Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rpi!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!archer!dwb
From: dwb@archer.apple.com (David W. Berry)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: A/UX V2.0 questions
Keywords: A/UX 2.0 MacOS compatability
Message-ID: <7305@goofy.Apple.COM>
Date: 21 Mar 90 01:00:30 GMT
References: <22775@topo.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Distribution: usa
Organization: Apple Computer
Lines: 85

In article <22775@topo.UUCP> deuchar@topo.UUCP (Gregg Deuchar) writes:
>
>The A/UX V2.0 press release was quite interesting but a bit short on details.
>I have a few questions:
>
>1) Does the new A/UX run ALL Mac programs, or only '32-bit clean' programs?
	It runs >most< Mac programs.  There is a 24-bit compatibility
	option that allows programs that aren't 32-bit clean to run.
	Unfortunately there are still some programs that have problems
	even in 24-bit mode.

>   a) How about Mac Inits, Cdevs and Rdevs?
	INIT 31 does get run, meaning that INIT's, cdev's, and rdev's
	will be executed.  Many of them even work.  Unfortunately there
	are still things which can't be done, like direct access to the
	hardware, which will cause your system to crash if installed in
	the system folder.  These mac-style system crashes don't cause
	kernel panics or anything nasty like that, they just force the
	user to log in again.

>   b) How about MIDI programs, Games, SoftPC, ][ in a Mac?   
	SoftPC 1.3 runs just fine.  I haven't tried the others.  MIDI
	programs have a chance of working but I wouldn't give them
	a real high liklihood since I assme they all go direct to the
	SCC rather than using the serial manager.

>   c) If programs of type (a) or (b) CAN be run, what is their performance like?
	Similar to that under the Mac OS.

> 
>2) Is memory protection available for Mac programs, i.e. if the application in
>the 'Mac window' crashes, does it dump the entire system or just that window?
	You're running multifinder, with all applications (not A/UX programs
	like cat) sharing much of their address space.  Thus it is possible
	for some application to crash, taking the rest of the environment
	with it.  In the case, the user logs in again.

>
>3) Are the Mac windows accessing 'real' Finder & System files, or an emulator
>hardcoded into A/UX? If not hardcoded, can the MAC OS be upgraded like a
>normal system? 
	We currently use a specially modified version of the Finder, System
	and other system files.  Some system files are used completely
	unmodified, the modifications are mostly the remove lingering
	32-bit problems.  The MacOS can be upgraded or run separate
	from the A/UX kernel.

>  
>4) Will Virtual Memory be available for the Mac programs? How about 
>multitasking?
	Yes, via the normal A/UX virtual memory scheme.  MultiTasking
	exists on two levels, scheduling between Mac programs is done
	by the existing MultiFinder scheme.  Scheduling between the
	collection of all mac apps and unix programs (ie., cat) is
	done using the existing A/UX kernel process scheme.  MultiFinder
	has modifications to take advantage of WaitNextEvent timeout
	values to sleep in the UNIX kernel instead of busywaiting.

>
>5) Can Mac or Unix files be placed on either file system (mixed), or must
>each type reside only on it's own specific file system/partition?
	Mac files can be placed on any type of file system.  If placed
	on an A/UX (non mac) file system, they will be actually stored
	in AppleSingle or AppleDouble format.  Unix files can be freely
	copied to macintosh volumes and vice-versa.

> 
>6) What terminal emulations are available in the Unix window? In the X-window?
	The CommandShell pretty much emulates a VT100 with extra
	commands.  I don't know about X-Windows, but it is X11R3,
	whatever that means :-)

>
>7) Will the Mac version of X-Windows be X11 R4? Will it support color?
	"MacX incorporates all the stuff to be compliant with X11R4,
	but the porting base was R3" -- Steve Peters, A/UX X11 Engineer
	Yes, it does support color.


>
>Inquiring minds want to know.
	Proud minds want to tell...

	David W. Berry			A/UX Toolbox Engineer
	dwb@apple.com