[img_assist|fid=52|thumb=1|alt=Linux]

Well, I was reading a book on Visual C++ programming based on the Windows API without using the AppWizards and the rest, and somehow, I was compelled to learn the origin of that little penguin called "Tux". Well, surprise surprise [not really], a simple Google did the job and came across a healthy site.

The history is filled with geeky humor, so typical of anything remotely related to Linux [wink]. Baker has kept a tab on why penguins? How the name came to TUX and so on... It's an interesting read, if you don't have much to do! You can find more about it here - SJ Baker.org/Tux. Also please check out the different logos amongst which our Tux competed and won.. They are all put up here - Linux Logo Competition!!

My new Ubuntu Hoary Desktop. Sweet!

Ubuntu: From Warty to Hoary
Ubuntu Wiki: HoaryUpgradeNotes

Lack of resources means finding newer, crooked ways of doing things, including emulating them. Being an os development enthusiast with just a single x86 PC at my disposal, I have often relied on Bochs for emulation purposes such as trying out Linux, BSD and even my own kernels. Here is how I use a file backed floppy disk image with grub installed in it for quick kernel try-outs; because rebooting can be a pain. The steps described here are specific to GNU/Linux based systems, and some of them may require super user privileges. Ofcourse, you need to have Bochs and Grub installed.

1. Create the floppy disk image (1.44M capacity).

   $ dd if=/dev/zero of=floppy.img bs=1024 count=1440
   

2. Create and attach a loopback device to the image.

   $ losetup /dev/loop1 floppy.img
   

3. Create a file system (EXT2FS).

   $ mkfs /dev/loop1
   

4. Mount the device, so we can read and write to it.

   $ mount -o loop /dev/loop1 /mnt
   

5. Setup grub directory with stage1 and stage2. For this step, you will need to determine the location of grub "stage1" and "stage2" files. Some common locations are "/boot/grub" "/usr/share/grub", "/usr/local/share/grub/" etc. The following worked for me (on my Fedora Core 3 system).

   $ mkdir -p /mnt/boot/grub
   $ cp /boot/grub/stage1 /boot/grub/stage2 /mnt/boot/grub/
   

6. Create the grub configuration file.

   $ vi /mnt/boot/grub/grub.conf
   

   The following is a sample "grub.conf". More about the menu here.

   # My Grub.conf
   #
   title=MyTestKernel
   root (fd0)
   kernel /mykern
   
   title=TestLinux
   root (fd0)
   kernel /vmlinuz
   

   And unmount the device.

   $ umount /mnt
   

7. Install and embed grub into the image.

   $ grub --device-map=/dev/null
   

   Upon which you should get the grub interface. Enter the following commands into it -

   grub> device (fd0) /dev/loop1
   grub> root (fd0)
   grub> setup (fd0)
   grub> quit
   

8. Detach the loopback device.

   $ losetup -d /dev/loop1
   

Thats it! The floppy image is ready with a grub boot loader installed. All you need to do is use this file as the floppy disk image under Bochs. To install the kernel files into this image, all you need to do is follow these steps -

1. Create and attach a loopback device to the image and mount it.

   $ losetup /dev/loop1 floppy.img
   $ mount -o loop /dev/loop1 /mnt
   

2. Perform operations on the image file, such as installing new kernel images or updating grub.conf. Once thats done, perform the next step.
3. Unmount device and detach the loopback device.

   $ umount /mnt
   $ losetup -d /dev/loop1
   

Once you're ready for some real testing, all you need to do is get hold of a real floppy disk and write the image onto it.

$ dd if=floppy.img of=/dev/fd0

1. What is The Fedora Project?
2. What does Fedora mean?

What is The Fedora Project?

The Fedora Project is a Red-Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source project. It is also a proving ground for new technology that may eventually make its way into Red Hat products. It is not a supported product of Red Hat, Inc.

• Fedora Project Overview at RedHat.com
• The Fedora Project at Wikipedia.
• The Official Fedora Project FAQs.
• Fedora Core Terminology.
• Fedora screenshots.

If you start from a base Gentoo install, getting your network to work must be the hardest stumbling block. The amount of commands you have to type in just to get two computers to hook up is well... insane. And until now, there's been no Home Router Guide. :-D

A nice poem posted to the Tri(G)LUG mailing list by Thomas Jay Cubb.