Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!atha!aunro!alberta!herald.usask.ca!lowey
From: lowey@herald.usask.ca (Kevin Lowey)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: (Sigh) Here we go again...
Message-ID: <1991May4.212112.10985@herald.usask.ca>
Date: 4 May 91 21:21:12 GMT
References: <12849@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
Lines: 40

> > In fact can you see the
> > senerio where you leave your computer on all day so you are able to
> > call it from work(or where ever you are) to do some work, or get some
> > documents that you forgot.  Of course, you can always jump back in the
> > car and drive 20mins-2 hours to get home.
> 
> Yes, I can see this scenario, because I actually live out this scenario with
> a home PC running OS/2.  So I don't follow the argument here.  How does this
> scenario make UNIX preferable to OS/2?

I think he is saying that with Unix, you can dial in and log into the 
computer, then use something like Kermit to download the files, or run Unix
programs remotely.  Of course, you can't run X applications (unless you have 
slip support) so you are limited to strictly command line / terminal apps.

The OS/2 solution to that is the shareware program OS2YOU, which is sort of a 
PC-Anywhere clone.  You can use it to connect to your OS/2 station using 
a serial line, or a named pipe on a LAN.  The access is password protected.  

This can make OS/2 multi-user.  Each user is limited to running text
applications (no PM apps) but that is the same as most dialup unix boxes. 
The other main difference is that anyone who gains access gets FULL access
to OS/2, as there is no idea of separate user privileges/directories like
there is on Unix.  Everyone who connects is a superuser.

OS2YOU can also be configured so that instead of getting a CMD shell when
you are connected, you instead run some other program.  If you wanted to,
you could write a simple menu program to provide limited access to only 
certain programs (say, kermit from only one directory, etc.) instead of
full access to the system.


If you only want to provide mail functions, there are BBS programs available
for OS/2 (such as Maximus which I use).  This provides a multi-user 
conferencing system, limited only by the number of serial ports you have.
Programs like UUCP for OS/2 can provide access to Usenet.

OS/2 can also support TCP/IP, Telnet, FTP, etc.

- Kevin Lowey