T_WADE@CCVAX.UCD.HEA.IRL (01/06/88)
Some time has passed since I sent this notice, but I haven't seen it
come back yet - once again unto the gate dear friends ....
Greetings,
We are in the process of getting some VAXstation 2000s. We have to decide
whether to go for:
1. MicroVMS based stations (diskless), on an LAVC booting from a 780.
2. Ultrix based stations (diskless) served from a 750 also running
Ultrix.
Initially we would get three stations for this area.
The stations are to be used by students and graduate students in electronic
and mechanical engineering (we intend putting UNIX workstations elsewhere
on campus).
I would like to hear from people working in engineering research departments
who are using such workstations, in particular on the following point.
How much application software is available for each system (VMS, UNIX).
It has been suggested that there is a large wealth of engineering software
for UNIX and hardly any for VMS. Could people either confirm or contradict this?
Rather than start a slanging match over the net about VMS/UNIX, I would
rather people sent their views directly to me, and I will summarize to
the list. Please send any views you have on the subject.
Regards.
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Tom Wade Heanet: T-Wade@ccvax.ucd.hea.irl
Systems Programmer Ean: t-wade@ccvax.ucd.irl
Computer Center PSI: PSI%+27243154000712::T-WADE
University College Belfield Telex: (0500) 91196 UCD EI
Dublin 4. Uucp: t-wade%ccvax.ucd.hea.irl@tcdcs.uucp
Ireland Bitnet: twade@irlearn.bitnet
Voice: +353-1-693244 Ext 2456
ICBMnet: 53 18 20 N; 06 13 38 W; 25m
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"Atheism - a non-prophet organization with no invisible means of support"cetron%ced@CS.UTAH.EDU (Ed Cetron) (01/07/88)
1. currently ultrix is NOT supported in the diskless mode, only diskfull. 2. I am relatively sure that 4.3bsd unix IS supported though. 3. virtually all public domain engineering software has over time been ported to both unix/ultrix and vms. 4. We have found a lot of heavy number crunching software, finite element software, and a fair bit of ic and/or pcb design software which is also for vms only. 5. I have yet to find a package which was vms only which didn't have a similar package SOMEWHERE which wasn't for unix also. 6. We run all of our gpx's under vms mainly for speed since we do lots of huge fortran simulations, and for the advantages of diskless clustering. 7. There are some packages which specify "X-windows only" which currently means unix/ultrix (as far as vaxen go) but vms will support X in the very near future. 8. The bottom line is pick the os that you have the expertise to support - After 17+ years at this game, and especially watching the developement of unix/ultrix and vms, I bet within the next 4-5 years they will end up merging most of their user observable features and it won't matter anymore - witness DEC's decision to make vms POSIX compatible :-) -ed cetron cetron@cs.utah.edu