Path: utzoo!dciem!client2!gee
From: gee@client2.DRETOR.UUCP (Thomas Gee )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: A/UX on Mac : Need an overview
Keywords: Mac A/UX
Message-ID: <3883@client2.DRETOR.UUCP>
Date: 28 Dec 90 14:49:44 GMT
References: <19450@netcom.UUCP> <1990Dec27.145308.22612@athena.mit.edu>
Organization: Defence and Civil Intitute of Environmental Medicine
Lines: 47

In article <1990Dec27.145308.22612@athena.mit.edu> abennett@athena.mit.edu (Andrew Bennett) writes:
>|> b)  must you purchase special Mac software that only runs under A/UX
>
>The Mac OS runs as a task under A/UX.  It's the same as any other Mac OS, so
>you can run anything in it you want. 

Not quite true.  I have a number of programs that bomb hideously under A/UX.
Not surprisingly, *many* INIT's and CDEV's do not run under A/UX.  In my
experience, this includes both Moire (it runs, but clicking on the Control Panel
entry freezes the computer) and QuicKeys (both versions 1 & 2).

As well, I run into continual problems with collisions between access
permissions and Mac applications.  Many (most?) applications have *very bad*
error recovery and announcement facilities.  A case in point: MacWrite II.
Like most Unix systems, I set the access permissions on "/" to 666 
(thats "dr-xr-xr-x" for you beginners :-).  MacWrite II creates a temporary
file under "/".  So, invoke MacWrite II and CRASH (panic: alloc: dup alloc).
Lovely.  Very graceful.

>|> c)  does anybody make software to run on A/UX
>
>Anything that compiles under other Unix systems should port over easily.  If you
>want graphics, you can run X-Windows, too.  I don't buy shrink-wrapped Unix
>software, so I can't really say who is making what for A/UX right now.

I think there's a list of A/UX software on sumex.

>|> lou.
>
>-Drew

Overall, despite my negative comments, I'm very pleased with A/UX.  I was
slightly horrified at first when I was asked to work on a Mac (being a
reasonably old-time Unix fanatic), but A/UX has since assuaged my fears.  The
developers have done a wonderful job of integrating two operating systems (and
more importantly operating system paradigms) in a remarkably transparent
manner.  Nice package!

Tom.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Gee       |
Aerospace Group  | a man in search of a quote
DCIEM, DND       |
Canada           | gee@dretor.dciem.dnd.ca
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I am not the official voice of DCIEM.