Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ginosko!uunet!aablue!jb
From: jb@aablue.UUCP (John B Scalia)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: ESIX the other side
Summary: I've just started with it.
Keywords: ESIX Everex Review
Message-ID: <608@aablue.UUCP>
Date: 17 Oct 89 20:22:26 GMT
References: <907@fiver.UUCP>
Reply-To: jb@aablue.UUCP (John B Scalia)
Organization: A A Blueprint Co., Inc. - Akron, OH
Lines: 46

In article <907@fiver.UUCP> palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) writes:
>
>  Well I didn't mean to sound to positive about ESIX in that review.
>It does have problems with the X-windows. I was wondering if anyone 
>out there uses it?

Well, Bob, I just got my copy installed last night. BTW, you now have an
old release, the newest version is Rev. C not *B*. My impressions so far?
Hmmm...They do have a _small_ bug in their installation routine. While it
only took 1 phone call to their tech support to fix it, even they weren't
too positive it would work. For the record, I was using an Everex Step 386
at 25MHz, 4MB RAM, WD1007-WA2, CDC (Imprimis) Wren 3 160MB hard drive, and
a Paradise VGA+16 on a Mitsubishi AUM-1381 monitor that I was running MS-Dos
and Minix on prior to attempting the install. Naturally, the install 
proceeded normally until it requested a reboot where it promptly hung. At
this point I checked the partition table and discovered it was trashed. No
surprise, I expected this. To summarize, the system refused to work correctly
until I did a complete low-level format. This was inspite of the fact that
this unit had been a functional machine before the attempt.

After reformating (low-level) everything went smoothly, I haven't gotten
up to testing any of its networking stuff or X-windows, although, I did
get it's HDB functioning properly to talk to the office's mini. Hey, with
only 160MB on board, I've got to store my source code somewhere :-)

My biggest impression has been its really poor manuals; I've now stopped
complaining about the office's Convergent manuals which a world superior to
what ESIX gives you. They do have a technical documentation set which would
probably help, but I find it's $345 retail price a bit difficult to stomach.
(See kit #00056-00.) Has anybody out there opted for it? Our CT manuals
have helped me tremendously with ESIX's setup, but they only cover V.2.

PS. Your other posting mentioned you were considering NFS, did you look at
ESIX's NFS yet? Their docs say it's an option, but I didn't see a price.

PSS. I had to use vi last night with ESIX and noticed something real peculiar:
it won't allow me to type in a "@" in insert mode. Is there a work-around or
do I have something really F*'d up? I've not noticed any problem with vi on
our CT regarding this problem.

jb@aablue.UUCP
-- 
A A Blueprint Co., Inc. - Akron, Ohio +1 216 794-8803 voice
UUCP:	   {uunet!}aablue!jb	(John B. Scalia)

Just a little more nonsense to clutter up the net.