Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!cernvax!chx400!urz.unibas.ch!doelz
From: doelz@urz.unibas.ch
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: VMS-ULTRIX CONNECTION UCX 1.2 pros/cons
Message-ID: <1990May6.110327.710@urz.unibas.ch>
Date: 6 May 90 11:03:27 GMT
References: <1990May5.182539.709@urz.unibas.ch> <75@ultrix.uhasun.hartford.edu>
Followup-To: comp.sys.dec
Organization: University of Basel, Switzerland
Lines: 47

In article <75@ultrix.uhasun.hartford.edu>, lindh@uhasun.hartford.edu (Andrew Lindh) writes:
> In article <1990May5.182539.709@urz.unibas.ch>, doelz@urz.unibas.ch writes:
>> 
>> DEC released the Ultrix connection product UCX V 1.2 recently. 
>> This is the first chance to talk to UNIX with a DEC product. 
>> 
> 
> I have been using this DEC/Ultrix connection software for a while now..

We are trying to use it since release 1.0, and it was a hard life with 1.0.

> It is not very good.....AND very hard to program in. For VAX news I prefer
> to use NNTP over DECnet. DEC's first try a TCP/IP is not very good.
> It has A LOT of problems. I have writen FINGER, SMTP, and TELNET

TELNET ?? Is included in Version 1.2. 

> just for fun...It was not easy. DEC does not provide DNS or default
> routing......Just static routing and host tables.

This got its benefits partially. Greenhorns don't ftp around easily, 
and I have written a utility which enables managers to enter their node 
easily into the static routing table. The next relaease will have it
(at least some vapourware stuff told that). 

> I am a UNIX prgrammer....I don't like QIO. This is not like standard
> TCP/IP programming. I found programming Sunlink DNI much easier.

I don't like QIO, but I do like VMS for occasional users. UNIX is 
a pain for rare users. I'm dealing with biologists mostly, and the 
pseudo-english VMS is much better than UNIX.
 
> Note: I have heard that the next release will be MUCH better.

Are we talking about 1.3 or which release ? Shipping date? 

> And since this is the only TCP/IP our system has, I have to make do.

Me too. I am *very* interested in SMTP. Is that code available? 



Regards, 
Reinhard 

PS: I am interested in sharing experience with others using UCX. 
NFS is causing problems, sometimes. Anyone else had this problem ?