pixel@du248-08.cc.iastate.edu (Rauhauser Neal Robert) (08/21/90)
I need to select a 386 unix for a system we're installing.
I require the following features:
1. DOS as a task with no flaky behavior, the
user will be a secretary/book keeper
without a lick of sense.
2. a Foxbase development kit availible for the OS,
we have a DOS Foxbase app we need to port.
3. the ability to have up to eight users calling
in via UUCP to download one file of ~80k.
The UUCP activities can't disturb the
console user (much).
I currently have information directly from SCO. I would like
opinions on other forms of 386 unix and would especially like
the name of a reputable dealer for this sort of software. The
machine this will be running on is an 8 meg 386/25 with an
intelligent serial port controller and a caching ESDI drive.
Any comments will be appreciated,
Nealevil@arcturus.uucp (Wade Guthrie) (08/29/90)
R N Robert writes: > I need to select a 386 unix for a system we're installing. [...] > Any comments will be appreciated, I've seen many pleas like this (I've even made one or two myself), but have gotten very little response. Maybe the reason for the low response is the high volume of questions; so, I'd like to post a strawman response to the "What 386 UNIX should I buy" question. Please feel free to follow-up or reply with changes. Guys! Gals! If you have an ammendment to the strawman -- **SEND IT** I EMPLORE you. I invite vendors to add to the advantages of their own product (and other people's products, if they wish). I'll post the most recent version every month or so. If this turns into a full-fledged FAQ (frequently asked questions) list, I might want to include a description of where to get the GNU stuff and where to get the patches for each of the individual systems as well. I propose the following: ** Santa Cruz Operations: SCO XENIX / UNIX (2 different products) email address: info@sco.com or support@sco.com advantages/features: - ease of system administration - excellent documentation - ability to compile to DOS from *nix - ability to transfer files between DOS and *nix - (UNIX) full/real AT&T unix - (UNIX) C2 security - most common 386 *nix on the market disadvantages: - most expensive 286/386 *nix on the market - development package (C compiler et. al.) is unbundled - text package (nroff, man pages, et. al.) is unbundled ** Santa Cruz Operations: SCO Open Desktop email address (see above) advantages/features: - SCO UNIX + X Windows + NFS + Ingres ** Everex: ESIX email address: uunet!zardoz!everex!jde advantages/features: - comes with X11R3 (X-windows) bundled in (Motif is extra) - low price for a full-featured i386 - lifetime support (reported to be pretty good, too) - inexpensive upgrade policy - Berkely fast file system (how about the other *nix's?) disadvantages: - no on-line man pages - poor SCSI driver (if you're into SCSI) - poor paper documentation (costs extra too) - difficult installation/system administration ** Interactive I386 email address: ? advantages/features: disadvantages: - expensive upgrade policy ** Coherent 386 email address: ? advantaged/features: - extreme low cost ($99) disadvantages: ? -- Wade Guthrie (evil@arcturus.UUCP) | "He gasped in terror at what sounded Rockwell International; Anaheim, CA | like a man trying to gargle while My opinions, not my employer's. | fighting off a pack of wolves" | Hitchhiker's Guide
sl@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Stuart Lynne) (08/31/90)
In article <1990Aug29.154047.28841@arcturus.uucp> evil@arcturus.uucp (Wade Guthrie) writes: }** Santa Cruz Operations: SCO XENIX / UNIX (2 different products) }disadvantages: } - text package (nroff, man pages, et. al.) is unbundled The text package is unbundled, but you do get pre-formatted man pages with the base release of SCO Unix 3.2v2.0. -- Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca ubc-cs!van-bc!sl 604-937-7532(voice)
steve@altos86.Altos.COM (Steve Scherf) (09/01/90)
In article <1990Aug29.154047.28841@arcturus.uucp> evil@arcturus.uucp (Wade Guthrie) writes: > >R N Robert writes: > >** Santa Cruz Operations: SCO XENIX / UNIX (2 different products) >advantages/features: > - ease of system administration Have you ever used "sysadmsh"? This is the system administration tool through which you are required to configure your system, unless you know exactly what you are doing and are very careful; if C2 is enabled, you really do have to use it. To say the least, sysadmsh is buggy and very constricting, and by its nature takes a lot of power away from the administrator. I think this bullet belongs in the disadvantage list. > - (UNIX) C2 security In marketing terms C2 security is certainly a feature, but very few administrators and even fewer end users would call C2 security a feature or an advantage. It seems that you can't ever truly get rid of it, even if it's disabled (or "relaxed" as they say). It is for this reason that on the Altos 5000 (plug) we actually completely disable some of the fundamental elements of C2 if the adminstrator chooses to relax security; we also discourage the enabling of C2 in the release notes. Further, we don't support a configuration where both C2 and TCP/IP are installed. This item clearly belongs in the disadvantage bucket. Another item you might want to add to the disadvantage list is: - buggy Granted, SCO Unix is still pretty much in its infancy, but the fact remains that there are quite a few bugs in the os, runtime system, and compiler. I can't speak for ODT, not having really used it, but my guess is that it's no more reliable than the rest of the product. Compared to other, more seasoned, versions of Unix, SCO Unix has a way to go in becoming stable. Steve Scherf steve@Altos.COM ...!{sun|sco|pyramid|amdahl|uunet}!altos!steve These opinions are solely mine, but others may share them if they like.