Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!stat!fsu!sun8!nall
From: nall@sun8.scri.fsu.edu (John Nall)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: The Upgrade Process
Message-ID: <589@fsu.scri.fsu.edu>
Date: 22 Mar 90 01:58:48 GMT
References: <14589@nigel.udel.EDU>
Sender: news@fsu.scri.fsu.edu
Reply-To: nall@sun8.UUCP (John Nall)
Organization: Florida State University
Lines: 33

In article <14589@nigel.udel.EDU> Peter_Van_Epp@cc.sfu.ca writes:
>It seems to me that the answer to people how don't like the network upgrade
>with the associated problems is quite simple: wait until the bugs are worked
>   [deleted material]
>make them only availible for a fee from PH. You can also join the MINIX beta
>test group and work towards making the upgrades error free!

Now wait a minute!  I started this thread in the first place, with my
"useless busywork" message, so a comment seems in order.  As it happens,
I've upgraded through the Net since Minix 1.1, and AM a member (a charter
member, as a matter of fact) of the minix beta-test club.  So smile when
you call me all that! :-}  

And I STILL maintain that it is pitiful to see a note that says, in
effect, "I have Minix 1.2 and want to go to 1.5" or something similar.
I would venture that for every 10 that start down that road, eight drop off
somewhere along the way.  And they're probably eight people that we would
like to keep aboard.  It is BECAUSE I've been down that road that I know
how rocky it is....and most of it is not a meaningful learning process
(if it were, then I would be all in favor).

So the original thesis still holds: there should be an easier method for
someone who is a bona-fide purchaser of Minix to upgrade without having
to wait for P-H to officially begin selling a new version.  I have no
problem with P-H getting a profit from the upgrade - that should not be
any problem so long as the upgrade is through an approved source.  A
mere matter of putting serial numbers of Minix boot disks should take
care of who is genuine and who is not...

--
John W. Nall			| Supercomputation Computations Research Institute
(nall@nu.cs.fsu.edu - Internet) | Florida State University
#include <clever.h>		| Tallahassee, FL 32306