Subject: SLS Announce: CDROM shipping
From: [email-masked] (Peter MacDonald)
Date: 14 May 1993 19:09:00 +0300
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce

Softlanding Software announces the SLS CDROM, will be shipping next 
week.  Here is a partial list of what it contains:

- the SLS 1.02 packages (features 99p9 kernel and libc 4.3.3) 
- SLS 1.02 unpacked and pre-installed
- the SLS source tree
- Werner's Inherited File System (IFS)
- mit and contrib X dists 
- misc X windows srcs (like interviews and the TK X tool kit)
- sources for non-SLS things (like snd-kit and rlab)
- unsupported Linux patch src (like Xenix fs and kdebug)
- two boot disks (3 & 5) 
- at least 1 patch floppy (contains updates)
- the booklet, Using SLS

In  short, as much as could be  crammed  into about 550 Meg on the CD.
Things  such as multimedia  (sound and graphics  support) are a given.
Just a few words about a couple of the above items:

The first item, the SLS 1.02 distribution, is included  in both packed
and unpacked form.  The unpacked form, of course, allows access to all
the distribution  contents without having to install the entire system
onto  a hard drive.  Infrequently  used man  pages and executables may
best be used directly from the CD.

Inclusion of the packaged release serves several purposes.  It  allows
installing from the CD.  It also permits the floppy distribution to be
easily generated from the CD, even from DOS!  This means that each SLS
CD  is  a  miniture  floppy  distribution  producing  facility.   More
importantly, it also means that, even if Linux does not currently have
a device driver for your particular CDROM drive, you can still install
and use SLS on your  hard drive,  just by copying the files  either to
DOS floppies or to a DOS  hard drive  partition,  and then  installing
from  there.  All that is required is  a  DOS device  driver for  your
particular CDROM drive.  As with the floppy distribution,  the boot
disks can be used to install from HD, FD, Network, CD or Tape.

The inherited file system, IFS, is the key to the effective use of the
online source and data for read-only media such as CDROM.  It allows a
read-only directories to be mapped over by a  writable directory, such
that only the modified files occupy space in the  writable  directory.
Gross  networks of symbolic links  are unecessary.  Complete directory
heirarchies are mapped  at a  stroke, rather than just the contents of
one directory at a time.

The booklet,  Using SLS, has several parts.  The  first, describes the
various installation  procedures and  options  at  your disposal,  and
gives example installs.  The second section is of the format "A Day In
The Life  Of  The  Linux Hacker".   It depicts  a  somewhat  contrived
session that attempts to take  the user on as  complete a tour through
the SLS system  and it's facilities as  possible.  Pains are taken not
only  to describe what kinds of problems  are  met,  but also  how and
where answers to these problems are found.  We end up with a survey of
the major subsystems of SLS, touching briefly  on topics such as using
GhostScript,  GCC, term  and TeX.  The goal of this guide  is  brevity
rather  than  comprehensiveness, which  is better  handled  by  online
documentation.

The  SLS  CDROM is available for $99.00 US, plus  $15.00 shipping  and
handling from.

        Softlanding Software
        910 Lodge Ave.
        Victoria, B.C., Canada
        V8X-3A8
        (604) 360-0188,  FAX (604) 385-1292
 
Quantity pricing for resellers is also available.

FLOPPIES:

Someone pointed  out that the  SLS  readme  had the  wrong prices  for
floppies.  Thus, here is the corrected extract, now updated on tsx-11:

SLS  is  available  from  the  address  below   for  a  $3.50/disk  US
($4.50/disk  Canadian)  copying charge.  Add  $1.00/disk  for  3  1/2"
disks, and $15.00 for shipping  and  handling.  Mail  payment,  either
cheque  or  money  order,  in  advance,  to  Softlanding.    Visa  and
Mastercard are now also accepted, albeit with a 4% surcharge.  Because
people  keep  asking  about  prices,  Softlanding  has  provided  this
commonly ordered configurations price sheet:

NAME #DISKS  SERIES 	     5 1/4 DISKS               3 1/2 DISKS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
TINY  4      a             US $29.00 (CDN $33.00)     US $33.00 (CDN $37.00)
BASE  17     a,b,c,d,s     US $74.50 (CDN $91.50)     US $91.50 (CDN $108.50)
MAIN  24     a,b,c,x       US $99.00 (CDN $123.00)    US $123.00 (CDN $147.00)
FULL  30     a,b,c,x,d,s,t US $120.00 (CDN $150.00)   US $150.00 (CDN $180.00)

When ordering, ensure that you specify  the bootdisk type (3 1/2  or 5
1/4).  Softlanding is also now offering support subscriptions for SLS.
Individual support,  (one  user, one  machine)  is  $100.00 per  year.
Group support, primarily for resellers and corporate sites is $1000.00
per year.  CDROM ($99) and QIC-150 tape ($150) also available.

See Softlanding for a gentle touch down from a DOS bailout.