The Slackware Linux distribution (v. 1.01) is now available for 
anonymous FTP. This is a complete installation system designed for
386/486 systems with a 3.5" boot floppy. 486 optimizations are now 
used for most of the included software.

This improved version now includes kernel support for SCSI controllers.
I don't own a SCSI card, so the SCSI features have not been tested. The
kernel compile (0.99pl12 alpha) went smoothly, so I am optimistic that
these drivers will work. Let me know how it goes. I'll make separate
a1/a2 sets for each type of supported card if that's what has to be done.

This release is based largely on the SLS system, but has been enhanced and
modified substantially. There are two main disk series, A (13 disks) and
X (11 disks). Some of the features:   

Some features on the base package (Series A) :
  Source for the Linux DOS emulator version 0.49.
  The FAQ for kernel level 99pl10.
  Kernel source and image at .99pl12 Alpha.
    [compiled with these options: math emulation support, normal hard drive
    support, full SCSI support, TCP/IP, System V IPC, -m486, minix fs, ext2 fs,
    msdos fs, nfs, proc support, and PS/2 style mouse support. You may need to
    recompile if you have some other type of busmouse. The kernel was compiled 
    with libc 4.4.1, g++ 2.4.5]
  The new keytable utilities released with .99pl12 alpha.
  The NET-2 networking package, preconfigured to use loopback.
  A public domain version of ksh, and tcsh 6.04 (with the bugs worked out)
  GNU gcc, g++, and Objective-C at versions 2.4.5. These are the new
  versions from sunsite with 486 optimizations.
  Includes and libraries at version 4.4.1
  mailx, quota utilities, experimental winapi source, sound drivers.
  The TCL toolkit and samples.

  In addition, the installation program has been improved to offer more
  information about the packages (and the installation procedure itself)
  as you install.

  The install program can also automatically install LILO, configuring it
  to boot either from your master boot record or from OS/2's Boot Manager.

Some features of the X Windows disks (Series X) :
  XFree-86 version 1.3.
  Open Look Virtual Window Manager is the default window manager.
  XS3-0.4.4 server offers support for S3 based video cards.
  XV 3.00 Image viewer and required libraries included.
  PEX files from the XFree-86 1.3 distribution are included.

Although TeX support is not included in the Slackware release, you may
optionally install the SLS T series as you install the Slackware disks.

How to get the Slackware(tm) release:

The Slackware release may be obtained by anonymous FTP from
ftp.cdrom.com in directory /pub/linux/slackware. This will be the main home 
for this distribution, so look there for the latest versions. This is most
definately a real computer (tm) so there shouldn't be any of the problems
that happened the last time around when I tried to use a computer with only 2 
megabytes of RAM for the archive site.

Read the file INSTALL for basic installation info. 
ChangeLog will track any changes to the distribution needed in the
future, so check this file from time to time if you're trying to keep
your disks current. 

Also new with this release, all the disks except a1 are available under
/pub/linux/slackware/zipped_disks as zip archives containing the files for
each disk. These may be easier to deal with if you are making your disks
on a DOS machine.

If you find any problems with the distribution, or if you have any suggestions
for improvements, please let me know. If you know of more up-to-date versions
of software in the distribution, I'd like to hear about that, too.

Have fun, folks!

Patrick J. Volkerding
volkerdi@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu
bf703@cleveland.freenet.edu