Hi everybody,

>> I was just looking at Puma to get the newest binaries because mine are
>> from the 1.1 release, and there was nothing in the current directory
>> of NetBSD!
>Yeah...  The snapshots are now much more up to date on ftp.netbsd.org so
>I removed them from puma a while back.  I've just added a README that point=
s
>folks toward ftp.netbsd.org.  Sorry about that.

Those snapshots IMNSHO deserve more attention. I find the situation with
several outdated "official" releases (that do not even boot on my machine!)
and -current snapshots that are considered "only for the brave" not very
effective. My Quadra 650 can run the 1.2 and 1.2.1 releases, but only with
some special kernel, which causes many commands not to work. On the other
hand, everything available in the february snapshot was fully functional,
and the april snapshot works great.

A couple of suggestions for improvement:
1. Add a "which kernel is necessary" column to the "which machines are being
   supported" page.  Best would be to have those kernels in one place, e.g.
   a subdirectory within the snapshot tree.
2. More informative kernel names would be good. Should one take GENERIC#28
   (or is it #29?), madhatter#40, ADBTEST#160, dormouse#2, or perhaps use
   PMTEST.961214.122.iv.ncr.tar.gz, to mention just a few?
3. A related point: to SBC or not to SBC? My system seems to be happy with
   both SCSI drivers, others are not.
4. Experiences with the -current snapshots should be put on a web page,
   even if they "were mentioned on the list some time ago". Could be done
   through the FAQ-o-matic engine being used for MkLinux, or be maintained
   by someone.
5. And those experiences should be gathered, both good and bad. For a novice=
,
   a "works fine on my ...." can be quite helpful :-)

Best wishes,

           Nico


--
  Dr. N.J.R. van Eikema Hommes     Computer-Chemie-Centrum
  hommes@ccc.uni-erlangen.de       Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg
  Phone:    +49-(0)9131-856532     Naegelsbachstr. 25
  FAX:      +49-(0)9131-856566     D-91052 Erlangen, Germany