Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!virtech!cpcahil
From: cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: UNIX 3.2 compatibility
Message-ID: <1990Mar23.004034.5658@virtech.uucp>
Date: 23 Mar 90 00:40:34 GMT
References: <912@n3dmc.UU.NET>
Reply-To: cpcahil@virtech.UUCP (Conor P. Cahill)
Organization: Virtual Technologies Inc., Sterling VA
Lines: 29

In article <912@n3dmc.UU.NET> johnl@n3dmc.UU.NET (John Limpert) writes:
>Are the 80386 UNIX systems from AT&T, ESIX, Intel, ISC and SCO
>compatible at the device driver level? 

They can be.  However, it depends upon the writer of the code.  If they 
don't use any special kernel functions the drivers will probably work.

> I am interested in
>upgrading from Microport System V/AT to an 80386 UNIX.  ESIX looks
>like the best deal but the question of vendor support bothers me.
>Is it possible to link a vendor supplied device driver into the
>ESIX kernel even though the device driver was written for ISC UNIX?

Usually you can do this.  However, the problem is that each of the vendors
have a slightly different driver installation that doesn't work on the
others.  I have taken a Maxspeed serial i/o card driver which was made 
for interactive and manually installed it on a Bell Technologies System V/386
system without any problems (other than having to manually do the installation).

>Can I still run programs that were compiled and linked under
>Microport System V/AT?

Yup. Again, with the limitation that they are not doing anything special
with microport drivers, etc.

-- 
Conor P. Cahill            (703)430-9247        Virtual Technologies, Inc.,
uunet!virtech!cpcahil                           46030 Manekin Plaza, Suite 160
                                                Sterling, VA 22170