Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!execu!sequoia!keith From: keith@sequoia.execu.com (Keith Pyle) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sequent Subject: Re: obsolete Sequent software Message-ID: <32782@sequoia.execu.com> Date: 23 Feb 91 19:26:02 GMT References: <1991Feb16.000101.4149@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <536@coatimundi.cs.arizona.edu> <6055@oasys.dt.navy.mil> Organization: Execucom Systems Lines: 59 In article <6055@oasys.dt.navy.mil> curt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Curt Welch) writes: >>I have to second R. B. Jim's comments about Sequent software. It's pitiful. > >I'm real tired of seeing this stuff. I happen to thing that Sequent >has done a great job on software. I agree, it's not leading edge stuff, >but it works, and it provides all the features I need. You're absolutely correct - they're right there on the trailing edge. For single system installations, again, I suspect you are correct that the system will work well. In ones like ours where you have a multitude of different systems, many of which are trying to keep up, it is a more obvious and more likely to cause problems. I'm also tired of seeing it - and saying it. It would be highly desirable if Sequent would do something so we wouldn't find ourselves even having to discuss it. >I word it this way: > Rock-solid hardware, Rock-solid software. Yes, but petrified is also quite solid by definition. >Sun offers leading edge software, and they have to pay the price >for doing that. Every few months I see another article like this: > >In comp.security.announce, cert-advisory-request@CERT.SEI.CMU.EDU writes: >> >>CA-91:01 CERT Advisory >> February 21, 1991 >> SunOS /bin/mail Vulnerability > >I've never seen a single bug report like this about DYNIX. I have seen such reports, but only from Sequent, and only after we harrassed them seriously about not providing such information. They do not seem to like to even admit that they have security problems. Their attitude was the same old one: we don't want to publicize the problem since people could exploit it. Both the network manager and I pressed them on this and now we do get Sequent security notices on hardcopy - typically very terse, little info on the specifics and a comment that a patch may be available. So, maybe Sequent is just treating you the way did us and you're incorrectly assuming that there are no such problems with your version of Dynix. >DYNIX does have some bugs, and so does the Sequent hardware, but it's >the best integration of hardware and software that I've seen in a >long time. > >Curt Welch >curt@oasys.dt.navy.mil I fully agree that the hardware is good (except the 8mm - I'll keep saying that until we have a unit that works for 12 months). However, the OS needs a lot of updating and ptx is NOT it either. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keith Pyle UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!execu!keith Manager, Data Processing Services Dept. Internet: keith@execu.com Execucom Systems Corp. 108 Wild Basin Road Austin, Texas 78746 Ma Bell: 512-327-7070 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com