootparameter cdu31a=probe would cause the kernel to probe for a Sony CDU31A CDROM, but it didn't.

• Installation practically forces you in to a three partition scheme. One partition for '/', '/home' and swap.

• Installation scripts complains it can not mount the /home partition and wants to run mke2fs on it. Switching to another console I can manually mount the partition without difficulty.

• When it runs mke2fs to create the filesystems on the disk partitions it doesn't check for bad blocks.

• The network installation has default values of 192.216.244.52 for Server IP Number, and /home/ftp/pub/fall95/install for Location of Plug and Play directory, but this file system is not being exported.

  # /usr/sbin/showmount -e 192.216.244.52
  Export list for 192.216.244.52:
  /system_cd        *.yggdrasil.com
  /386BSD           *.yggdrasil.com
  /infomagic        *.yggdrasil.com
  /freya_cd         *.yggdrasil.com
  /usr/local        *.yggdrasil.com
  /var/spool/mail   *.yggdrasil.com
  /a/freya/home/ftp (everyone)
  /a/freya/home     *.yggdrasil.com

• Even after installing the recommended system (224129 blocks) the system depends upon files on the CDROM to run. Without the CDROM mounted I was unable to: read manual pages; recompile the kernel; run Internet services.

• The installation process installed a corrupted lilo in the master boot record. I had to boot from floppy, manually edit /etc/lilo.conf, reinstall lilo and reboot.

• /etc/rc.d/rc.multi has an rm command to remove all files from /tmp.

• The Yggdrasil script for configuring X was not as robust or user friendly as the XFree86 script xf86config.

• /etc/issue was too large and the Yggdrasil logo annoyed me when logging in.

• Could not get the XF86_S3 X server to work. I had to use the XF86_SVGA server.

• The adduser tool inserted extra character in the Username field and does not do entry validation. I was able to enter a corrupted user into my /etc/passwd file.

• Book is vague on the hard drive space requirements for the different installation options.

Last Modified: 12 February 1996