[comp.unix.i386] Frequently Asked Questions

cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill) (03/27/90)

Way back when (sometime in February) I foolishly said:

> Ok.  I'll bit the bullet.  I volunteer myself as the initial keeper of the
> frequently asked questions for the comp.unix.i386 group.  How about
> suggestions for questions and/or answers to include.

Since then, several people have sent me mail saying that they were amazed
at the amount of free time I must have.  I have come to agree with them
wholeheartedly.  However, we do need the list and I can probably put aside
a little time to be the keeper of the list.  

PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT ASKING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.  I am just putting
together a list of questions both I and other comp.unix.i386 readers feel
are asked pretty frequently.  If you have some additions, answers that you
think I don't know about or other such nonsense, send me EMAIL.  The outcome
of this posting will become the monthly frequently asked questions for
this newsgroup.  Thanks.

So far the following questions have been selected:

	 1. What is this group for?
	 2. Which Unix should I buy for a 386?
	 3. Is there a BSD port for the 386 available anywhere?
	 4. What hardware works with what Unix and what X windows?
	 5. How do I rewind or retension a cartridge tape?
	 6. How do I get a second serial port working?
	 7. How do I get fast serial line throughput with stock asynch ports?
	 8. Is there a port of X11 R3/4 available for whatever?
	 9. What are good intelligent multi-port serial card solutions?
	10. Where do I get troff from?
	11. Why doesn't vi work on large files?
	12. How do I increase my ulimit?
	13. How do you set up a port for both dial-in and dial-out access?
	14. List of frequent changes made to code inported from net to get
	    it to work correctly on 386/ix/ESIX/SCO Unix, etc.
	15. How do I setup a global environment variable that even gets set
	    in the /etc/rc*/* scripts.
	16. How do I get more than 8 virtual terminals to work on the console?
	17. Why do I get the error "ps: unlink() error" every once in a while?

Do you have any to add? 

I will be posting a first pass on the above stuff early next month so I
would like any suggestions for additions asap.  Thanks.
-- 
Conor P. Cahill            (703)430-9247        Virtual Technologies, Inc.,
uunet!virtech!cpcahil                           46030 Manekin Plaza, Suite 160
                                                Sterling, VA 22170 

e50774@kuduts.kudpc.kyoto-u.ac.jp (greg peterson [e50774]) (06/15/90)

I'm just getting started on UNIX and have a couple of questions
that I hope somebody will answer for me as I haven't seen them in
comp.unix.i386, comp.unix.questions or //UNIX World// even though
I have been reading them both for some time now:
 
Prices/Flavors:
According to TRC in Los Angeles) SCO UNIX System V/386 V3.2 lists
for $1890 and a XENIX 386 system lists for only $1490 and
(according to Programmer's Connection) Interactive's system costs
$1390 (all for unlimited user operating system + software
development system)? Is SCO XENIX that much better (if so, how?)
or just that much more expensive (if so, why?).
 
International UNIX:
TRC says that "All SCO International (8 bit) systems are 1.3 times
the regular price" which leads me to wonder about Interactive (I
want to be able to support kanji in a BBS although not necessarily
see it on the screen). I have an address for SCO but they have
referred me to their Japanese distributer who declines to answer
my queries... I haven't found an address for Interactive... I'd
sure appeciate one if you have it.
 
VP/ix: 
I understand that it runs "well behaved" DOS applications but
 
   1) will it run VENTURA V2.0 and
 
   2) how many such applications will it run?
 
What I have in mind is to run a multi-line host(s) plus do my own
work at the same time.  For example, Ventura/WordPerfect for me 
and plus say 4 copies of WAFFLE as the main user-accessed host 
plus plus one copy of BinkleyTerm to act as Fido mailer & general 
purpose front end for some kind of PC-Board mailer.
 
Software Development:
Last, I don't fully understand what the Software Development
Systems do and whether I need them or not.  Right now I use 
Turbo-C V2.0 and I have MicroSoft C V5.0.  Can I use them (under 
VP/ix, I would presume) to compile programs that will run under 
UNIX?

Thanks in advance....