grendel@sumax.seattleu.edu (Grendel) (01/03/91)
Which is a better system, Coherent or Minix? And why? *----------------------------------------------------------------------* * Grendel, SysOp of The Sacred Grove Bulletin Board System * * The Pagan and Magic BBS for the Pacific Northwest * * (206)634-1980 Seattle WA * *----------------------------------------------------------------------*
feustel@netcom.UUCP (David Feustel) (01/04/91)
A coherent Minix386 is the best system for intuitively obvious reasons. -- David Feustel, 1930 Curdes Ave, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, (219) 482-9631 EMAIL: netcom.uucp
grendel@sumax.seattleu.edu (Grendel) (01/04/91)
feustel@netcom.UUCP (David Feustel) writes: > A coherent Minix386 is the best system for intuitively obvious reasons. > -- > David Feustel, 1930 Curdes Ave, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, (219) 482-9631 > EMAIL: netcom.uucp Isn't it sort of a one or the other choice? =) Doesn't Minix have a 64k limit on executables like Coherent does? Which is better? What are the plusses and minuses of each? *----------------------------------------------------------------------* * Grendel, SysOp of The Sacred Grove Bulletin Board System * * The Pagan and Magic BBS for the Pacific Northwest * * (206)634-1980 Seattle WA * *----------------------------------------------------------------------*
joachim@jrix.radig.de (Joachim Riedel) (01/05/91)
halcyon!grendel@sumax.seattleu.edu (Grendel) writes: >Isn't it sort of a one or the other choice? =) Doesn't Minix have a 64k >limit on executables like Coherent does? Which is better? What are the >plusses and minuses of each? I think it's a question of your experience with UNIX and C-Programming. Coherent is much easier to use and install (Minix-Users, don't beat me). You have a lot of utilities now and don't have to wait until someone posts them to a newsgroup. Also some of the more interesting PC-Minix-Utilities like WMAIL 3.63 (Thanks to the author, it works well), CLAM-Shell (I use 1.4.1) and the MINIX-UUCP-Utilities are working with a handful modifications under Coherent. If you want a UNIX to work with I would prefer Coherent. If you want to learn something about the internal structure of a UNIX-like operating system I would prefer MINIX. One of the advantages of MINIX is the source code. So you could modify the utilities for your needs. I prefer Coherent. I needed 30 Minutes to get it work. Another 30 Minutes to get a UUCP-Connection to my 2. System running 386/ix. One year ago a friend of mine bought Minix, had a lot of difficulties to install it and now is also an satisfied Coherent User. You should post your question also to comp.os.minix. Here are too much Coherent users. Joachim ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Joachim Riedel joachim@jrix.radig.de Geschwister-Scholl-Strasse 48 D-6050 Offenbach am Main Tel. +49 69 85 62 25 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
kirkenda@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Steve Kirkendall) (01/06/91)
In article <82q9u3w163w@halcyon.uucp> halcyon!grendel@sumax.seattleu.edu (Grendel) writes: >feustel@netcom.UUCP (David Feustel) writes: > >> A coherent Minix386 is the best system for intuitively obvious reasons. > >Isn't it sort of a one or the other choice? =) Doesn't Minix have a 64k >limit on executables like Coherent does? Which is better? What are the >plusses and minuses of each? The standard 8088/80286 version of Minix is limited to 64k+64k, but the 80386 and 68000 versions of Minix aren't. Minix: + It comes with complete source code to just about everything: the kernel, the C library, and all utiltities except the compiler. + It is supported by the comp.os.minix newsgroup. - It is *NOT* supported by Prentice-Hall. They are barely competent enough to ship it, much less support it. + It is compatible with UNIX version 7 and (almost) POSIX. A more distant goal is ANSI compatibility. - The standard Minix-PC compiler isn't very good. + Other compilers are available. GCC runs on a 80386 or a 68000 + The internal structure of the kernel is well documented. - User documentation is poor. + Runs on many different platforms, including 80386 and 68000. - The 80386 version is not sold by Prentice-Hall; you have to buy the 286 version, find the 386 patches someplace, and apply them. Coherent: - No source code is included. Most source isn't even offered separately. + It includes many of the more advanced utilities, including troff, yacc, and bc. That's more than Xenix! + It is supported by Mark Williams Company. Very well supported. + It is compatible with UNIX ver 7, and includes a suprising number of System-V features as well -- including message passing and shared memory. + It has a pretty good compiler. - The internal structure of the kernel is not well documented. This is not surprising, since you have no access to the kernel's guts anyway. + A device driver kit is available separately (for extra cost). + User documentation is quite good. - Support for 386 and large-model 286 is expected, but not yet available. In short, Minix is for hackers on a budget, and Coherent is for users on a budget. My own opinion is that good utilities, good support, good documentation, and a good compiler are NO SUBSTITUTE for source code, so I use Minix. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Kirkendall kirkenda@cs.pdx.edu Grad student at Portland State U.
grendel@sumax.seattleu.edu (Grendel) (01/06/91)
I did post my question on comp.os.minix. I was, for the most part, ignored. *----------------------------------------------------------------------* * Grendel, SysOp of The Sacred Grove Bulletin Board System * * The Pagan and Magic BBS for the Pacific Northwest * * (206)634-1980 Seattle WA * *----------------------------------------------------------------------*
cechew@bruce.cs.monash.OZ.AU (Earl Chew) (01/07/91)
In <82q9u3w163w@halcyon.uucp> halcyon!grendel@sumax.seattleu.edu (Grendel) writes: >feustel@netcom.UUCP (David Feustel) writes: >Isn't it sort of a one or the other choice? =) Doesn't Minix have a 64k >limit on executables like Coherent does? Vanilla IBM-PC Minix has this limit. When patched with any of the 32-bit patch kits, Minix-386 doesn't have this limit (there may be other restrictions depending on the patch kit you use). (Minix 68k doesn't have this limit either.) Earl -- Earl Chew, Dept of Computer Science, Monash University, Australia 3168 EMAIL: cechew@bruce.cs.monash.edu.au PHONE: 03 5655447 FAX: 03 5655146 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
birger@skinfaxe.diku.dk (Birger Andersen) (01/09/91)
I have now been reading about Coherent for a time. Should anyone out there have some kind of a summary telling me what I can expect of Coherent? What about DOS compatibility, SCSI device driver, NFS drivers, X11, etc. Are such things available? Finally, should anyone know an electronic mail address to Mark Williams Company or a faximale number? Thank you in advance. Birger --------------------------------------------------- Birger Andersen Email: birger@diku.dk Dept. of Comp. Science Faximale +45 31390221 Univ. of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 1 2100 Copenhagen Denmark ---------------------------------------------------
rembo@unisoft.UUCP (Tony Rems) (01/16/91)
What platforms is Coherent available on?? -Tony
rdavis@connie.UUCP (Ray Davis) (01/26/91)
In <1991Jan9.143810.22937@odin.diku.dk> birger@skinfaxe.diku.dk (Birger Andersen) writes: >Finally, should anyone know an electronic mail address to Mark Williams >Company or >a faximale number? Phone: +1-708-291-6700 (usa toll free 800-627-5967) Fax: +1-708-291-6750 Email: uunet!mwc!info ___ Ray Davis Convex Computer GmbH, Frankfurt, West Germany rdavis@convex.com, unido!connie!rdavis, uunet!convex!rdavis, +49-69-666-8081