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5. Other Upgrades

5.1 ppp-2.2.0f

If you upgrade from 1.2.13 to 1.3 or 2.0, you MUST upgrade ppp (if you use it). If you dont, you get:

        Sorry: PPP not available on this system

It's easiest to upgrade the kernel first, then install ppp-2.2. Un-tar it under /usr/src, and follow the instructions. It just builds and installs out of the box.

The 2.0.0+ kernal sources already contain the correct code, so you can build the kernel first, then build PPP, then later build a new kernel from clean sources. You need this package to build the (non-kernel) pppd command. The 2.2.0e version on the CDROM's is OK.

Your PPP configuration should be much the same as it ever was, but there is a new "persist", option, that will automatically redial if the phone line gets cut (ie pppd got a SIGHUP from the modem losing carrier-detect). Note that pppd will NOT redial, if the chat script fails (phone BUSY). Then you should try diald, or your own cron job.

If you find the line disconnects after 15 minutes of inactivity, look in /var/log/messages, for pppd reporting that the remote pppd requested a disconnect. Then try ping -i60 remote to spoof activity on the line.

You should also locate dial_ppp, from Raven Issue-3, or as a package on http://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/Network/Serial/ It works for me (static IP_ADDR) and allows non-root users to establish a particular link.

5.2 procps-0.99a

This is on sunsite, in system/Status/ps.

Basically the new kernels have a new /proc format, which makes the old ps and top commands fail (segmentation fault). Most systems will run without this upgrade, but it is nice to be able to run the ps command, so upgrade as soon as you can.

5.3 lilo-19

The old LILO is still OK, but if you want to play with initrd, you want the new LILO and LOADLIN.EXE

This compiles and installs quite easily, and uses the same /etc/lilo.conf file.

Don't forget that modules take their parameters from /etc/conf.modules instead of the LILO prompt line, so that is where you put the NE2000 IO_ADDR (or whatever devices and parameters you need).

5.4 sendmail.8.7.5

You need to recompile sendmail without the flock option. Now is a good time to locate the original package and rebuild it.

You might want to edit the Makefile to say:

  DBMDEF=              -DNEWDB  # YES
# DBMDEF=       -DNDBM -DNEWDB  # NO

5.5 libc-5.3.12

This might break your 'man' command, or other programs that have an alloc/free bug. If so, you can use MC to view man pages (but it is a hassle to have to do so).

When upgrading, be very careful when changing the symbolic link over. I created the new link then used the mv command to delete the old and install the new, without getting caught without any libc file at all!

If that happens to you, you won't be able to run any commands, as they ALL need libc.so.5 to run! The system won't boot, because init needs it! Use a boot disk or second root partition.

It would be nice to have a statically linked ln command, but by the time I needed it, it was too late. I couldn't even CTRL-ALT-DEL, because the reboot program needed libc. sync-sync-click.

5.6 make 3.74

Upgrading libc, kills make (it fixes a bug that make expected). To recompile make without the make command, run the ./configure --prefix=/usr command, and run the build.sh script, and use ./make to run ./make install.

If you don't have make 3.74 around, you can try pmake (Slackware called it that anyway).


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