Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!odi!dlw
From: dlw@odi.com (Dan Weinreb)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Use of Sys V IPC features by RTI Ingres
Message-ID: <386@odi.ODI.COM>
Date: 22 Jun 89 20:29:46 GMT
Reply-To: dlw@odi.com
Organization: Object Design Inc., Burlington, MA
Lines: 23

A few weeks ago, I believe someone mentioned that the new version of
RTI's Ingres makes use of one of the System V IPC features (shared
memory segment or semaphores; I'm not sure which, but it doesn't
matter for purposes of this question).  Now, in the standard Unix
kernel distributed by Sun Microsystems, the System V IPC features
are not assembled in; if you want them, you have to build a kernel
that explicitly includes them.  It seems to me that this might mean
that in order to install RTI Ingres at a Sun customer site, the
customer might need to build a new kernel.

I realize that building a new kernel isn't difficult for someone who
has any experience in these matters.  But at some customer sites I'd
expect there to be only a few local "wizards" who know about building
kernels and who have permission to do so.  In actual practice, would
anyone expect this to be a problem, or is it unlikely to ever cause
problems?

Please note that I don't intend this to be a criticism of anyone.  I'd
just like to understand the costs incurred by real users when they
have to deal with software that uses System V features, when the
System V features can only be obtained via rebuilding the kernel.  Thanks.

Dan Weinreb		Object Design, Inc.		dlw@odi.com