Best UNIX for 486's
Erik Petersen
regarding other UNIX systems available for the PC platform. This includes
both share/freeware and commercial. I have some experience with Xenix but
I'm looking for SYSV/BSD systems and close clones. I wish to support 10-100
remote users via dial-in tty, ppp and telnet.
I am considering COCONET from Coconut computing for most users for ease of
use reasons. Anyone have experience with this?
Linux won't ppp yet from what I understand and COCONET does (yet) run on it.
They support SCO ODT, Xenix (not prefered) and Solaris. One of my big
concerns is user licencing. What is the cost involved in a UNIX with
such big licencing fees based on the number of users?
--
Erik Petersen <er...@errant.north.net> PGP signature available via mail
Errant on the Internet ---> pgp...@errant.north.net <---
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Carl Boernecke
>I am currently running linux on my 486 and would like to solicit comments
>regarding other UNIX systems available for the PC platform. This includes
>both share/freeware and commercial. I have some experience with Xenix but
>I'm looking for SYSV/BSD systems and close clones. I wish to support 10-100
>remote users via dial-in tty, ppp and telnet.
I, personally, prefer not to spend money on my operating systems,
so I prefer Linux and NetBSD. NetBSD has better networking, but
I still prefer the Linux environment -- mostly because I leared
System V, and Linux makes both BSD and System V available. NetBSD
is just plain BSD. Of course it has System V enhancements, but
it's just not the same to me.
>I am considering COCONET from Coconut computing for most users for ease of
>use reasons. Anyone have experience with this?
Never used it. Heard of it, but that's all.
>Linux won't ppp yet from what I understand and COCONET does (yet) run on it.
I run PPP on my Linux boxes all the time (four of 'em to be
exact), as well as providing a PPP connection for others sytems
to mine. Easier to setup than SLIP, and easily as reliable.
People just don't understand that the author of PPP doesn't want
to release the code to the public until it is *bullet-proof*.
By restricting information on PPP, he has kept people from using
it and finding bugs (if there are any now 'a' days *grin*), then
saying that they either don't like Linux, PPP, or himself just
because the code is in ALPHA testing. Makes sence to me.
>They support SCO ODT, Xenix (not prefered) and Solaris. One of my big
>concerns is user licencing. What is the cost involved in a UNIX with
>such big licencing fees based on the number of users?
Can't help you there. I do recall that if you want a *large*
installation, Sun had a fairly good pricing plan for their
Unlimited release. I don't know specifics, though.
--
-- Carl Boernecke (ca...@inex.com)
"A radioactive cat has eighteen half-lives."
James Deibele
>I am considering COCONET from Coconut computing for most users for ease of
>use reasons. Anyone have experience with this?
No. But I'd avoid it like the plague.
It requires a specialized terminal program only available for PCs.
There's not a Windows version of it. There's not a Mac version of it.
There's not a UNIX version of it.
The mail system doesn't talk to UNIX email. The message areas aren't
compatible with news.
"4.0" was announced, what, 18 months ago? 2 years ago? Longer?
Last I knew, it still hadn't shipped.
Brian Dear made a memorable appearance on the net, refusing to address
the specifics of several complaints made by different customers.
With an attitude like his, I'd be very careful about committing your
future to his products.
--
jam...@teleport.com "4710 newsgroups & nothing on ..."
Full internet (ftp, telnet, irc, ppp) available. Voice: (503) 223-4245
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Providing Internet email in Portland since 1987.
Eric J. Schwertfeger
>Linux won't ppp yet from what I understand and COCONET does (yet) run on it.
Well, the alpha code does, and pl15 (due out very soon, actually
overdue) will support ppp, and it is working now, just not in the
"release" kernel.
--
Eric J. Schwertfeger, man...@cs.unlv.edu
Nate Williams
Erik Petersen <er...@errant.north.net> wrote:
>I am currently running linux on my 486 and would like to solicit comments
>regarding other UNIX systems available for the PC platform. This includes
>both share/freeware and commercial. I have some experience with Xenix but
>I'm looking for SYSV/BSD systems and close clones. I wish to support 10-100
>remote users via dial-in tty, ppp and telnet.
FreeBSD has ppp support built-in, and is your hardware can handle it (1
486 should do fine) it'll handle everything you can throw at it.
We're using a 486/66 EISA/VLB box with 32MB memory and 3.5GB of disk to
handle all our mailing lists and as our reference box. It's been on the
network for close to a year now with little to no problems, and we beat
on it HARD. Other than the occasional kernel bug that pops up every once
in awhile it's been very stable running FreeBSD.
We've got quite a few users, it wouldn't suprise me to see 100 users
who have accounts.
Nate
--
na...@bsd.coe.montana.edu | Freely available *nix clones benefit everyone,
na...@cs.montana.edu | so let's not compete with each other, let's
work #: (406) 994-4836 | compete with folks who try to tie us down to
home #: (406) 586-0579 | proprietary O.S.'s (Microsloth) - Me
Raymond Shwake
>I am considering COCONET from Coconut computing for most users for ease of
>use reasons. Anyone have experience with this?
We played with version 3.1 for a while, found it buggy and
limited. We've been waiting more than a full YEAR for delivery of the
promised version 4.0. We're no longer confident we'll ever see it.
--
uunet!media!irscscm!nearside!shwake shwake@rsxtech
Tom Nguyen
|> In article <1994Jan19....@errant.north.net>,
|>
|> We're using a 486/66 EISA/VLB box with 32MB memory and 3.5GB of disk to
|> handle all our mailing lists and as our reference box. It's been on the
|> network for close to a year now with little to no problems, and we beat
|> on it HARD. Other than the occasional kernel bug that pops up every once
|> in awhile it's been very stable running FreeBSD.
|>
|>
I have unrelated question to the subject discussed here, however, you
mentioned you used a 486/66 EISA/VLB system running UNIX or UNIX-like I
want to know if you can recommend a similiar system.
I am in the market for a 486/66 EISA/VLB with 16MB memory and 1.0GB of
disk space for running NetBSD. I am thinking about buying a ZEOS
486DX2-66MHz EISA/VLB, but I am not so sure about the DPT EISA SCSI-2
controller they use in this machine. I prefer an Adaptec 1742 or
2742T, but they do not have one with their system.
Do you have any recommendations about vendors and configurations like
what works and what not?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Tom Nguyen