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From: allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR/KT)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: SCO Unix security features
Message-ID: <1990Aug17.235745.27374@NCoast.ORG>
Date: 17 Aug 90 23:57:45 GMT
References: <881@mwtech.UUCP> <1990Aug16.174514.2646@NCoast.ORG> <15759@bfmny0.BFM.COM>
Reply-To: allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR/KT)
Followup-To: comp.unix.i386
Organization: North Coast Public Access *NIX, Cleveland, OH
Lines: 34

As quoted from <15759@bfmny0.BFM.COM> by tneff@bfmny0.BFM.COM (Tom Neff):
+---------------
| In article <1990Aug16.174514.2646@NCoast.ORG> allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR/KT) writes:
| >And you still haven't answered my biggest question:  why do I have to put up
| >with this *at all* when the machines I have to install and maintain this on
| >need nothing more than simple group vectors and /etc/shadow?
| 
| You don't.  There are about five other 386 UNIX ports out there.  I
| recommend anyone who doesn't want to get stuck with C2 security buy one
| of them.  (They all run Xenix binaries nicely, by the way.)  These
| messages asking "I think I want Unix for my 386, but does SCO sell it
| yet?" make me chuckle -- surely this is the sweetest coup in brand name
| recognition any value-added reseller ever pulled off...
+---------------

Not my idea, unfortunately.  The machine in question is an Altos 5000; it runs
SCO Unix, but *not* the stock version:  it has drivers for MultiDrop and Altos'
serial port concentrators (based on past experience with Altos, they should be
far more reliable than the norm for PC-class machines), the High Performance
File Processor (optional attachment), built-in Ethernet controller and SCSI
controller, etc.  I *wish* I could just pick up 386/ix for it!

I have conveyed my concerns to Altos, and they are at least partially aware
that I usually have a pretty good idea of where I'm coming from.  They seem
receptive; we'll see what happens, whether it be changes to SCO Unix (doubtful)
or a switch to 386/ix, or (worst case) being told there's nothing to be done
about it.  The latter may cause me to recommend that we start outfitting the
Dell PCs with 386/ix... Dell may not understand the stuff, but *I* do.

++Brandon
-- 
Me: Brandon S. Allbery			    VHF: KB8JRR/KT on 220 (soon others)
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