mark@intek01.UUCP (Mark McWiggins) (11/17/88)
We're upgrading from SCO Xenix 286 and are considering our options ...
We've been quite happy with their product, but we have a number of criteria
to meet and are pretty price-sensitive. Since SCO still seems "behind"
the others (no NFS that we're aware of, etc.) and no longer will allow their
products to be sold mail-order, it seems worth shopping.
The machine would be used for
(1) development by the resident Unix hack (that's me) regularly, and a
few others sporadically
(2) mail/news via UUNET & Telebit @ 19200 bps
(3) TCP/IP connection to DOS (Netware) & maybe Mac
(4) SCCS archiving of all our source
Here's what we need:
(1) Console multiscreens
(2) ESDI disk support
(3) TCP/IP, with the ability to let several clients login using
a single board
(4) Xenix software compatibility (I guess this means Sys V R3.2?)
(5) Support for Telebit modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line
(6) NFS
(7) Support for Everex cartridge tape
(8) RELIABILITY
Here's what we'd like, but isn't essential:
(1) VP/ix support
(2) Diskless node support over NFS
(3) Korn Shell
I'd like to hear about:
(1) your experience with a similar sort of setup: system/network board
combinations, how much memory, how many/what kind users, how
experienced you are at sysoping and how much of a pain installation
was, etc.
(2) the prices you paid
(3) vendors and your experience with them
I realize this sort of thing has been done before, but I'm not aware of any
similar summaries about the latest greatest (Sys V 3.2, Xenix 2.3).
Please reply by E-mail, and I'll summarize for the net. Thanks in
advance.
--
Mark McWiggins UUCP: uunet!intek01!mark
DISCLAIMER: I could be wrong. INTERNET: intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net
(206) 455-9935jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer) (11/19/88)
In article <366@intek01.UUCP>, mark@intek01.UUCP (Mark McWiggins) writes: > We're upgrading from SCO Xenix 286 and are considering our options ... > We've been quite happy with their product, but we have a number of criteria > to meet and are pretty price-sensitive. Since SCO still seems "behind" > the others (no NFS that we're aware of, etc.) and no longer will allow their > products to be sold mail-order, it seems worth shopping. > > The machine would be used for > > (1) development by the resident Unix hack (that's me) regularly, and a > few others sporadically > > (2) mail/news via UUNET & Telebit @ 19200 bps > > (3) TCP/IP connection to DOS (Netware) & maybe Mac > > (4) SCCS archiving of all our source > > Here's what we need: > > (1) Console multiscreens SCO Xenix has it. Additionally, release 2.3.1 also has multiscreens for serial terminals. > > (2) ESDI disk support Use a WD-1007. It looks like an mfm drive, but is esdi. There are also several caching controllers available which work under Xenix > > (3) TCP/IP, with the ability to let several clients login using > a single board Comes with the Excelan board (an excellent product, we have sold a number of them). > > (4) Xenix software compatibility (I guess this means Sys V R3.2?) Given. > > (5) Support for Telebit modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line Again, release 2.3.1 directly supports the Telebit modem. 2.2.3 supported it with a Telebit utilities disk from SCO (free) > > (6) NFS Not yet, although I am told it will be available in the near future. > > (7) Support for Everex cartridge tape Yes. While 2.2.3 had indirect support for the Everex (specify a different tape), 2.3.1 directly supports the Everex. > > (8) RELIABILITY How reliable do you want it? I keep seeing more reports about problems with some other unnamed Unixs for the 386 than with SCO Xenix. > > Here's what we'd like, but isn't essential: > > (1) VP/ix support Vpix 1.1 (not the controlled release) is available and works very well. > > (2) Diskless node support over NFS See my above comment regarding NFS. > > (3) Korn Shell Available from third parties (Aspen Software is one) While SCO may seem a little slow at times, the quality of their product is worth it. Likewise the cost. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, most of the time. We have installed Xenix on a wide variety of systems. In terms of memory we use a rule of thumb of 1/2 meg per user, depending on what they will be doing. As you know, the installation is painless but tedious. Some features you didn't mention which are now available in 2.3.1 are: HDB UUCP Scheduled backups Easy customizatin of system parameters Menu-driven administration procedures Mouse support, both on main console and on terminals. Online help facility (not manual pages) Jonathan Bayer Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
mark@intek01.UUCP (Mark McWiggins) (12/01/88)
I may have asked for too much in this one posting; I got more responses from those wanting the same information than from people offering information. This posting summarizes their responses, and gives my analysis of the choices available, along with a couple of extra questions. Here's my original inquiry: >We're upgrading from SCO Xenix 286 and are considering our options ... >We've been quite happy with their product, but we have a number of criteria >to meet and are pretty price-sensitive. Since SCO still seems "behind" >the others (no NFS that we're aware of, etc.) and no longer will allow their >products to be sold mail-order, it seems worth shopping. > >The machine would be used for > > (1) development by the resident Unix hack (that's me) regularly, and a > few others sporadically > > (2) mail/news via UUNET & Telebit @ 19200 bps > > (3) TCP/IP connection to DOS (Netware) & maybe Mac > > (4) SCCS archiving of all our source > >Here's what we need: > > (1) Console multiscreens > > (2) ESDI disk support > > (3) TCP/IP, with the ability to let several clients login using > a single board > > (4) Xenix software compatibility (I guess this means Sys V R3.2?) > > (5) Support for Telebit modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line > > (6) NFS > > (7) Support for Everex cartridge tape > > (8) RELIABILITY > >Here's what we'd like, but isn't essential: > > (1) VP/ix support > > (2) Diskless node support over NFS > > (3) Korn Shell > >I'd like to hear about: > > (1) your experience with a similar sort of setup: system/network board > combinations, how much memory, how many/what kind users, how > experienced you are at sysoping and how much of a pain installation > was, etc. > > (2) the prices you paid > > (3) vendors and your experience with them > >I realize this sort of thing has been done before, but I'm not aware of any >similar summaries about the latest greatest (Sys V 3.2, Xenix 2.3). > >Please reply by E-mail, and I'll summarize for the net. Thanks in >advance. Replies: (1) From ken@gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii): Get in touch with Interactive (+1 800 346 7111). They have the latest version of 386 Unix on the street (System V release 3.2), and 386/ix version 2.0 has all of the things you are looking ffor, including TCP/IP and NFS (and X11.3, if you are into that sort of thing). These guys do good work, tho support isn't always the best. They've been in the Unix buisiness almost as long as AT&T (welllll...1977, anyway). I've never had any trouble with an ISC installation, but i do good things like only spec peripherals that they recomend, etc. ----- (2) From uunet!ispi!jbayer (Jonathan Bayer): > > Here's what we need: > > (1) Console multiscreens SCO Xenix has it. Additionally, release 2.3.1 also has multiscreens for serial terminals. > > (2) ESDI disk support Use a WD-1007. It looks like an mfm drive, but is esdi. There are also several caching controllers available which work under Xenix > > (3) TCP/IP, with the ability to let several clients login using > a single board Comes with the Excelan board (an excellent product, we have sold a number of them). > > (5) Support for Telebit modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line Again, release 2.3.1 directly supports the Telebit modem. 2.2.3 supported it with a Telebit utilities disk from SCO (free) > > (6) NFS Not yet, although I am told it will be available in the near future. > > (7) Support for Everex cartridge tape Yes. While 2.2.3 had indirect support for the Everex (specify a different tape), 2.3.1 directly supports the Everex. > > (8) RELIABILITY How reliable do you want it? I keep seeing more reports about problems with some other unnamed Unixs for the 386 than with SCO Xenix. > > Here's what we'd like, but isn't essential: > > (1) VP/ix support Vpix 1.1 (not the controlled release) is available and works very well. > > (3) Korn Shell Available from third parties (Aspen Software is one) While SCO may seem a little slow at times, the quality of their product is worth it. Likewise the cost. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, most of the time. We have installed Xenix on a wide variety of systems. In terms of memory we use a rule of thumb of 1/2 meg per user, depending on what they will be doing. As you know, the installation is painless but tedious. Some features you didn't mention which are now available in 2.3.1 are: HDB UUCP Scheduled backups Easy customizatin of system parameters Menu-driven administration procedures Mouse support, both on main console and on terminals. Online help facility (not manual pages) -------- (3) From {rtmvax,ucf-cs}!tarpit!rd (Bob Thrush) [This guy recommended we look at the Sun 386i. I'd love to, but it's waaaay out of my price range. I have his message if anyone is interested, but I didn't think it really applied and am thus omitting it here.] -------- (4) From gillisb@gsd (Brian Gillis) Go with Interactive!!!! You will get real unix with most, if not all of the things you mentioned. I just put up a 386/ix next to sco/386 and every program on sco works on 386/ix. --------- ANALYSIS: I've elminated Bell Tech (limited hardware compatibility) and Microport (broken serial drivers). That leaves AT&T, Interactive, and SCO. I'd be tempted by the Everex port just announced, but I need to make a decision pretty quick now. Here's a chart of the features I need (including at least 1 important one I forgot to ask last time), along with what I know about each (DO correct me if I'm wrong :), and the questions I still have. AT&T: Multiscreens: only if you get VP/ix, and only on the console ESDI disk support: Yes? TCP/IP: Yes Xenix software Yes, in S5R3.2 compatibility Support for Telebit ? modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line NFS Yes Support for Everex Yes? cartridge tape Reliability Good? VP/ix support Yes Diskless node support ? over NFS Korn Shell Available, but I don't think included C compiler based on PCC, presumably very robust? Price/Vendor/Release I've seen $700 quoted, from Elek-Tek; don't know if that was 3.1 or 3.2, or what other vendors carry this Interactive: Multiscreens: console only? ESDI disk support: Yes TCP/IP: Yes Xenix software Yes, in S5R3.2 compatibility Support for Telebit Yes modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line NFS Yes Support for Everex Yes cartridge tape Ease of installation Easy? Weird peripheral ? support Reliability Good VP/ix support Yes Diskless node support ? over NFS Korn Shell Available, but not included C compiler based on PCC ?, presumably very robust? Price/Vendor/Release $?; they're advertising 3.2 SCO: Multiscreens: any tty ESDI disk support: Yes TCP/IP: Yes Xenix software N/A compatibility Support for Telebit Yes modem @ 19200 & dialing in/out on a single line NFS No Support for Everex Yes cartridge tape Ease of installation Easy Weird peripheral Excellent support Reliability Excellent VP/ix support Yes Diskless node support No over NFS Korn Shell Available, but not included C compiler based on Microsoft C; 286 version 2.2 flaky, 386 version unknown (see next posting) Price/Vendor/Release List is $1495 or $1595 (can't remember which), but developers can get a 30% discount after filling out a reseller's application. SCO is cutting off mail order business of their products. ------ Any corrections, additional information, or other feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! -- Mark McWiggins UUCP: uunet!intek01!mark DISCLAIMER: I could be wrong. INTERNET: intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net (206) 455-9935