SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION Multics Release 12.4 (MR12.4) is a supplemental release and assumes the prior installation of MR12.3. That is, the library tapes of MR12.3 a free standing release must be installed prior to installation of MR12.4. This document includes descriptions of features included in Multics Release MR12.4. Both SRB and SIB are combined into this document, instructions for installing MR12.4 are included in a later section. Additional documentation, including a list of bugs fixed in MR12.4, is provided with the release tapes, as printable segments on the tape in a special directory >doc>MR12.4. or as errata info segsments. Software Releases prior to MR12.1 are no longer supported. All sites running pre-MR12.3 software are strongly encouraged to upgrade to MR12.3 as soon as possible. _S_I_T_E _S_U_P_P_O_R_T System Representatives who support Multics should apply for registration on the SiteSA project maintained in Phoenix on System M. The SiteSA project was created to allow sites to communicate with Support personnel on matters of site support. Only System Representatives who support a Multics site are authorized to use the project. They are authorized to use it only for site support activities which require communication of information to support personnel. SiteSAs should maintain their site's info segments in >udd>SiteSA>site_info (>udd>ssa>si). Information on maintaining these segments is in the info segment, >udd>ssa>si>site_info.info. DRAFT: MAY BE CHANGED 1-1 10/03/90 SRB12.4 In addition to normal telephone and Multics mail communications with support personnel, SiteSAs are encouraged to use the unusual_crash_log forum meeting to report any unusual problems encountered at their site. SiteSAs not familiar with forum can type "help forum" for usage information. Forum is a subsystem somewhat like the mail system in which an electronic meeting can be held. To invoke forum, type: forum >udd>ssa>sa_meeting>uclog Type ? to print a list of requests allowed by forum. Other forum meetings of interest to SiteSAs are: PATHNAME SHORT NAME --------------------------------------------- ---------- >udd>ssa>sa_meeting>install_instructions ii >udd>ssa>sa_meeting>hardware_problems hwp >udd>ssa>sa_meeting>critical_fixes fixes We would appreciate that sites as they complete installation of MR12.4 enter a transaction in the install_instructions (ii) forum meeting. This will allow other sites to see the amount of exposure the release is receiving and to communicate any problems encountered in the installation procedure. Support also suggest, very strongly, that SiteSAs DO NOT attempt to reproduce site problems on System M which are known to crash the system at their site, cause processors to loop in ring 0, etc. Such problems should be reported via the Trouble Report system, and will be verified by MSS personnel using appropriate resources, so that System M service is not interrupted unnecessarily. Problems encountered while installing this release, or problems of a critical nature to a customer site (for a definition of critical, type: help tr.priorities) should be reported to the list below: NAME AREA USER ID PHONE Daniel Fudge Mgr, ACTC Release Prep Fudge.sm 403/295-5900 Ward Anderson Site Support WAAnderson.sm 403/295-5900 Dave Schroth Site Support Release Prep Schroth.sm 403/295-5900 DRAFT: MAY BE CHANGED 1-2 10/03/90 SRB12.4 Following is a summary of the remaining of sections in this document. Section 2 describes significant software changes Section 3 trs fixed in MR12.4 Section 4 describes significant fco and firmware status Section 5 describes installation instructions Appendix A describes the associated documentation Appendix B module changes DRAFT: MAY BE CHANGED 1-3 10/03/90 SRB12.4 ----------------------------------------------------------- Historical Background This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. as a contribution to computer science knowledge. This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970), renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems incorporated Multics principles. Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. . ----------------------------------------------------------- Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission. Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc. Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS All Rights Reserved