jeffh@hplsla.HP.COM (Jeff Harrell) (01/28/89)
The more I try to use VP/ix the more I get PISSED-OFF
---------
Jeff (Spectra Software) Harrell
OH YA- My experience leeds me to beleave SCO's support
is slowwwww, unorganized, poorly managed and
staffed with anyone off the street...
I'm NOT playing games- just TRYING TO GET VP/ix
to work!tan@bronson.UUCP (Tan Bronson) (01/30/89)
I've been using VP/ix for a month or so, and I thought I would share
my experiences.
The first problem was the STB VGA card I used, vp/ix does not support it
so I got no color! They claimed that I needed a Pheonix or Award video Bios,
so I bought a Paradise card and it seems to work now! (As an aside the paradise
card has a warrenty which states they it will work anywhere or they will fix
it or buy you another card!)
As a result of this dependancy, it's not too surprising that the
800x600 display drivers don't work! (it sure would be nice if they sco!)
I also have the slow keystrokes problem and have reported this to sco.
I've found that hitting a `noop key' (shift or ctrl) will make the previous
keystroke `catch'.
Another major bug/pain is using when Turbo Tax and trying to print out the
1040 form in `dot mode' (print the form out in the best detail possible). If
I try to print directly, it just hangs. When I try to flush using (F)lush
it print out part of the form, but it's junk. When I spool to disk it creates
a 172k(!) file, which I can lp to the printer (and it looks great!). When
I try to PRINT this spooled file, I get the same result as turbo tax did (hang).
Another subtle bug I ran into, was when I left vp/ix running overnight
and found that my backup program was hanging wanting to open $HOME/vpix/C:!!!!!
It's cute to use use fancy locking, but the ONLY program Vp/ix should have
to worry about trying to modify this file in another VP/ix, so why can't they
use something more private (like advisory locking) ?
A few other irritating problems:
- you can not use /dev/install for the floppy devices
(which means you have to start up differently for each floppy type)
- the two floppy problems (fixed in 1.1.1)
- it would be nice to allocate the serial port from within VP/ix.
(so I could decide to run Procomm AFTER I startup vpix.
There is hope. A release 1.1.1 is coming out (when sco ?), which in
theory fixes the keyboard and mouse problems and has a few other features
which I forget.
To address when Jim Morton brought up, I think we're better having a
limping VP/ix early, but we should ALL get the 1.1.1 and later releases
as a sign of good faith. This is not a simple product, but then again
it is not cheap either! If they can't get it right the first times,
then don't make us pay for their mistakes!
We are the minority of DOS users, but I love being able to switch to
a dos program with out rebooting my machine!
p.s. Lets generate a list of programs which don't work under VP/ix.
so far I've been able to use everything I've tried except for one
public domain ls.exe which HANGS my system !!!!!!!!!!!frank@rsoft.UUCP (Frank I. Reiter) (01/30/89)
I am really surprised to see people complaining about SCO's tech support.
Here's one for the other side:
I've had to use SCO tech support quite a number of times and have always found
it to be the absolute best tech support I've received anywhere.
--
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Frank I. Reiter \ / UUCP: {uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!rsoft!frank
Langley, British Columbia / \ BBS: Mind Link @ (604)533-2312
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) (02/03/89)
In article <1@bronson.UUCP> tan@bronson.UUCP (Tan Bronson) writes: | p.s. Lets generate a list of programs which don't work under VP/ix. | so far I've been able to use everything I've tried except for one | public domain ls.exe which HANGS my system !!!!!!!!!!! One which hangs mine is pc-pool. Kills the system so dead that you can't get the pop-up menu to bail out. -- bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa) {uunet | philabs}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me
root@conexch.UUCP (Larry Dighera) (02/04/89)
>In article <1@bronson.UUCP> tan@bronson.UUCP (Tan Bronson) writes: > > p.s. Lets generate a list of programs which don't work under VP/ix. > so far I've been able to use everything I've tried except for one > public domain ls.exe which HANGS my system !!!!!!!!!!! I have found that AutoCAD release nine runs fine under VP/ix, however the Acad Shade 3D package has crashed the system. This occurrs with SCO Xenix 386 Release 3.2.0 and VI/ix Release 1.1. A public domain graphic viewing utility called PICEM has also caused difficulty for VP/ix. -- USPS: The Consultants' Exchange, PO Box 12100, Santa Ana, CA 92712 TELE: (714) 842-6348: BBS (N81); (714) 842-5851: Xenix guest account (E71) UUCP: conexch Any ACU 2400 17148425851 ogin:-""-ogin:-""-ogin: nuucp UUCP: ...!uunet!turnkey!conexch!root || ...!trwrb!ucla-an!conexch!root
garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary M. Blumenstein) (02/06/89)
In article <24@rsoft.UUCP>, frank@rsoft.UUCP (Frank I. Reiter) writes: > I've had to use SCO tech support quite a number of times and have always found > it to be the absolute best tech support I've received anywhere. I'm with you Frank. I've used their support for three years now and I'm very pleased with it. I think people must understand that the success of this company could very well crush them. They are currently answering thousands of calls each day. It amazes me how they're able to keep up with it all. What scares me is the possibility that someday their support department may cease to exist. It might be wise for all of us to exercise a little prudence when it comes to criticizing them. Not that they're beyond criticism, ( even I've had reasons to complain in the past) its just that overall, they really do try very hard to make us all happy campers. I just want to see it last.
garyb@gallium.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) (02/11/89)
Here's a suggestion that may save VP/ix users from potential system
crashes.
IF your system hangs while running VP/ix to the point where no
keyboard input can be recognized by the computer. (Can't switch
multiscreens, bring up vpix menu, etc.)
BEFORE you crash your system by shutting off the power,
TRY unplugging and replugging your keyboard back into the computer.
More often than not, I've found that this will restore the system back to
the point where your VP/ix session left off and you can continue without
crashing the system.
--
/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
/* Gary Blumenstein UUCP : ...{philabs,gaboon}!crpmks!gallium!garyb */
/* Wingdale, NY TELEX: 4944233 * * * * * * * * * */
/* * * * * * It's all fun and games until someone looses an eye. */
/* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */root@conexch.UUCP (Larry Dighera) (02/14/89)
In article <318@gallium.UUCP> garyb@gallium.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes: > > TRY unplugging and replugging your keyboard back into the computer. If this is done with power on, there is a good chance that you will damage your keyboard's electronic circuits. I strongly recommend that this practice not be advocated. Larry Dighera -- USPS: The Consultants' Exchange, PO Box 12100, Santa Ana, CA 92712 TELE: (714) 842-6348: BBS (N81); (714) 842-5851: Xenix guest account (E71) UUCP: conexch Any ACU 2400 17148425851 ogin:-""-ogin:-""-ogin: nuucp UUCP: ...!uunet!turnkey!conexch!root || ...!trwrb!ucla-an!conexch!root
plb@dcdwest.UUCP (Phil Blais) (02/16/89)
In article <941@crpmks.UUCP>, garyb@crpmks.UUCP (Gary M. Blumenstein) writes: > In article <24@rsoft.UUCP>, frank@rsoft.UUCP (Frank I. Reiter) writes: > > I've had to use SCO tech support quite a number of times and have always found > > it to be the absolute best tech support I've received anywhere. > > I'm with you Frank. I've used their support for three years now and I'm very > pleased with it. > > I think people must understand that the success of this company could very > well crush them. They are currently answering thousands of calls each day. Although we don't use VP/ix, in general I have been quite pleased with SCO Tech Support during the past 3 years or so. I could certainly list a number of software/hardware vendors whose performance has been much less impressive. A bit of patience and courtesy go along way when dealing with people in general and especially when trying to explain the symptoms etc of a particular problem to a tech support rep. It also helps to RTFM prior to placing your call. SCO's docs are some of the best I've seen - not perfect but certainly worth reading. Just one end users $.02 worth. Keep up the good work SCO. (=: phil blais ITT DCD San Diego
caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) (02/20/89)
In article <318@gallium.UUCP> garyb@gallium.UUCP (Gary Blumenstein) writes:
:Here's a suggestion that may save VP/ix users from potential system
:crashes.
:
: IF your system hangs while running VP/ix to the point where no
: keyboard input can be recognized by the computer. (Can't switch
: multiscreens, bring up vpix menu, etc.)
The standard recommendation in this case is to log in to a serial
terminal (as root) and di a kill -1 on the vpix process. If you
can log in from a serial port, this almost always works.