Date:	Tue, 17 Oct 2000 02:16:20 -0600
From:	"Jeff V. Merkey" <jmerkey@timpanogas.org>
To:	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Ute-Linux Release 1.0 posted


A very early drop of the Ute-Linux base release has posted at
vger.timpanogas.org.  This release is free if accessed from our FTP
server and can be downloaded and redistributed under the terms of the
GPL for any purpose.  WEBMIN is has some problems that are being
corrected, and majordomo also has some issues with this release, but
everything else seems to work. The ute-backgrounds RPM has some great
art of where we live here in Utah and has supports both KDE and GNOME.
My favorite is the "Temple of the Sun" -- a holy place to Ute American
Indians here in Utah.

ISO images are also available and can be freely downloaded.  

We evaluated the different open source installers and selected anaconda
due to it's use of python and the ease of maintaining a commercial
release with this tool since it's just python scripts.  Two other
Ute-Linux releases will be posted within the month, Ute-Network-Linux
(based on the NWFS File System), and Ute-Cluster-Linux (based on the
M2FS clustered File System).  We are about 11 days behind schedule, but
are getting there.   At present, the integrated NWFS in using the 2.2.17
kernel, and we are still making modifications to anaconda and hope to
have ute-nwfs posted sometime this week.  Updated RPM's with the 2.2.18
kernel will be avialable end of this week, but it's not stable at
present so use at your own risk.   We are also updating the RPM
utilities to version 4.0 by Friday.

Ute-Linux is based on a collection of open source components and RPMs
from the Red Hat, and Open Linux releases.   I had no idea how much work
was involved in doing a Linux release until we actually did one -- I can
tell you after going through this process, we have a much
deeper respect and understanding for these issues and what the Linux
guys in general deal with daily in this market -- it's an enormous
amount of work and testing.

TRG has created an automated build environment that now allows us to
create a full featured commerial quality Linux release that can share
components between the Open Source NetWare (MANOS) and commercial Linux
distributions.  We will be providing the MANOS/Linux versioning system
and maintenance scripts so those folks interested in maintaining a
complete Linux distribution tree and creating dual builds on MANOS and
Linux with identical distributions trees of RPMs and applications can do
so.  

We are using an RPM style tree structure for this system.  This system
will be posted late this year when the first MANOS distribution ships. 
The MANOS prototype integrated with Linux last month is instrumented as
a unique processor port (/arch) in the current Linux tree in order to
preserve exisiting code compatibility issues with a different kernel,
but it builds everything as a module -- including the kernel.  

As tuning and development on MANOS progresses, we will be completing the
NetWare style optimizations that will allow this Linux fork to kick the
snot out of NT and NetWare for file and print.   To date, we will be
using most folks code, including the top half of Linus' scheduler for
the Linux apps.  NetWare style I/O paths and WTD paths are beneath this
level, and there' also a separate NetWare style command console to
process STARTUP.NCF and AUTOEXEC.NCF style NetWare commends so exisiting
NetWare servers can be easily upgraded to the Linux/NetWare hybrib. 
This console uses W2K DLLs and NT PE EXEs instead of coff for the NOS
kernel modules (the Linux kernel now loads on MANOS as a DLL -- heresy
no doubt).

We have opted for this approach because it will then be simple for Linux
or whomever to simply use the MANOS optimizations as an /arch and
/kernel option with exisiting Linux trees and a few patches -- the most
inobtrusive way to do this, and one Linus is most likely to look at as
an alternate /arch directory in the current build tree.

TRG grants indemnification against infringement claims by Novell to any
commercial Linux companies, customers, distributors, etc. who use
patches, NWFS, THOR, Ute-Linux, MANOS or any TRG technologies in their
releases.  If you are contacted by Novell, and are a target of threats
by Novell personnel, please contact TRG's litigation department at
801-222-9635, and we will be happy to greet Novell at the Courthouse
doors on your behalf.  

TRG has a release granted by a litigation settlement that Novell agreed
to in exchange for TRG dropping sexual harrassment charges filed by TRG
against Novell's Executives and Board of Directors in 1998.  This
release provides immunity to TRG or any companies acting in concert with
TRG against damages or patent infringement claims by Novell for use of
NetWare core technologies, excluding trademark infringement (this is why
we are out doing their file systems and they can't do sh_t about it --
just in case anyone was wondering). 

Copies of this release are available for review by companies interested
in using or dsributing TRG technologies.     

Jeff Merkey
CEO, TRG
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