Xref: utzoo comp.unix.i386:7311 alt.sys.sun:1128
Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386,alt.sys.sun
Subject: Re: "talk" problems with 386i and SPARC
Message-ID: <3777@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 28 Jul 90 18:00:08 GMT
References: <1990Jul27.191542.9525@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Followup-To: alt.sys.sun
Distribution: usa
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 19

>Can anybody explain this ?

Yes, the SunOS "talk" program is based on the 4.2BSD "talk" program,
whose messages are sent over the wire in a machine-dependent format. 
The original Sun version had some heuristics to try to make it work
between VAXes and 68K-based Suns; those heuristics would probably have
made it work between 68K-based and 80386-based Suns as well.

Then the heuristics were changed to make it work between 68K-based and
SPARC-based Suns; this may have broken its ability to work between
68K-based Suns and VAXes, and/or may not have increased its ability to
work between SPARC-based Suns and VAXes or 386 machines.

>Can I correct this problem with a different software package or command ?

Yes, throw out the SunOS "talk" software on all your Suns and grab the
4.3-tahoe "talk" software instead.  It's in the "AT&T-free BSD software"
archives on "uunet"; in 4.3BSD, Berkeley fixed it to send stuff over the
wire in a much more machine-independent fashion.