ULTRIX Release Notes for RISC Processors

This document, "ULTRIX Release Notes for RISC Processors (Order No. AA-NE12A-TE)," published by Digital Equipment Corporation in 1989, provides critical information for users and administrators of the ULTRIX Worksystem Software, Version 2.0 (RISC), and ULTRIX-32 Operating System, Version 3.0 (RISC) kits.

The release notes cover:

• System Setup Notes: Details on installation procedures (including advanced settings, swap partitions, disk handling), remote installation services (RIS), diskless management services (DMS), and general system configuration (e.g., increasing swap space, printer setup, terminal and network configurations). It highlights changes and specific considerations for RISC architectures.
• ULTRIX Worksystem Software Notes: Focuses on the graphics windowing environment (DECwindows, X11 R3). It outlines known server problems, issues and behaviors of various DECwindows applications (such as mail handlers, terminal emulators, debuggers, and session managers), demonstration programs, X11 R3 applications, font management, and specific details about the Xlib Library and XUI Toolkit. Many entries provide workarounds for identified bugs and display issues.
• ULTRIX-32 Operating System Notes: Offers comprehensive information on the differences between RISC-based and VAX-based ULTRIX systems, including components that are not present in RISC, those that differ (e.g., executable image size, shared memory, floating-point formats, compilers, commands), components exclusive to RISC, and unsupported legacy software. It also provides hints for porting software, details on compliance with industry standards (SVID, POSIX, X/OPEN), Network File System (NFS) updates (locking, security), programming notes, compiler-specific issues, and a wide range of known problems across commands, utilities, and system facilities.
• ULTRIX Documentation Notes: Informs about revised and new documentation specific to RISC processors, updates to online reference pages, and a list of undocumented C library functions for floating-point conversions.

The document serves as an essential guide for understanding the nuances, known issues, and changes in ULTRIX for RISC-based systems compared to their VAX counterparts.