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Version 2.1.39 has problems with characters being echoed. For example:
Script started on Wed May 21 20:35:58 1997
# cat
^q^r^s4^u678^y^p <--- what is echoed
1234567890 <--- what I typed.
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This is caused by the phenomenon I already discussed:
free_initmem() frees too much and overwrites your kernel memory.
In this case it is the array ctype[] that is among the victims,
which means that the tty driver thinks that you are typing control
characters.
Never use such a kernel! It is dangerous! Also other variables
will be overwritten, and random corruption will result.
Solution:
Do both (i) and (ii):
(i) apply my patch to free_initmem() (or just comment it out)
(ii) get recent binutils
Either (i) or (ii) will suffice, and, as Linus announced, (ii) will
be required later for other reasons as well, but just to protect
the innocent, I think (i) should be done regardless [in the official
kernel source tree] - it is too dangerous to have a kernel that seems
to work well, while after some time random corruption sets in,
just because last year's ld was used.
Andries