Date: 14 Oct. 1982 5:20 pm PDT (Thursday)
From: Schmidt.PA
Subject: Cedar 3.4.1 release
To: CedarUsers↑, CedarImplementors↑
cc: CedarCoordinators↑
Reply-To: Schmidt
Cedar 3.4.1 is released.
This is a maintenance release intended to fix some bugs. No public interfaces
have changed since 3.4, and if you are running 3.4 you do NOT need to erase
your disk and do NOT need to recompile your programs.
Here is a list of changes from 3.4 in this release:
1. ViewersAndTioga: 3.4 has a bug where a process forked by ViewersAndTioga
can get an address fault that appears as a new action area with the message
"Came From Thin Air". This address fault and some virtual memory leaks have
been fixed. Note that "Came From Thin Air" is printed for all processes not
started by the UserExec, so you may encounter it from other bugs not yet
discovered. You will also get a new version of TiogaExecCommands.Bcd.
2. TSetter: A lock-up when running the TSetter has been fixed.
3. Dolphin Microcode: 3.4 Dolphin users have had many StackErrors, which often
occur during Cedar installation and put the Dolphin in "915". A new version of
CedarD0.eb is believed to fix these problems. If you get another "915" that is a
Stack Error, contact John Maxwell. A new version of RubiconInitialAltoD0.eb is
also released.
4. Walnut: A serious bug has been fixed, which can cause new mail to be lost;
if you display a previously unread message while new mail is being retrieved,
some of the new messages could get thrown away in 3.4.
5. In 3.4, some ABORTED signals became "Out of resident VM" call-debuggers.
This has been fixed.
6. The Othello command files FormatNewPrivateDorado.cm and
FormatNewPrivateD0.cm found on <Cedar>Top> have been fixed.
This release is stored exclusively on subdirectories of [Indigo]<Cedar>. Other
directories (e.g., PreCedar, CedarLang, CedarLib) are NOT part of the release and
their contents should be treated with suspicion. In general, users should access
release components using BringOver and the appropriate DF files; retrieving files
with the FileTool is likely to lead to version mismatches and confusion. For this
release, all top-level DF files for release components that users are likely to need
are stored on [Indigo]<Cedar>Top>.
This release announcement consists of two parts:
Installation Procedure
Known Problems
Installation Procedure
---------------------
If you are NOT running 3.4:
Simply follow the instructions in the 3.4 release message, and you will
get 3.4.1 instead of 3.4.
If you are running the released 3.4:
0) Rollback or boot to your 3.4 world. Delete the file "Cedar.Version"
from your local disk using the UserExec or the FileTool.
1) Boot Othello from menu on the top right corner of your screen.
2) Type the command "@" followed by
[Indigo]<Cedar>Top>DoradoRelease.CM
or
[Indigo]<Cedar>Top>D0Release.CM
as appropriate.
3) This command file will retrieve new boot files and new microcode
for Dolphins. If you are on a Dorado, it will boot your Client world.
If you are on a Dolphin, you will end up in your Alto world, and
you should push the boot button while holding down "p" to get back
into Cedar. You will then go through the normal Cedar installation
dialogue.
If you are running the Tuesday pre-release of 3.4.1:
You do not need to get new boot files. If you have a Dolphin and you
have the newest version of Dolphin microcode, you do not need to run
D0Release.cm. If you don't have the latest boot file for 3.4.1 or the right
microcode, or are confused, do the steps under "running the released 3.4".
You may not have current versions of other files, such as version maps or
the TSetter, so you must execute
BringOver /a [Indigo]<Cedar>Top>CedarClient.DF
After this, you should "boot client" so the new version maps can be read
properly.
If you are a Walnut user:
After you have installed 3.4.1, type the command
BringOver /p Walnut.DF
to get the new released version. If you keep Walnut in your checkpoint,
you should boot the client volume to reinstall it.
You may want to refer to the "Setting Up Your Disk" section of
[Indigo]<Cedar>Documentation>Introduction.press
for further information.
As with previous releases, once the automatic installation procedure completes,
you may then optionally acquire lots of additional useful files by typing
BringOver /a CedarClientFat.df (Note: NOT /p)
to the UserExec. This will fetch the exported contents of most of the major
packages, whether released as part of the boot file or as separate BCDs. Users
with limited disk space probably shouldn't do this.
Once you have brought over all the desired files, you may wish to make a
checkpoint, using the button at the top of the screen.
Known Problems
----------------
The following problems/glitches are known to exist in Cedar 3.4.1.
1. When TSetter is used to print a press file that was created by certain programs
other than itself, it prints the wrong number of copies, usually two more than
you wanted. Until a fixed TSetter is available, use Print to print such press files.
2. In Print, the change to ignore Tioga formatting went away. Until it is fixed,
use TSetter, or do a WritePlain before using Print.
3. In Walnut: when new mail is being retrieved, do not to try to display any
messages (i.e., while the menu on the walnut control window is blank; this can
cause a deadlock). Displaying a message set is ok.
4. Clearing a breakpoint by selecting its position in source text will not work
from an action area, even though you will be told that the breakpoint has been
cleared (it has not). The recommended work around is to move the input focus
into the action area associated with the breakpoint and click Clear (this will clear
the break). If no such action area exists (as is the case when there is no process
stopped by the breakpoint), use BBV to clear the break indicated by the source
selection.
5. BugBane - 1: Sequences that occupy more than 2**16-1 words of storage
cannot be examined by BugBane (an uncaught ERROR results). 2: Interpreting
LOOPHOLE[NIL] fails (with UnknownError).
6. The new RubiconInitialAltoD0.eb may shift the screen the right on Dolphins
equipped with Phillips monitors. If this happens, ask a technician to adjust your
monitor.
As always, report problems to the implementors.