rex@pmgvax.wr.usgs.gov (Rex Sanders) (07/28/90)
I manage a VAX 750 + 4.3 BSD system (please, hold the laughter). Because of the numerous well-known security holes, I must upgrade. The (low-cost) choices seem to be: 1 - Add the 80+ patches published by Berkeley. I've tried installing about half these patches. Some have bugs, some come with lines like "install patch, re-compile every program on system." Ugh. This project looks like a multi-month black hole. 2 - Install 4.3 Tahoe. Is Tahoe hard to get running on a VAX? How many patches are needed to get the Tahoe release up to latest revs? 3 - Install 4.3 Reno Explicitly stated in the announcement: "not a production system". We are a production shop supporting dozens of users. 4 - Wait for 4.4 BSD How long till 4.4 is released? Will it suffer the dreaded "even-numbered release syndrome" (i.e. lots of great features, with bugs to match)? Will it support a dinosaur like the VAX 750? Any words of advice, wisdom, speculation, actual experience (!!!), are welcome. Any alternatives with a real dollar cost over $2,000 are not useful (e.g. call Mt Xinu, buy a Sun). -- Rex Sanders, US Geological Survey rex@pmgvax.wr.usgs.gov -OR- rex@isdmnl.usgs.gov