[comp.unix.xenix.sco] XENIX AND DOS

berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) (11/20/90)

evanc@isishq.fidonet.org (Evan Champion) writes:

>I was planning on buying Xenix for my next computer but I am unsure about 
>it's compatibility with my existing DOS programs. Can it run DOS 
>applications? Thanks.

  No, DOS and XENIX are completely different altogether. It has a couple
of utilities for access the DOS fs, but that is as close as it gets.

  I wonder what it would take to onstruct an emulator? hmmmm.......

==============================================================================

     "Round and round the while() loop goes;
           Whether it stops," Turing says, "nobody knows."

ralfi@pemstgt.PEM-Stuttgart.de (Ralf Holighaus) (11/21/90)

evanc@isishq.fidonet.org (Evan Champion) writes:

>I was planning on buying Xenix for my next computer but I am unsure about 
>it's compatibility with my existing DOS programs. Can it run DOS 
>applications? Thanks.

There are several ways.

The easiest way is to use Xenix and Dos NOT simultaneously. You simply leave
a DOS partition on your disk and either activate it with FDISK to run DOS
and activate XENIX to run XENIX, or you only activate XENIX and tell XENIX
at boot time to boot DOS at the boot : prompt.

The other possibilities apply only if you run a 386 system.

You could either run XENIX386 with VP/ix (extra product) or
run SCO Open Desktop, where DOS/Merge is bundled.

Both products enable you to run DOS as an additional task under Unix/XENIX.

Rgds
Ralf.

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wht@n4hgf.Mt-Park.GA.US (Warren Tucker) (11/21/90)

In article <721@pdxgate.UUCP> berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren) writes:
>evanc@isishq.fidonet.org (Evan Champion) writes:
>
>>I was planning on buying Xenix for my next computer but [no DOS support]
>  No, DOS and XENIX are completely different altogether. It has a couple
>of utilities for access the DOS fs, but that is as close as it gets.
>  I wonder what it would take to onstruct an emulator? hmmmm.......

There is VPIX and MERGE: the ultimate issues are very complex.
File name mapping, I/O and interrupt management, and a whole lot of things
I ain't thought about add up to lotsa work.

I know nothing about VPIX, but the MERGE that is a part of SCO
ODT (UNIX 3.2 + X + MERGE + Ingress + TCP/IP) is EXCELLENT.  I
run a wide variety of DOS programs under ODT with great results
(it is a lot easier to write DOS programs to manipulate devices
than to write UNIX device drivers, making ODT and excellent
ground for exploring new devices before biting the big one and
beginning kernel hacking).  No DOS partitions to fool with
(unless you want them), no configuration file hacking (unless you
want to get very fancy).

It is nice to have multiple DOS sessions going at once. Windows 3
and Presentation Manager may do that, but you can't hop into a
UNIX session with them ;->.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Warren Tucker, TuckerWare emory!n4hgf!wht or wht@n4hgf.Mt-Park.GA.US
ANSI C should have been named D, or Son of C

jay@gdx.UUCP (Jay A. Snyder) (11/23/90)

>  No, DOS and XENIX are completely different altogether. It has a couple
>of utilities for access the DOS fs, but that is as close as it gets.
>
>  I wonder what it would take to onstruct an emulator? hmmmm.......
>

It exists --> VP/ix.

J  :)

==============================================================================
Jay A. Snyder 					 "Let Me Up!  I've had enough"
wa3wbu!gdx!jay@uunet.uu.net
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-- 
==============================================================================
Jay A. Snyder 					 "Let Me Up!  I've had enough"
wa3wbu!gdx!jay@uunet.uu.net
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