Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!sdd.hp.com!mips!pacbell.com!iggy.GW.Vitalink.COM!widener!dsinc!bagate!cbmvax!amix!buck From: buck@amix.commodore.com (Richard Buck) Newsgroups: comp.unix.amiga Subject: Standalone UNIX and 1.1 upgrades Message-ID: <2153@amix.commodore.com> Date: 9 May 91 22:51:12 GMT Organization: Commodore-Amiga Unix Development Lines: 93 Oft-asked questions include: Can I buy Amiga UNIX separately to put on my A3000? Does Amiga UNIX work on a 2000/2500? How can I upgrade from/to version 1.1? How much do the various 3000UX models cost? Can I buy a multi-user license? I'm not in marketing, so this is not "official", but it is accurate. 1. When can I buy standalone Amiga UNIX to put on my A3000? Soon. The standalone UNIX package exists; no extra pieces are required, and we have many shrink-wrapped packages sitting in our offices right now. The reason you haven't seen it at dealers is that we've had trouble designing a cardboard box and setting a price. It will be exactly the same as the 1.1 shipped on 3000UXes, including tape, disks, and documentation. You should have at least 4 MB RAM and we recommend a 200 MB disk (although it runs fine in 100 MB). You can use this package to reinstall over your existing hard disk, if it's big enough, or install on a separate disk. It will be available soon, certainly by the end of this month. With the release of 2.0, the same product will be available for 3000s and 2000s. 2. Does Amiga UNIX work on a 2000/2500? Yes and no. A well-hidden secret is that it does work, but we don't like to admit that. We're not supporting the 2000/2500 series until a hardware upgrade package is available and Amiga UNIX 2.0 comes out. The basic upgrade (other than having enough memory and disk space) is replacing the 2630 and Kickstart ROMs, but more details will follow when we release the kit this summer. We don't like it in its current configuration because it doesn't match the way AmigaDOS and Amiga UNIX live together (and boot) on the 3000 series. While it works and has worked all along, we want to wait until the 2000 series UNIX can be brought into sync with the 3000 series UNIX. This upgrade kit and path will be available when 2.0 is released. For those who care, there are no plans to put Amiga UNIX on an A500. 3. How can I upgrade from/to version 1.1? Easily. If you bought a legitimate copy of any previous Amiga UNIX version, you can upgrade to version 1.1 by sending $50 to Dawn Phelps, Amiga UNIX Marketing Coordinator, 1200 Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA, 19380. You'll need a proof of purchase of some sort, since we didn't include a registration card in many of the early builds. The $50 is to cover the cost of the tape and new manuals. Future upgrades (to 2.0 and beyond) will be handled in the same manner. For the time being, upgrades are being shipped with a copy of the new System V Release 4 Wall Chart. 4. How much do the various 3000UX models cost? More than a breadbox, less than a boat. This information has been published in various places, and I think my life will be easier if I don't add anything more at this point. 5. When can I buy a multi-user license? Soon. It's similar to the standalone UNIX issue. The product exists, and existed when we started shipping Amiga UNIX 1.1 on 3000UXes, but we haven't put it in a cardboard box and set a final price. We plan to do this right away. Since UNIX System Laboratories still thinks of UNIX as a big system, the royalty fee reflects their assumption that many users will use one system. Our system is priced as a workstation; if we made the multi-user license available to everyone, it would raise the cost of the machine. Many - most - of our customers want to use the 3000UX for multiple login sessions on the various virtual screens and network port, but all under the same user name (or root). We therefore provide a cheaper license. If you want an unlimited license, USL assumes you are using the system as a large file or e-mail server, and therefore wants you to pay a higher licensing fee. -- "Klaatu barada nicto" Richard Buck, (215) 344-3019, buck@amix.commodore.com (4/91)