bsteve@gorgo.UUCP (11/09/86)
> I've been considering purchasing a 6300+, and I would like it to run UNIX.> The dealer I talked to told me that to do this I have to buy UNIX and > Simul-Task(eg two separate programs). Yet when I talk to AT&T, they tell > me that they market the two as one item for $399. Can someone clarify > this apparent discrep-ancy? Sorry, but your dealer is wrong. SimulTask is sold as a unit. It includes the necessary software for merging MS-DOS 3.x with System V release 2 AND UNIX System V release 2 itself. The UNIX development software (i.e. nroff, C compiler and such) is unbundled from the package, since most people with only a 20 MB drive won't have much room for all of that. To install SimulTask you must first have a copy of MS-DOS version 3.x for your machine. > Furthermore, is there any word on whether sys V v.3 will be out for the > plus in the near future? I can't say how near in the future, but it is planned. Steve Blasingame (Oklahoma City) ihnp4!occrsh!gorgo!bsteve bsteve@eris.berkeley.edu
hsc@mtuxo.UUCP (Harvey S. Cohen) (11/10/86)
All you need to run UNIX on the PLUS is the $195 UNIX Operating System. The AT&T Price Element Code (PEC) is 1111-UX1. It includes all the SVR2 features and utilities except nroff/troff, graphics, and the development tools. The development tools are sold separately for $395. The UNIX Operating System is packaged as "Simul-Task" because it includes all the machinery to run MS-DOS 3.1 as a task under UNIX, with a common file system. If you want to do that, all you need to add is a standard copy of MS-DOS 3.1. -- Harvey S. Cohen, AT&T Data Systems, Lincroft, NJ, mtuxo!hsc, (201)576-2485
UH2@PSUVM.BITNET (11/12/86)
One of the problems with buying the 6300+ with UNIX and all the bells and whistles is finding a dealer with knowledge. I've even had guys at ATT's 800 numbers who didn't know what I was talking about. So, who can recommend some knowledgeable, reliable dealers? Mail Order OK. Lee Sailer aka 814-898-6436
thk@uxrd1.UUCP (Tom Kiermaier ) (11/13/86)
Simul-Task and UNIX are one in the same. Simul_Task is AT&T's "new" name for UNIX on the 6300+. It was done to "hide" UNIX from the MS-DOS users the machine is primarily marketted to. Since AT&T is not selling UNIX per se you don't get the User Reference Manual with the package. Except for vi, BNU(uucp), lp, and a few other commands you don't get command manual pages. So, unless you are already familiar with the 100's of commands you'll have to shell out some more bucks for the User Reference Manual. Also, to run UNIX you'll need at least one megabyte RAM. (preferably 1.5 according to the doc.) The source code generation system (i.e., the C compiler, yacc, lex, sccs, etc) are sold separately. The compiler itself is good (i'm currently using it to write a database manager), however lint doesn't work (core dumps) and sdb occasionally causes the machine to crash with a protection violation when single stepping. Another little quirk is that the swapper uses up an VERY large percentage of the CPU time. After having my machine on for an hour (and not even logged in) the swapper shows around 55 minutes of CPU time. This definitely inhibits the performance of the machine. Overall my impression of the machine is favorable. Tom Kiermaier (201)457-2271 or (201)689-7749
hsc@mtuxo.UUCP (Harvey S. Cohen) (11/14/86)
>One of the problems with buying the 6300+ with UNIX and all the bells >and whistles is finding a dealer with knowledge. I've even had guys at >ATT's 800 numbers who didn't know what I was talking about. >So, who can recommend some knowledgeable, reliable dealers? Mail Order OK. MicroAge stores have access to a very good central tech support organization. If the dealer is not savvy already, they should be able to find out everything you need from MicroAge Tech Support. I will be submitting some announcements to mod.newprod within the next few days that may help you, also. -- Harvey S. Cohen, AT&T Data Systems, Lincroft, NJ, mtuxo!hsc, (201)576-2485
djmolny@cuae2.ATT.COM (DJ Molny) (11/14/86)
In article <124@uxrd1.UUCP> thk@uxrd1.UUCP (Tom Kiermaier ) writes: >Another little quirk is that the swapper uses up an VERY large percentage >of the CPU time. After having my machine on for an hour (and not even >logged in) the swapper shows around 55 minutes of CPU time. This definitely >inhibits the performance of the machine. This is *NOT* a performance problem, merely a misleading bit of bookkeeping. The swapper is actually a sink for idle cpu time; if no user processes are running, an idle loop is executed and the time is attributed by the swapper. Thus, if the swapper accumulates 55 cpu minutes per hour, other programs are using 5 minutes per hour, implying that your machine is idle about 91.6% of the time. Many versions of UNIX exhibit this behaviour. -- Regards, DJ Molny N9609U ihnp4!cuae2!djmolny
tim@ism780c.UUCP (11/23/86)
In article <124@uxrd1.UUCP> thk@uxrd1.UUCP (Tom Kiermaier ) writes: > > Another little quirk is that the swapper uses up an VERY large percentage > of the CPU time. After having my machine on for an hour (and not even > logged in) the swapper shows around 55 minutes of CPU time. This definitely > inhibits the performance of the machine. Perhaps idle time gets charged to the swapper on the 6300+? If so, this is not bad. An interesting test would be to run an infinite computation loop for an hour. If the swapper still gets 55 minutes, then there is a problem. -- emordnilapanalpanama Tim Smith USENET: sdcrdcf!ism780c!tim Compuserve: 72257,3706 Delphi or GEnie: mnementh