THE YGGDRASIL LINUX/GNU/X OPERATING SYSTEM -- FALL 1993

7 October 1993 -- SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA--Yggdrasil Computing, Incorporated
is now shipping LGX, a multimedia PC UNIX(R) clone competitive with
Solaris and Windows NT. The 680-megabyte system includes the Postgres
database, the "Andrew" multimedia document system, seventeen optional
software packages, complete source code, and most importantly, numerous
features designed to make LGX easier, and therefore cheaper, to install
and maintain than other operating systems. These ease-of-use features
include a manual with illustrations of what the screen should look like at
each step of installation, plug-and-play operation, an easy-to-use
installation mechanism, graphical "fill in the blanks" control panels for
easy system configuration, and other enhancements.

LGX is named after three of its principal components: the Linux kernel, the
GNU software suite, and the X window system. LGX is free software, so no
license fees are necessary for LGX development to be done by in house
programmers, consultants, or anybody. The LGX manual lists support
vendors, and Yggdrasil also offers such services, including a 900 number
for instant help with Linux-related questions.

Yggdrasil is greatly indebted to the many free software developers whose
efforts have made this release possible. As a token of appreciation, any
author of anything in LGX can get a free copy. Other major contributors to
the Linux community and Operators of free Linux BBS's or Linux FTP sites
can also get a free copy. For everyone else, LGX costs $49.95.

For more information or to order, call 24 hours a day toll free (800)
261-6630 or (408) 261-6630, or fax (408) 261-6631, or send email to
yci@netcom.com. All individual direct sales orders received before 6PM
Eastern/3PM Pacific are shipped by an overnight delivery service. Reseller
inquiries welcome.

UNIX is a registered trademark of Unix System Laboratories. LGX contains no
proprietary software licensed from Unix System Laboratories.

HIGHLIGHTS

LGX is the first operating system distribution to include Carnegie-Mellon
University's Andrew system for processing documents with embedded images,
hypertext links, spreadsheets and other media. Other document preparation
facilities include TeX, groff, and the "GhostScript" PostScript clone, all
with X windows previewers. For editting files, LGX includes vi and two
multiwindowing version of the emacs text editor: FSF Emacs 19.19 and Lucid
GNU Emacs 19.8.

LGX now includes the ImageMagic viewer for JPEG, GIF, and TIFF images, in
addition to the MPEG video player that was in the LGX beta release. The X
windows configuration script now supports resolutions up to 1152x900
non-interlaced for sufficiently fast video cards such as the ATI Ultra
Pro. Sound support has been expanded with the adagio program. General
multimedia support has been expanded not only with the inclusion of the
Andrew system, but also with the addition of the metamail system for
processing multimedia mail. The news reader and the mailer have been
configured to automatically invoke metamail when they display MIME-format
messages.

LGX is also the first operating system to include Postgres, the new remote
database system developed at the University of California, Berkeley to
succeed Ingres. A programming interface between Postgres and the popular
Tk/Tcl X windows toolkit for rapid graphical interface development is
included. Tk/Tcl is similar to NeXTStep, but runs under the industry
standard X Window System. The version of Tk/Tcl is new and corresponds to
the langauge described the forthcoming book by Tk/Tcl's author, John
Ousterhout. Other X windows programming toolkits include Xview for making
OpenLook(tm) applications, the InterViews C++ X windows toolkit, and the
standard MIT X windows libraries, including Xlib and Xt. A version of
Motif that can be installed from the LGX graphical control panels will be
available soon.

LGX's software development environment now includes software quality tools
such as DejaGnu for automated testing, the GNU Coverage Tool to verify
test coverage, Gnats for bug tracking and its graphical user interface,
TkGnats, and the Revision Control System and the Concurrent Version System
for maintaining source trees. Of course, the development environment also
includes the GNU ANSI C and C++ compilers, the GNU debugger, GNU make,
byacc, flex, and the GNU binary utilities.

Other features of LGX include "calc" mode for manipulating mathematical
equations in emacs, ethernet TCP/IP networking, UUCP, the inn news
transport system, and new additions to the games library, including
asteroids, battle zone, chess, mille bornes, othello, pool, shogi,
solitaire, tetris, and Connect Four.

EASE-OF-USE FEATURES

LGX not only contains lots of software that no other operating system
distribution has, but also has numerous ease-of-use features that have
been engineered into LGX to make unix(r)-like operating systems accessible
to more people, and to reduce installation and maintenance problems.

LGX is distributed on a plug-and-play CDROM with a boot floppy, so it can
be started by just turning on a computer with the CDROM and boot floppy
inserted. LGX will detect what kind of CDROM you have and will
automatically use it. At each step of installation, the system prompts the
user with a paragraph or more of explanation and provides sensible default
responses when possible. The LGX manual provides supplemental information
and screen snapshots of each step of installation, including configuration
of X windows. After installation, LGX's "fill in the blanks" graphical
control panels make it easy to configure the ethernet or the printer, make
a boot floppy, install optional software packages, or do a number of other
system configuration tasks.

LGX's ease-of-use features extend beyond software configuration. For
example, if you do not have a sound card, LGX will automatically use the
built-in PC speaker to play sounds. If you do not specify a filesystem
format when you mount a disk, LGX will automatically determine and use the
correct filesystem format. If a non-postscript printer has been configured
with the graphical control panel, the "lpr" command will automatically
invoke GhostScript to process any Postscript file sent to the printer, so
the printer would as what would happen if the printer had PostScript built
in. The default window manager, fvwm, is configured to enable many of
LGX's features and online documentation facilities to be invoked from the
root menu. The twm window manager is also configured with the same menus,
and fvwm has menu entires to switch to other window managers. All of these
facilities make the facilities of LGX more accessible to users.

For more information or to order, call 24 hours a day toll free (800)
261-6630 or (408) 261-6630, or fax to (408) 261-6631.

FEATURE CHART

o important version numbers: 0.99.13 kernel, Xfree86 1.3, GCC 2.4.5.
o New Tk/Tcl supports all of the features described in Professor
  John Ousterhout's upcoming book on Tk and Tcl.
o More software than any competitor: 235MB binaries + 445MB
  source code.
o Linux 0.99.13 kernel supports most popular CDROM's
o an easy-to-use installation script, plus a graphical user
  interface for system configuration,
o The X Window System: version 11 release 5, Xlib/Xt X windows
  libraries, the Tcl/Tk scripting language, the Xview 3.0
  OpenLook(tm) toolkit, InterViews C++ toolkit,
o The Andrew System version 5.1, including the ez editor
  for easy creation and reading of documents with embedded
  images, equations, spreadsheets, hypertext links, and
  other media types. 
o Ethernet Networking with TCP/IP, NFS and other Internet protocols.
o Games: asteroids, battle zone, chess, mille bornes, othello,
  pool, shogi, solitaire, tetris, and connect four. 
o Multimedia: viewers for JPEG, GIF, TIFF and other image formats,
  MPEG video, sound,
o Text editors: the elvis vi clone, GNU Emacs with calc mode,
  and Lucid GNU Emacs (better graphical user interface).
o Desktop Publishing: TeX and groff typesetting packages with X
  previewers, and ghostscript, a postscript interpreter for X
  windows, faxes and a variety of printers,
o Telecommunications: kermit, Z-modem, Taylor UUCP, mail reader,
  threaded USENET News reader, with support for reading MIME
  multimedia messages with embedded images, full motion video
  and sound.
o the Postgres 4.1 remote database system,
o Programming Languages: GNU C++, GNU ANSI C, FORTRAN-to-C and
  Pascal-to-C translators, and Prolog, 
o Enhanced development environment: GNU debugger, bison, flex,
  GNU make, the GNU Coverage Tool, Revision Controls System,
  Concurrent Version System, and Gnats,
o System V-style shared memory and interprocess communication,
o File Systems: a filesystem with long file names, symbolic
  links, and FIFO's, iso9660+rockridge CDROM filesystem, DOS
  filesystem, 
o Emulators: a BIOS emulator that can run DOS, an experimental
  ELF loader, and a snapshot of a WABI Windows emulator under
  development.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

System -- RAM: 4MB (8MB without swap partition), CPU: 386 or above, Bus:
ISA, EISA, or localbus.

Disk -- IDE, RLL, MFM, ESDI, SCSI with supported SCSI controller.
Configurations range from 2 to 680 megabytes of disk. Configurations
without non-kernel source tree that can run without the CDROM range from
27 to 235 megabytes. LGX can share a hard disk with other operating
systems on separate partitions.

Standard configurations:

CD DEPENDENT (2 megabytes): Only the kernel, writable files, and a program
to mount the CDROM are installed. Because CDROM drives are slow, the
system is sluggish at startup, but becomes more responsive over the course
of several minutes of use as commonly used files become cached in RAM. 

RUNTIME: (27 megabytes): The kernel, configuration files, file utilities,
and a tiny X window system are installed on the hard disk. Other system
programs can installed individually or run from the CDROM when it is
mounted.

COMPLETE: (235 megabytes):

Everything except the non-kernel sources is installed on the hard disk.
Source code for the kernel is also installed on the hard disk.

EVERYTHING (680 megabytes): Everything, including sources, is installed on
the hard disk. 

Tape Drives -- SCSI tape with supported SCSI controller.

CD-Rom

o Any SCSI CDROM drive with supported SCSI controller,
o Sony 531 or 535,
o Sony CDU-31A, alone or with MediaVision Fusion 16 kit,
o SoundBlaster-compatible CDROM's: Kotobuki, LaserMate,
  Matsushita, Panasonic, including the CR-562.
o Mitsumi/Genstar, alone or with ATI Stereo FX.

SCSI Controllers -- Adaptec 1540B, 1542B, 1540C, 1542C, and 1740 in
enhanced mode; Always IN-2000, Bustek 542B, Future Domain 8xx, or other
controllers based on the TMC-950 chip, Ultrastor 14F, 24F and 34F, Western
Digital 7000fasst.

Video Cards (for X windows) -- 640x480 monochrome for all VGA cards. 256
colors up to 1152x900 for non-Diamond cards using the following chipsets:
S3, 8514, Tseng Labs ET4000 or ET3000, Paradise, Western Digital 90c00,
90c10 or 90c30, Genoa, ATI VGA Wonder, ATI Mach (e.g., the ATI Ultra Pro),
Trident 8900b, 8900c, 8900cl, 8900cs, 9000, Cirrus Logic 5420, 5422 or
5426, NCR 77c22 or 77c22e, or Compaq AVGA.

Sound Cards -- Adlib, SoundBlaster (regular, Pro and 16 ASP), MediaVision
(Fusion and ProAudioSpectrum 16), and ATI Stereo FX. Installable Gravis
Ultrasound and MPU-401 drivers are also included. If you do not have a
sound card, LGX can play sounds through your PC's speaker. 

Ethernet -- 3Com 3503 and 3c503/16, Artisoft LANtastic AE-2, ATI 1500, Alta
Combo, Cabletron, D-Link DE600 pocket adaptor and ethernet II,
Hewlett-Packard 27245, 27247, 27250 and PCLAN, Novell NE-1000, NE-2000,
and NE-2100, Western Digital 8003 and 8013, other 8390-based ethernet
cards.

HOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION

The anonymous FTP area netcom.com:pub/yggdrasil contains more information,
including an "ls -RC" listing of the CD's contents, reseller information,
and copies of the manual in texinfo, DVI and postscript. If you want to
view the DVI version of the manual with xdvi, you can go to the table of
contents with the command "84g".

You can also request information by phone by calling 24 hours a day toll
free (800) 261-6630 or (408) 261-6630. You can also fax to (408) 261-6631,
or send email to yci@netcom.com. A fax server with information on LGX will
be available shortly from (408) 946-5080. Request document 5491
("LGX-1").

HOW TO GET A FREE COPY

Yggdrasil is greatly indebted to the many free software developers whose
efforts have made this release possible. As a token of our appreciation,
any author of any software or documentation in LGX can get a free copy,
which includes the CD, manual, and boot floppies. Operators of free Linux
BBS's or Linux FTP sites and other major contributors to the Linux
community can also get a free copy. We request that Linux BBS operators
and FTP sites carry the LGX announcement in the appropriate forums,
however this request is optional.

HOW TO GET A COPY BY TOMORROW

LGX costs $49.95. If you live in the United States, the shipping and
handling charge is $5. All individual direct sales orders from within the
United States received before 6PM Eastern/3PM Pacific are shipped by an
overnight delivery service for delivery the next day. To place an order,
call (800) 261-6630.

For international orders, next day service is not available from Yggdrasil,
although some resellers may offer it. Shipping for international orders is
$10. To place an international order, call (408) 261-6630, or fax the
order form to (408) 261-6631.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

LGX is released quarterly. Update subscriptions are available and start
with the release following the release that is current when your
subscription order is received. For example, an update subscription
ordered today would begin with the Winter 1994 release. Prices for update
subscriptions are as follows:

 1 year  (4 releases)   $ 99.95
 2 years (8 releases)   $179.95
 3 years (12 releases)  $249.95

UPGRADE PATH FROM THE BETA RELEASE

If you mail the LGX beta CDROM, the LGX beta manual, both LGX beta boot
floppies to Yggdrasil before November 1, 1993, you will receive a $10
discount on your order of the LGX Fall 1993. You must include your order
and a check in the same package with your LGX beta release. If you buy the
Fall 1993 release from a reseller or if you bought the beta + 1st
production release subscription, you can place an order for an update
subscription in this way instead. Again, this offer expires on November
1st.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

You can report bugs for free and we will try to make updated lists of bugs
and fixes publicly available in a timely manner. In addition, LGX has a 30
day unconditional money back guarantee, so you are never at risk of being
stuck with a system that you cannot use.

In the past, we have had a substantial amount of requests for technical
support of a tutorial nature. For example, callers often want somebody to
talk them through the installation process or have a question which they
could find the answer to by reading through online documentation, but for
which they could find the answer faster by calling technical support.
Clearly, if an operating system as powerful as LGX is going to take over
the world, such a service must be available. On the other hand, in order
for this service to scale, it has to pay for itself.

Therefore, we have established a 900 number in the United States for
general Linux technical support. You do not need to be using LGX or to be
an Yggdrasil customer to use this service. You can call us with your
questions not only about LGX, but also about anything else related to
Linux. We cannot guarantee to know the answer to all questions, but if we
cannot answer your question, we will try to point you in the right
direction. We will try to keep your call as short as possible, but please
be realistic in your expectations of how long it takes to look up anything
or to find the right person in the office to answer question. It will
probably cost you about $20 for a typical straightforward question.

  1-900-446-6075 ext. 835 ("TEK")
  $2.95/minute, USA only
  10am-noon,1:45pm-5pm Pacific

The LGX manual lists vendors offering support services related to the
Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X distribution. If you or your business would like to
offer a service related to LGX, send a description of your business and
contact information to yggdrasil@netcom.com. There may also be an
advertising section in the production release manuals if there is
interest. It would be nice to have a longer list of support vendors to
disseminate in the publicity for the production release. If you have ideas
for cooperation that you'd like explore, please get in touch.

YGGDRASIL LINUX/GNU/X OPERATING SYSTEM
RESELLER LIST (North America):

University of Toronto Bookstore    Zeus Technologies
214 College Street                 17 Overlord Street
Toronto, Ontario M5T 3A1           Whitby, Ontario L1N 8S4
CANADA                             CANADA
                                   (416) 666-8309

Bridgewell Associates              Austin Code Works
5301 Bethoven Street               11100 Leafwood Lane
Suite 134                          Austin, Texas 78750-3587
Los Angeles, CA 90066              (512) 258-0785
(301) 577-6696                     fax (512) 258-1342
fax (310) 822-6149

Forest Neocom Corporation          Mark Horton Associates
10879 San Pablo Avenue             PO Box 747
El Cerrito, CA 94530               Decatur, GA 30031-0747
(510) 234-4362                     (404) 371-0291
fax (510) 234-4

Just Computers                     InfoMagic, Inc.
PO Box 751414                      Post Office Box 338
Petaluma, CA 94975                 Pennington NJ 08534
(707) 769-1648                     (609) 683-5501
fax (707) 765-2447                 fax (609) 683-1342

Las Vegas Publishing               Linux System Laboratories
3909 South Maryland Parkway        18300 Tara Drive
Suite 402                          Clinton Township, MI 48036
Las Vegas, NV 89109                (313) 954-2829
(702) 795-4838
fax (702) 892-0279

Pacific HiTech                     Spheric Microsystems
4530 Fortuna Way                   162 Highway 34, Suite C2-110
Salt Lake City, UT 84124           Madawan, NJ 07747
(801) 278-2042                     (908) 787-4065
fax (801) 278-2666                 email: baller@spheric.com

Promox Systems                     Quality Computers
1050 East Duane Ave., Suite B      2435 Channing Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94086                Berkeley, CA 94704
(408) 733-2966                     (510) 548-2245
fax (408) 733-2968                 fax (510) 548-0442

Walnut Creek CDROM                 Light Shine USA Inc.
1547 Palos Verdes Mall #260        18013 Sky Park Circle
Walnut Creek, CA 94596             Suite C
(510) 674-0783                     Irvine, CA 92714
fax (510) 674-0821                 (714) 553-8401
                                   fax (714) 553-8453

DIRECT SALES ORDER FORM:

SHIP TO: ______________________________   YGGDRASIL DIRECT SALES
                      ORDER FORM
     ______________________________   
                      DAYTIME PHONE: _______________
     ______________________________   
                      EMAIL: _______________________
     ______________________________   
    Item                Quantity  Price(US$)

 LGX (CDROM, 3.5" & 5.25" floppies, manual)  ____  X  $49.95 = $_______
 (US orders for LGX received before 6pm Eastern/3pm Pacific are
 shipped by Next Day Air door-to-door delivery services.)

 Update Subscriptions (CD's only, starting with following release):

 1 year update subscription (4 releases)   ____  X  $99.95 = $_______
 2 year update subscription (8 releases)   ____  X $179.95 = $_______
 3 year update subscription (12 releases)   ____  X $249.95 = $_______

 Promox Motif for LGX (call before ordering) ____  X $149.95 = $_______

 Prime Time Freeware for unix         ____  X  $59.95 = $_______

 Walnut Creek CDROM's _____________________  ____  X ______ = $_______
             (description)         (call)
                            SUBTOTAL  $_______

   California residents add your county's sales tax (______%)  $_______

          Shipping & handling (US: $5, elsewhere: $10)  $_______

                             TOTAL  $_______

 Payment method: __ payment enclosed   __ COD (USA only)
         __ credit card (America Express or Optima. Call before
          using VISA, Mastercard or other credit card.)

 Your name as it appears on credit card: _______________________________

 Brand of credit card: ________ Card number: _________________________

 Signature:______________________________________ Expiration: ___ / ___
     SHIPPING ADDRESS MUST MATCH CREDIT CARD BILLING ADDRESS

Offers subject to change without notice. If you have a problem with this
software, you can return it within 30 days for a full refund. Beyond that,
THERE IS NO OTHER WARRANTY FOR ANY OF THIS SOFTWARE. THIS SOFTWARE IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

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