Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!super!udel!rochester!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!purdue!decwrl!pyramid!prls!mips!sultra!dtynan
From: dtynan@sultra.UUCP (Der Tynan)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: 1.3a/b update, comp.sources.minix?
Keywords: newsgroup, problems, rijksdaalder
Message-ID: <2545@sultra.UUCP>
Date: 27 Sep 88 01:54:46 GMT
Sender: uucp@super.ORG
Organization: Ultrasystems DSI, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 48


OK, some more stray ramblings...  First, I began applying the 1.3a/b diffs
this weekend, and after many, many hours, am still hacking away - the
problems are mostly missing files, and reapplying any personal changes.
I'll produce a report if anyone is interested.

The main reason I'm posting this, is I was thinking today, about the
possibility of a new newsgroup called 'comp.sources.minix', so that we
could separate the comments (like this one) from the "real stuff".  I have a
hard time going through the archives looking at subject fields, and not
knowing if they are notes of problems or actual code changes.  At this stage,
I thought I'd open the topic for discussion.  If it has been opened before,
then excuse the repetition.  As far as usage is concerned, the group would
have a lot more activity than some of the other subgroups I see there (no names
mentioned!).

As far as the fix/diff and patch/cdiff argument is concerned, personally I
prefer cdiff's, because when you're dealing with sources that have been
modified locally, it's hard to apply diffs.  At the same time, it occurs to
me that it is in the realm of possibility to produce a cdiff file from a
diff file, if the vanilla sources are available.  This might be the best
solution, as it satisfies all requirements.  Any comments???

The last thing I have to say is directed at Dr. Tanenbaum;  I was leafing
through the MINIX reference manual last night when I noticed a comment about
becoming super-user, without the password.  Anyway, when I first got MINIX,
I only ordered the disks, I have a plethora of OS books, and wasn't in a
hurry to extend the collection.  The disks arrived in a cute plastic box, with
a terse comment about finding you on USENET.  I figured out how to start the
system sans documentation, and everything was fine until the RAM disk loaded,
then I was presented with "login:".  Ok, so I've been around distribution tapes
long enough, I typed 'root'.  I figured the password field would be blank!
Boy, was I wrong.  I was prompted for a password, and tried ALL the obvious
with no luck!  Now what!  I mean, in a situation like this, what does one do?
Order the manual and wait another six weeks?  No.  I loaded the root filesystem
disk into MS-DOS, and using the debugger, wrote a quick program to load each
track.  Then, i dumped out the data, looking for something resembling a
/etc/passwd file.  I found it, patched the first byte of the password to ':',
meaning that there is no password set, wrote the block back out to disk, and
rebooted.  Hey presto!  I didn't ask me for a password.  One of the first
tasks I had, as root, was to change the password.  It wasn't until I found the
reference manual locally, that I found out what the original password was!!!
I guess that qualifies me for a rijksdaalder (whatever that is)!!
						- Der
-- 
Reply:	dtynan@sultra.UUCP		(Der Tynan @ Tynan Computers)
	{mips,pyramid}!sultra!dtynan
	Cast a cold eye on life, on death.  Horseman, pass by...    [WBY]