OpenBSD 5.5 released!

McFishy

McFishy

OpenBSD 5.5 was just released! And in case you don’t get the DeLorean reference, this release focuses on fixing the 2038 issue!

From the change list:

  • time_t is now 64 bits on all platforms.
    • From OpenBSD 5.5 onwards, OpenBSD is year 2038 ready and will run well beyond Tue Jan 19 03:14:07 2038 UTC.
    • The entire source tree (kernel, libraries, and userland programs) has been carefully and comprehensively audited to support 64-bit time_t.
    • Userland programs that were changed include arp(8), bgpd(8), calendar(8), cron(8), find(1), fsck_ffs(8), ifconfig(8), ksh(1), ld(1), ld.so(1), netstat(1), pfctl(8), ping(8), rtadvd(8), ssh(1), tar(1),tmux(1), top(1), and many others, including games!
    • Removed time_t from network, on-disk, and database formats.
    • Removed as many (time_t) casts as possible.
    • Format strings were converted to use %lld and (long long) casts.
    • Uses of timeval were converted to timespec where possible.
    • Parts of the system that could not use 64-bit time_t were converted to use unsigned 32-bit instead, so they are good till the year 2106.
    • Numerous ports throughout the ports tree received time_t fixes.

Wow, that’s pretty cool!

And of course for VMware users:

  • New vmx(4) driver for VMware VMXNET3 Virtual Interface Controller devices.
  • New vmwpvs(4) driver for VMware Paravirtual SCSI.
  • New vioscsi(4) driver for VirtIO SCSI adapters.
  • New viornd(4) driver for VirtIO random number devices.

In addition the new vxlan driver looks pretty interesting too!

As always get your copy from one of the many HTTP mirrors, and why not support the project with the purchase of a CD or poster?

free. functional and secure...

free. functional and secure…

PCem 8.1

I somehow forgot to write about this in the shuffle.  But the fantastic emulator PCem,  has a new website, a new release, new forums, and public software versioning!

So what is new in 8.1?

  • New machines – SiS496/497, 430VX
  • WinChip emulation (including MMX emulation)
  • New graphics cards – S3 Trio64, Trident TGUI9440AGi, ATI VGA Edge-16, ATI VGA Charger, OAK OTI-067, ATI Mach64
  • New sound cards – Adlib Gold, Windows Sound System, SB AWE32
  • Improved GUS emulation
  • MPU-401 emulation (UART mode only) on SB16 and AWE32
  • Fixed DMA bug, floppy drives work properly in Windows 3.x
  • Fixed bug in FXAM – fixes Wolf 3D, Dogz, some other stuff as well
  • Other FPU fixes
  • Fixed serial bugs, mouse no longer disappears in Windows 9x hardware detection
  • Major reorganisation of CPU emulation
  • Direct3D output mode
  • Fullscreen mode

And even better the latest versions allow NTVDM to run on Windows NT (for those who need it..) and a slew of other OS/2 & NT related fixes.

I really like PCem as I can run things like EMM386, and of course running the real BIOS makes it feel all the more real.  The soundcard & video card choices in 8.1 are simply AMAZING.  Just be aware some combinations of video cards & CPUs are incompatible.    So if something isn’t working, it’s probably a CPU/video card combo.  Also I really enjoy Return to Zork on this setup, it feels pretty good!  And the AWE-32 setup for Doom rocks!  I haven’t tried it’s Gravis Ultrasound support yet, but I would imagine it should be comparable to DOSBox at a minimum.  All I find PCem lacking is networking.

You can download my latest binary snapshot here(megaco.nz).  I’ll eventually figure out something better about this later.