Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!van-bc!seac!wain From: wain@seac.UUCP (Wain Dobson) Newsgroups: comp.unix.msdos Subject: Re: The purpose of this group... Message-ID: <5683@seac.UUCP> Date: 10 Sep 90 03:03:57 GMT References: <13111@netcom.UUCP> <26E3F766.2F57@tct.uucp> <5680@seac.UUCP> <953@digi.lonestar.org> Organization: SEAC Software Engineering, Vancouver, B.C. Lines: 89 In article <953@digi.lonestar.org> dmason@digi.lonestar.org (David Mason) writes: >In article <5680@seac.UUCP> wain@seac.UUCP (Wain Dobson) writes: >>In article <26E3F766.2F57@tct.uucp> chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) writes: >>>...is to discuss "MS-DOS running under Unix by whatever means." >>> >>>So to get the ball rolling: Those who have used both Merge/386 and >>>VP/ix, which do you prefer? >>>-- >>My preference is for Merge386 as implemented under SCO ODT. It is a >>nice piece of work. >> > >The $64 question: why? > Well, since I'm not interesting in inventing reasons, trying asking some questions. One's preference is not necessarily another's. As I have had a distinct dislike for DOS and pretty much stopped using it around the time DOS 2.1 was issued, the uses of the product with which we have been associated don't involve the "ins and outs", "extenders and benders", "this tweak and that tweak", and "extended this and expanded that" which seem to make up the vocabulary of the DOS world. Principally, it serves the intererst of clients whom wish to run Quarrto, and Rbase, etc., as well as some proprietary software that is being replaced with UNIX versions as quickly as we can port/rewrite them. It handles VGA, modems, direct printing, wyse terminals, and you can even add a few megs above 640K. Turbo Pascal, Turbo C and Turbo C++ work smoothly. DOS progams compiled with the "messy"soft compiler and linked with the PC Interface library access UNIX like UNIX (best feature from my point of view although I could do without the compiler but then again "messy"soft might actually come out with a compiler that does one thing well rather than "2000" things badly). Dos programs can be executed from the unix command line, or within a VP/ix like environment. Pseudo-floppies, pseudo-disk are easily defined and used. Has excellent mouse drivers which do not require one to install the manufactures DOS drivers. The VGA image is the standard IBM image. > >I have not used ODT, but I have seen some demos >and it looks pretty nice all around. I'm glad to see that Merge is >popular, since integration with DOS would be one of my key factors in ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Real wrong choices of words. Real hard not to flame. :-) ODT-DOS is only a mere process under ODT. And I think is would be really nice if this group could get across to people this small fact. Warning! If you want to turn your UNIX machine into a DOS machine, you'll pay the price in more ways than you can imagine. If you understand "standard DOS" as far as one can speak of a standard DOS, then you will understand the the functionality of ODT-DOS under ODT. First, one can ask oneself the question "What does UNIX do with the hardware BIOS when it boots up?" Being able to answer that question will get one around wondering what DOS software is appropriate --- most certainly not all that software out there that bends itself out of shape to get around DOS. Secondly, one might consider asking onesself the question "How would I write a DOS emulator that would execute in a multi-programming environment without having to take over the hardware with is being used by other processes and which pays attention to questions of security, etc., and provide such services as running different dos sessions on the multiscreens and switching a vga and a mouse from session to session? >picking a PC UNIX, but I'm sure everybody out here in netland would >like to see the gory details. > UNIX is UNIX, and I happen to be one of those people whom grind their teeth at even the mere existence of DOS. But then again clients are clients, and the ODT-DOS implementation is highly functional. What gore one might find will more than likely be of one's own making. But then, again, I'm sure that the whines and whimpers that the ODT-DOS is this and that the ODT-DOS is that will fill this group in the months to come will demonstrate this time and time again. > >A related question would be, if you dont need everything that ODT has, >would it be better/cheaper to get ESIX and VP/ix? Will Merge work with >ESIX? Enquiring minds want to know... > One of the nice features of ODT, my mind does not have to deal with silly questions like "Will it work with x, y, or z?" ODT is a unified product of which Merge386 forms the bases for ODT-DOS. I don't have an inquisitive mind, I would rather be developing applications than trying to figure out if x worked with y or z. And, I would much rather work with a product that is integrated --- just don't have to put up with out-of-sync updates, etc. And, most importantly, clients do not have to put up with out-of-sync updates -- only bugs. In short, its your quarter, or whatever. -- Wain Dobson, Vancouver, B.C. ...!{uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!seac!wain