jon@comp.lancs.ac.uk (Jonathan Walpole) (05/25/89)
Advice Needed on Equipment for use in MINIX Based OS Course ----------------------------------------------------------- I am trying to organise a graduate level operating systems course, based on MINIX, for a class size of approximately 20 students. At present there are no (well there's one) IBM PCs available to me, but there is the possibility to buy some equipment for the course. Also, there are a number of Unix based workstations available and a Sequent Symmetry running DYNIX. Could anyone out there give me advice on what the best hardware set up for teaching such a course might be? In particular, I am unclear on the following issues: 1. What are the advantages in doing: (a) development work on a Unix host machine and then downloading the binary image to an IBM PC for testing; compared to (b) doing everything on the IBM PC? (apart from not having to buy as many IBM PCs!)? How long does it take, and how easy is it to recompile and install a new version of MINIX in each case? etc etc 2. Does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with using the IBM PC simulator which runs on a Vax? 3. Will the Vax version of the IBM PC simulator and/or the C compiler for IBM PCs run on a Sequent Symmetry running DYNIX? I.e. can I use the Sequent as the development machine and either download to PCs or use the simulator? 4. If it is advisable to buy IBM PCs (or clones) which are the best ones to get? What should be avoided? What memory size is best (what size is adequate)? Are there other machines to which MINIX has been ported which offer significant advantages? 5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of getting machines with hard disks? Especially with respect to the development environment they offer. 6. If a separate host machine is used for development and the PCs are only used for testing does this change the requirements of 4 and 5? 7. What are the advantages and disadvantages to using DOS, PC IX, or MINIX as the development system on the PCs? I would appreciate help or advice on any of the above (plus anything else I should know) and also, more generally, on the use of MINIX as a vehicle for teaching OS. Thanks. Jon ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NAME: Jonathan Walpole PHONE: +44 524 65201 ext 3819 UUCP: ...!ukc!dcl-cs!jon DARPA: jon@comp.lancs.ac.uk FAX: 44-524-381707 POST: University of Lancaster, Department of Computing, Engineering Building, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YR, UK.