steved@hrshcx.csd.harris.com (Steve Daukas) (05/15/91)
I have been reading bits and pieces about OS/2 in the various PC and Unix groups and have finally been made aware of this group. I hope you will indulge my questions even if they are old hat... I am seeking some inputs and advice on getting OS/2. I am currently running DOS 4.1, Windows 3.0, have a 386sx, a 40 Meg disk, and 1 Meg of Ram. I have Coherent on another partition and am thinking of getting a real Unix instead. I will be going to an 85 Meg disk and 4 Meg of Ram. What I want to be able to do is: 1) run multiple DOS applications (compilers, word processing, etc.) at one time... 2) run them all in a windowed environment where I can cut and paste among them... 3) run a telecommunications program in the background as well as a print spooler... 4) maybe run various OS/2 applications at the same time (I have no idea what OS/2 applications there are)... 5) and, if possible, be able to run Unix on the same box (I don't expect it but I'll ask anyway - how about Unix in one of the OS/2 windows?). What I work with are many DOS applications for school (MBA which means lotus et. al.), many DOS applications for developing code for the PC, and I work professionally with Unix (develop code, device drivers, etc.). What I am trying to do now is use Windows 3.0 to have several apps going, but my system won't stay up for more than 30 minutes. It has become clear that even with more memory and a bigger disk, Windows 3.0 will still be just as bad. Would you kindly educate me a little about OS/2 and how I might configure an OS/2 system? What OS/2 applications exist today? Will there be a problem with the AT bus and various controllers? Can you boot Unix from another partition like you can with DOS? Is there a Unix that runs in an OS/2 window (I know, I can hear the laughter), perhaps Minix compiled into a Window? How about running Windows 3.0 applications under OS/2? How about X11R4 apps? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Steve -- .-------------------..-------------------------. | Stephen C. Daukas || sdaukas@csd.harris.com | | (617) 221-1834 || uunet!hcx1!misg!sdaukas | `-------------------'`-------------------------'
larrys@watson.ibm.com (05/16/91)
In <1110@hrshcx.csd.harris.com>, steved@hrshcx.csd.harris.com (Steve Daukas) writes: >I have been reading bits and pieces about OS/2 in the various PC and Unix >groups and have finally been made aware of this group. I hope you will >indulge my questions even if they are old hat... That's what we're here for. Ask away!!! >I am seeking some inputs and advice on getting OS/2. I am currently >running DOS 4.1, Windows 3.0, have a 386sx, a 40 Meg disk, and 1 Meg of >Ram. I have Coherent on another partition and am thinking of getting >a real Unix instead. I will be going to an 85 Meg disk and 4 Meg of Ram. 85M hard disk is good. What I do is create one logical drive of around 40M for the system only!, so that if I install a new version I can reformat it with no problem (supposedly, you can install OS/2 on top of a previous version without having to reformat, but I've seen problems doing that, so...). The remainder of the physical space I use to put my source in (create as many drives as you like, but with only 45M left, it will probably be less of a hassle to make it all one drive). 4M RAM will work, but if you can get more, do it. You don't have to, of course, but the load time for applications when your system is heavily loaded is dramatically less. >What I want to be able to do is: > > 1) run multiple DOS applications (compilers, word processing, etc.) > at one time... OS/2 2.0 does/will do this. > 2) run them all in a windowed environment where I can cut and paste > among them... OS/2 2.0 does/will do this. > 3) run a telecommunications program in the background as well as > a print spooler... OS/2 1.2+ does this. > 4) maybe run various OS/2 applications at the same time (I have no idea > what OS/2 applications there are)... OS/2 1.0+ does this. > 5) and, if possible, be able to run Unix on the same box (I don't expect > it but I'll ask anyway - how about Unix in one of the OS/2 windows?). Ahhh...Nice try. ;) I know of no one who has done this, nor do I think it can be done. >What I work with are many DOS applications for school (MBA which means lotus >et. al.), many DOS applications for developing code for the PC, and I work >professionally with Unix (develop code, device drivers, etc.). What I am >trying to do now is use Windows 3.0 to have several apps going, but my system >won't stay up for more than 30 minutes. It has become clear that even with >more memory and a bigger disk, Windows 3.0 will still be just as bad. Lotus 123/G is amazing! It is a PM application that looks spectacular and is fully key and macro compatible with other 123 versions. I always knew that Windows was just as bad. ;) (big grin. flames>nul) >Would you kindly educate me a little about OS/2 and how I might configure >an OS/2 system? What OS/2 applications exist today? Will there be a >problem with the AT bus and various controllers? Can you boot Unix from >another partition like you can with DOS? Is there a Unix that runs in an OS/2 >window (I know, I can hear the laughter), perhaps Minix compiled into a Window? >How about running Windows 3.0 applications under OS/2? How about X11R4 apps? Many OS/2 shareware, freeware, and products exist. I can't begin to give a list. AT-style bus is no problem. SCSI from non-IBM hardware might be a problem, but I don't know if 2.0 will resolve this issue or not. Minix requires its own partition, so if you have a large enough hard disk, you can create multiple partitions, and use FDISK to activate the one you want before rebooting. X11R4 apps: something tells me that I heard on USENET that someone has seen an X-to-PM application which will let you run X applications from a Unix workstation. I imagine that it pre-reqs TCP/IP is this is true. Cheers, Larry Salomon, Jr. (aka 'Q') LARRYS@YKTVMV.BITNET OS/2 Applications and Tools larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com IBM T.J. Watson Research Center larrys@eng.clemson.edu Yorktown Heights, NY Disclaimer: The statements and/or opinions stated above are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of my employer. Additionally, I have a reputation for being obnoxious, so don't take any personal attacks too seriously.