Xref: utzoo comp.sys.dec:6083 comp.os.vms:40140 comp.editors:3402 comp.unix.shell:2457 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!utkcs2!ornl.gov!de5 From: de5@ornl.gov (Dave Sill) Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.os.vms,comp.editors,comp.unix.shell Subject: Re: DCL and EDT for Unix? Message-ID: <1991Jun20.175935.2644@cs.utk.edu> Date: 20 Jun 91 17:59:35 GMT References: <91169.171310SCHDAVZ@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu> <1991Jun19.122116.8961@cs.utk.edu> <1991Jun19.170723.5663@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> Sender: usenet@cs.utk.edu (USENET News Poster) Reply-To: Dave Sill Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Lines: 45 In article <1991Jun19.170723.5663@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, jweiss@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Jerry Weiss) writes: > >There is nothing wrong with this approach. It certainly has its >advantages and disadvantages and these should be weighed closely and >in consideration with the user population's level of expertise. Sage advice. Of course, I was trying to answer the general question of whether to learn a new environment or make it look like the old one. I still think the latter is foolish in most cases. >If the users aren't programmers and dont normally deal with the fine >details of either DCL or UNIX, then it is probably an acceptable >alternative. In that case, the users are probably spending most of their time in applications. The only choice, then, is to port the applications or buy a version of the same commercial application for the new OS. I.e., if they're not heavy OS users, then go ahead and teach them the 2 dozen new commands they'll need. You'll only be wasting time and money in the long run by making the new OS look like the old OS. >If on the other hand they are going to be writing DCL procedures or >programming, then they should "bite the bullet" and learn >a UNIX shell. My point exactly. >You can make life easier for most of them however with a few alias >commands for things like delete, copy and rename etc. I disagree. The differences between VMS's "delete" and UNIX's "rm" are too great to whitewash with an alias. You'll only confuse your users by providing partial compatability. >Don't get hung up about rights and wrongs. Evaluate the situation and >tradeoffs and make an informed decision. Er, decisions are all about rights and wrongs, aren't they? I believe that in nearly all cases an informed decision on this matter will be to make a clean break with the old environment. -- Dave Sill (de5@ornl.gov) Tug on anything in nature and you will find Martin Marietta Energy Systems it connected to everything else. Workstation Support --John Muir