1: Now that the Linux kernel is once again able to run all the tests we
    2: have and since glibc 2.3 was released it was time for a new code drop.
    3: I've uploaded the second code drop for the Native POSIX Thread
    4: Library:
    5: 
    6:   ftp://people.redhat.com/drepper/nptl/nptl-0.2.tar.bz2
    7: 
    8: You need
    9: 
   10: - the latest of Linus' kernel from BitKeeper (or 2.5.41 when it
   11:   is released);
   12: 
   13: - glibc 2.3
   14: 
   15: - the very latest in tools such as
   16: 
   17:   + gcc either from the current development branch or the gcc 3.2
   18:     from Red Hat Linux 8;
   19: 
   20:   + binutils preferrably from CVS, from H.J. Lu's latest release for
   21:     Linux, or from RHL 8.
   22: 
   23: 
   24: Compiling glibc should proceed smoothly.  But there are a number of
   25: tests which fail, mostly because some functionality is missing in
   26: glibc.  Ignore those errors.  It is only important that all tests in
   27: nptl/ are passing.  Run
   28: 
   29:   make subdirs=nptl check
   30: 
   31: to run all thread tests.
   32: 
   33: 
   34: This version features several improvements:
   35: 
   36: - all APIs are now implemented;
   37: 
   38: - fork handling has been improved; stacks in the child are freed;
   39:   atfork handlers are removed if they were registered from a module
   40:   which gets unloaded.
   41: 
   42: - pthread_tryjoin_np and pthread_timedjoin_np are implemented
   43: 
   44: - TSD handling corrected and optimized.
   45: 
   46: - many more tests which also test the underlying kernel implementation.
   47: 
   48: - the build infrastructure has been implemented so that the DSO and
   49:   archives are built in usable form and with correct named.
   50: 
   51: - libthread_db has been implemented.  This is the library which is
   52:   needed by all program which need to get access to internals of
   53:   libpthread (mainly debuggers).
   54: 
   55: - the CPU clock functions are implemented
   56: 
   57: 
   58: 
   59: The white paper hasn't yet been updated.  It's still available at
   60: 
   61:   http://people.redhat.com/drepper/nptl-design.pdf
   62: 
   63: 
   64: This release should be ready for some serious testing.  I know it is
   65: hard to compile which I why I'm looking into providing binary RPMs.
   66: They can be used on non-critical systems.  I'll only be able to
   67: provide binaries for RHL8 based systems, though, and the kernel still
   68: must be installed separately.
   69: 
   70: 
   71: The next steps will include:
   72: 
   73: - write more tests and fix the bugs which are discovered this way
   74: 
   75: - update the white paper
   76: 
   77: - write and run more performance tests
   78: 
   79: - port to IA-64
   80: 
   81: 
   82: Interested parties are once again invited to join the mailing we
   83: created:
   84: 
   85: 
   86:   phil-list@redhat.com
   87: 
   88: Go to
   89: 
   90:   https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/phil-list
   91: 
   92: to subscribe, unsubscribe, or review the archive.