Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!lethe!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!uplherc!esunix!rhaslam
From: rhaslam@esunix.UUCP (Reed Haslam)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: DECstation 3100 Kernel size and Diskless Operation
Message-ID: <1544@esunix.UUCP>
Date: 21 Sep 89 18:03:38 GMT
Organization: Evans & Sutherland, Salt Lake City, Utah
Lines: 27


I have two questions regarding the DECstation 3100.

1- The kernel /vmunix is a little over 2MB in size. Why is it so large?

2- I've read the documentation about "Diskless Management Services (dms)",
but its the most confusing Digital documentation I've read in some time.
It tends to imply that if I want to boot a second DECstation 3100 off of
an existing DECstation 3100 that I have to create two physical partitions on
the server machine, 1 for /dlclient0 and the other for /dlenv0. Further it
tends to suggest that /dlenv0 has to be populated with all of the software 
in the /usr partition on the server thus giving rise to two copies of /usr
on the server machine. If this is all true it would seem diskless 
DECstation 3100 systems are impraticle since each one would need its own
/usr partition (/dlenvn) on the server.  The one part that is clear is
that the user must purchase the server license and server software
distribution kit (since the base operating system does not include these).
The cost of the server kit is the same as the cost of the Ultrix kit.
Shame on the DEC marketing guy who instituted this policy.

Could someone clarify these issues please?

Reed B. Haslam
Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
(801)-582-5847 x3344
{decwrl ! utah-cs }!esunix !rhaslam